Friday morning one last Oxford breakfast, we piled our cases back onto the coach to head back to Bath. On our way back, we stopped for a short day trip to Blenheim Palace, just outside of the city where we had stayed for a week.
Blenheim Palace is the only palace in the UK that was not built by royalty. Queen Anne rewarded John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough, with the land and money to build his estate after he won a decisive battle in Germany against the French during the War of Spanish Succession. His wife oversaw the process, which took 28 years from start to finish, while he was away with the military.
As we pulled up, the imposing building stood before us. We piled off the coach and wove through school groups, also there on a field trip, to start our tour. The guide took us through the ornate east wing of the house (the family still lives in the west wing), which houses the former state rooms and a large dining hall that can seat over 40 people around its table. The space is used once a year for the Duke's annual Christmas dinner because it is the only room in the estate that can hold all of the invited guests.
Our tour dropped us at the long library. From there, we explored the Winston Churchill exhibit. In addition to being the cousin of one of the Dukes, he was born prematurely when his mother and father attended a banquet at Blenheim. Churchill spent quite a bit of time at the estate growing up and considered it a second home.
Having completed our exploration of the palace, we grabbed a quick bite at the cafe and then set off to traverse the grounds. Megan, Emily, Rachel and I began with a single goal: to find the tree from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The flashback scene of James, Sirius and Severus was filmed beside a lake on the property, so we scoured the banks, searching for a clue as to where it may have been. Sarah and Jessica joined us in our quest, and we finally found it just across a small bridge. We flocked there, photographing our discovery with joy.
For the remainder of the afternoon, we explored the grounds, reveling in their beauty until we noticed clouds begin to roll in. Knowing the change in the weather that would follow, we began to walk back to the coach, quickening our pace as the sky continued to darken. Though the six of us stepped on in time to avoid the rain, others got caught in the downpour, which quickly turned to hail in typical English fashion. By the time we had driven a few minutes from the site, however, the sky had cleared again, which was how it remained for our return to our home, Bath.
Showing posts with label library. Show all posts
Showing posts with label library. Show all posts
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Monday, March 24, 2014
#sprig
One aspect of my classes I neglected in my earlier blog posts is our study trips. Essentially, each class gets to take a field trip to add some experience to the material they're learning. My first study trip was to the Montacute House in Somerset with my class on Tudor and Stuart England.
The Montacute House is an Elizabethan mansion and expansive garden. It sits on what was once monastic lands, which were bought by a local landowner when the monasteries were dissolved as part of the English Reformation. (See, I have been learning, I promise!)
At the start of our day, the little coach picked up the class, and we started our hour-and-a-half journey. When we pulled into the gravel lot at the Montacute House, we found our tutor John sitting on a bench. He waved as we parked and stood to greet us. He led us to the back of the house first, which is a bit deceiving considering the driveway that connects it to the road. He explained that the house has seen virtually no alterations since it was first built because its owners, the Philips family, soon fell out of favor at court and therefore could not afford it. While they may have considered that a negative aspect, it turned out to be a blessing for historians!
We walked around to the front of the house, which opens onto the main gardens. As was tradition, the path by which visitors would have come when the house was occupied was separated from the house itselve by a small fenced in garden. The front of the house features 9 statues, three each from biblical, classical and medieval traditions. We entered the house and immediately walked up the stairs to the long hall.
The long hall, or the top floor of the house, is currently home to selections from the National Portrait Gallery's Tudor and Stuart collection. There, we saw original portraits of Henry VII and his wives, as well as well-known figures from the Elizabethan and Jacobean ages. The Tudor features were particularly interesting as we have just finished studying that period in our class and are beginning the Stuart reign this coming week. Once we had wandered through the gallery, we descended to the second floor, where a library caught our attention. Colorful stained glass crests adorned the windows, a beautiful contrast to the dark book bindings. We also had a chance to wander through a few of the bedrooms.
Having spent sufficient time inside the house, we drifted out to the gardens, where we imagined the lives of the house's original residents and guests, transported back to the Elizabethan age. Once we completed our exploration of the gardens, we gathered in the cafe to eat our lunches, and ASE treated us to tea and cakes.
