British food

They still do have beans for breakfast, fish and chips, pot pies, and shepherd's pie.  But there is a whole lot of new cuisine too -- fresh foods, salads, interesting sandwiches.  Last night we ate at a Jamie Oliver's (The Naked Chef).  Tonight I had a vegetable curry -- not in an Indian restaurant.  I have taken pictures of some of the food to try to recall it and try it at home. 

Hmm....I have not cooked in 5 months.  I hope I still remember how!

Not an octopus

We did a great job figuring out the London tube and the Paris Metro both within 24 hours when we took the overnight bus from London to Paris.  And both are straight forward, intuitive systems.  In fact, signage in the London tube is much better than any of the signage above ground.

When we returned to London, we wanted to get a 5-day pass (for simplicity, and for saving money).  so, I went to the counter to ask for an octopus card.  Oops -- that is what they call their metro cards in Singapore.  Turns out that the card here is an Oyster card, and they thought I was pretty funny.  I can see that my brain stored in the same place, or an adjacent place, the names of sea creatures who start with "O" and whose names are used for subway cards.

In Singapore, I got a wrist-watch that acts as an Octopus card!

We have succeeded in using the Oyster card to get to the "Youth" hostel, the British Museum, Greenwich, the Tower of London and the Tate Modern. 

Rather than go to Denmark....

Rather than go to Denmark, we went to the British Museum to learn all about the Vikings.  The longest Viking ship ever was discovered in Denmark some time ago.  Curators soaked the wood in some special substance for 10 years, then spent another 4 years freeze drying all the boards.  Some inferences were made, and the boards have been laid onto a metal framework as part of an incredible special exhibit here in London.  In L'Anse Aux Meadows, Newfoundland, there was ONE clasp from a cloak, and evidence of buildings, fires, smelting, etc.  In this exhibit we saw MANY clasps.

Probably the most interesting things we saw were the "hoards" of silver coins and jewelry that have been found in the last 30 years in various spots where the Viking had been.  The most common written phrase from the Viking times in the Viking territories, "There is but one God, and his name is Allah."  To date 200,000 coins from Muslim lands have been found as part of hoards!

Paris fashion and design

I kept looking for it.  I guess it was right under my feet; there were lots of interesting shoes.  I started letting my pictures include some feet to catch the interesting colors and designs. 

They were wearing the same skinny jeans, leggingsm and skinny pants that are all over the world at this point.  Most of the interest was in the scarves.  Men and women were wearing patterned scarves, and many were in cotton.  There were several ways that they were worn, and with the weather still cool, it made sense to wrap the neck well, as they did. 

Walking along the Seine, we stumbled into a design festival.  These were sort of pop-up design shops in refitted shipping containers.  Painted in charcoal grey with some bright yellow writing and lots of windows, these made for attractive displays.  The designs were very clever, and as interesting and fresh as what I see in magazines and in the New York Times.

One fellow had some made some fittings on a 3-D printer to hold together a wooden table..  Another was making very handsome wooden keyboards that were machined from a single piece of wood -- customize your own for 150 Euro.   Another had made a giant “knitting knobby” to make circular fabric from recycled wool and silk.  And delicate ballerina-like legs held up a small wooden side table.

And my haircut.  I decided that my overgrown locks could be easily contributed to a souvenir haircut.  The fellow indicated that they must have 3 years of training in France to be a hairdresser – and 2 more years if you want to own a salon.  I have never had a razor cut before, and am enthralled with how well the hair goes where it is supposed to go.   How will I find someone to do this in DC?

Paris performance pieces: 1. 2, 3, and 4

First.  My talent for finding four-leaf -lovers laid dormant as we went around the world.  But in England, I found a whole handful, and dried them in a notebook.  When I got some out to give Pierre’s family, I learned that Maryvonne has the same talent – “an eye for pattern.”  When I found a handful walking along the banks of the Seine, I really did not need any more.

So I went up to people who were walking – mostly French, some tourists – to try to give away the four-leaf-clovers.  The first few people avoided me completely.  But perhaps I got better with my approach after that, and succeeded in giving away about 10 four-leaf-clovers.  I got lots of “merci.”

Second.  Walking along the Seine approaching the Eiffel Tower, we saw a woman  who was walking with a boy of about 10 stoop to pick up a ring.  I assumed she had dropped it because she did not seem that excited to find it.  But she brought it over to us, asking if we thought it was gold.  We looked, said maybe, and gave it back to her.  We said that she was lucky. 

She tried to give us the ring – because, she said, she did not have papers and could not sell it or turn it in.  We walked on.  She came back to us to try again to have us take the ring, and asked for some money for her son in exchange.  We walked on.

Third.  In about six different spots near the base of the Eiffel Tower, men were playing Three-Card-Montey.  Put the ball under one cup, shuffle the three cups around, and people can put up some money to bet on which cup has the ball.  The minimum bet seemed to be 50 Euros, with the opportunity to double your money.  It did not seem that hard to follow the ball, and some people won, and some people lost. 

We did see him change the ball to be under another cup while someone was attending to making his bet.  It was impossible to tell who was in cahoots with him.  Will says that, at least in faction, you can make $2000 to $4000 per day.  I can almost believe that after seeing the continuous interest in this high stakes game.

Fourth.  A family was living on a mattress on the sidewalk not too far from our station – Republique.  Usually there was a man, woman, and child of about 3, but sometimes, fewer, and sometimes another adult and child.  They were clearly not doing this as a performance piece, but neither were they openly begging.  They has blankets, food, and seemed relaxed.

What is worth worrying about?

We have clearly developed a cautious mindset in response to worry about pickpockets or others who might want to take our things.  First of all, we don’t have much to take – passports and cash are in money belts; and, second, my bag is slash proof.  We keep an eye on one another – Will serves as watchman when I draw money out of the ATM, and I watch when he is concentrating on taking pictures in iffy places.

Earlier in the trip we worried about what we ate – in iffy places we were sticking to food that was hot-to-the-touch.  And why not have beer with lunch instead of unsafe water?  No such worries with Great Britain and France.  Lana, the nurse from the ship who advised before each country, said that in England we could not only drink the water and eat the food, but also have sex with monkeys.  (You had to be there to understand this one.)

My whole life I have worried about being hungry.  For example, after Nick was born, I had not eaten for quite a long time, and was worried about getting a headache from being hungry.  The doctor assured me that I was not going to get a headache with all the meds I was taking.  So on today’s bus trip I have probably have enough food for 2 days….

Will worries about being in rush hour crowds (though I am more likely to feel a bit claustrophobic when we actually are in a crowd).  And he worries about being caught in the rain – to which I always say that I am not so sweet that I will melt in the rain. 

But maybe none of this is worth worrying about......

So as to not arrive with “jet lag”

 So as to not arrive back in London trashed with “jet lag” from the overnight bus, we are taking a day bus.  If you book months ahead, the Eurostar train through the chunnel is not too expensive.  But it is vastly more expensive for last minute travelers like us than going by bus.  It would be over 200 Euro each on the