For the afternoon, John led us from the house through the town. We saw the remains of the gatehouse I referenced earlier, as well as the only other small building, which once housed the doves kept by the monks for eggs and meat. A small pond, which once held fish, also remained on the premises. We also got to peek into the local church, which still functions under the 39 Articles of Faith established by Queen Elizabeth I and in which the Philips family is entombed.
On the walk back through the town to our bus, we passed a sign advocating local events and sites of interest. It leaned on the typical "I (heart) _____", but instead of a heart the image was of a small branch, We debated the proper term for it as we passed through the parking lot and agreed on a "sprig" which should be used to describe things which are particularly close to our hearts, hence the title of this blog post.
Our ride back to Bath was uneventful, and we arrived at our residences in mid-afternoon. I took the time after to pack for Oxford, our next big adventure!
Cheers!
The Montacute House is an Elizabethan mansion and expansive garden. It sits on what was once monastic lands, which were bought by a local landowner when the monasteries were dissolved as part of the English Reformation. (See, I have been learning, I promise!)
At the start of our day, the little coach picked up the class, and we started our hour-and-a-half journey. When we pulled into the gravel lot at the Montacute House, we found our tutor John sitting on a bench. He waved as we parked and stood to greet us. He led us to the back of the house first, which is a bit deceiving considering the driveway that connects it to the road. He explained that the house has seen virtually no alterations since it was first built because its owners, the Philips family, soon fell out of favor at court and therefore could not afford it. While they may have considered that a negative aspect, it turned out to be a blessing for historians!
We walked around to the front of the house, which opens onto the main gardens. As was tradition, the path by which visitors would have come when the house was occupied was separated from the house itselve by a small fenced in garden. The front of the house features 9 statues, three each from biblical, classical and medieval traditions. We entered the house and immediately walked up the stairs to the long hall.
The long hall, or the top floor of the house, is currently home to selections from the National Portrait Gallery's Tudor and Stuart collection. There, we saw original portraits of Henry VII and his wives, as well as well-known figures from the Elizabethan and Jacobean ages. The Tudor features were particularly interesting as we have just finished studying that period in our class and are beginning the Stuart reign this coming week. Once we had wandered through the gallery, we descended to the second floor, where a library caught our attention. Colorful stained glass crests adorned the windows, a beautiful contrast to the dark book bindings. We also had a chance to wander through a few of the bedrooms.
Having spent sufficient time inside the house, we drifted out to the gardens, where we imagined the lives of the house's original residents and guests, transported back to the Elizabethan age. Once we completed our exploration of the gardens, we gathered in the cafe to eat our lunches, and ASE treated us to tea and cakes.
For the afternoon, John led us from the house through the town. We saw the remains of the gatehouse I referenced earlier, as well as the only other small building, which once housed the doves kept by the monks for eggs and meat. A small pond, which once held fish, also remained on the premises. We also got to peek into the local church, which still functions under the 39 Articles of Faith established by Queen Elizabeth I and in which the Philips family is entombed.
On the walk back through the town to our bus, we passed a sign advocating local events and sites of interest. It leaned on the typical "I (heart) _____", but instead of a heart the image was of a small branch, We debated the proper term for it as we passed through the parking lot and agreed on a "sprig" which should be used to describe things which are particularly close to our hearts, hence the title of this blog post.
Our ride back to Bath was uneventful, and we arrived at our residences in mid-afternoon. I took the time after to pack for Oxford, our next big adventure!
Cheers!
Saturday, February 22, 2014
A Temporary Home
I realized that I haven't actually written about my day-to-day life in Bath since my classes started. Sure, adventuring is fun, but equally fun is hanging around at home.
That's right, home. I've actually taken to calling Bath "home" for the semester, the same word I used for Rochester for the last 2 and a half years, and the same word I used for Kibbutz Tzuba for a summer in my teens. I know that this is only temporary, but there's something very special about calling it "home." Even 3.5 years later, there is a part of me that feels like Kibbutz Tzuba is exactly where I should be, a part of me that knows I would still feel comfortable there. Even though I love being in Bath, I'm feeling a little homesick for Rochester.
"Home" has meant something different in each case. Some things, however have been constant. One of those has been my academics. Right now, I'm taking three courses. My Monday mornings start with "Education in England," which is definitely my favorite class I'm taking. We spend our time reading and talking about the various nuances of the English education system, which inevitably brings us back to the US education system. Our discussion this week centered on the National Curriculum and the new Core Curriculum. Because the National Curriculum was implemented 20 years ago, England has already been through many of the debates currently going on in the USA. Very interesting, at least to someone like me who's a big fan of policy talks.
After my education class, I go straight to "Mythologising Shakespeare," where my tutor has memorized most of Shakespeare's works. We know this because he will literally spout off quotes in the middle of class. My third and final academic class for the week is on Wednesdays around midday, when I have "Tudor and Stuart England." This tutor is also quite knowledgeable, but he doesn't intimidate us as much, which is a big plus. Tuesdays and Thursdays are dedicated to my education placement, since we go into our schools on Tuesdays and then we spend Thursday mornings in tutorials with the wonderful Andrew Butterworth discussing what happened that week and getting ready for what's to come.
If it wasn't already clear, we only meet with our classes once a week, which means that class is 2 hours and then it's time to hit the library! The library at Nelson house is small and cozy, which is perfect since any of the books that we didn't get personal copies of aren't allowed to leave the building. Generally, I've been spending 1-2 hours in the library on class days to get my reading done.
Classes, however, do not make a home, which is why I've been trying hard to explore the city while I'm here. I decided to join two groups within the community while I'm here. The first is called the GASP choir at Bath University. It's very relaxed, which makes it a lot of fun to be in. The name stands for the main genres of music they sing - Gospel, Acapella, Soul and Pop - but they certainly branch out beyond those. The members are all students, and everyone has been incredibly welcoming, so I'm looking forward to socializing with them in the coming weeks and months. The second activity I chose is the local knitting circle, affectionately known as "Stitch and Bitch," so definitely look for a few knitting-centered blog posts in the coming weeks as well.
It's getting late, so look out for part two of this post soon!
That's right, home. I've actually taken to calling Bath "home" for the semester, the same word I used for Rochester for the last 2 and a half years, and the same word I used for Kibbutz Tzuba for a summer in my teens. I know that this is only temporary, but there's something very special about calling it "home." Even 3.5 years later, there is a part of me that feels like Kibbutz Tzuba is exactly where I should be, a part of me that knows I would still feel comfortable there. Even though I love being in Bath, I'm feeling a little homesick for Rochester.
"Home" has meant something different in each case. Some things, however have been constant. One of those has been my academics. Right now, I'm taking three courses. My Monday mornings start with "Education in England," which is definitely my favorite class I'm taking. We spend our time reading and talking about the various nuances of the English education system, which inevitably brings us back to the US education system. Our discussion this week centered on the National Curriculum and the new Core Curriculum. Because the National Curriculum was implemented 20 years ago, England has already been through many of the debates currently going on in the USA. Very interesting, at least to someone like me who's a big fan of policy talks.
After my education class, I go straight to "Mythologising Shakespeare," where my tutor has memorized most of Shakespeare's works. We know this because he will literally spout off quotes in the middle of class. My third and final academic class for the week is on Wednesdays around midday, when I have "Tudor and Stuart England." This tutor is also quite knowledgeable, but he doesn't intimidate us as much, which is a big plus. Tuesdays and Thursdays are dedicated to my education placement, since we go into our schools on Tuesdays and then we spend Thursday mornings in tutorials with the wonderful Andrew Butterworth discussing what happened that week and getting ready for what's to come.
If it wasn't already clear, we only meet with our classes once a week, which means that class is 2 hours and then it's time to hit the library! The library at Nelson house is small and cozy, which is perfect since any of the books that we didn't get personal copies of aren't allowed to leave the building. Generally, I've been spending 1-2 hours in the library on class days to get my reading done.
Classes, however, do not make a home, which is why I've been trying hard to explore the city while I'm here. I decided to join two groups within the community while I'm here. The first is called the GASP choir at Bath University. It's very relaxed, which makes it a lot of fun to be in. The name stands for the main genres of music they sing - Gospel, Acapella, Soul and Pop - but they certainly branch out beyond those. The members are all students, and everyone has been incredibly welcoming, so I'm looking forward to socializing with them in the coming weeks and months. The second activity I chose is the local knitting circle, affectionately known as "Stitch and Bitch," so definitely look for a few knitting-centered blog posts in the coming weeks as well.
It's getting late, so look out for part two of this post soon!
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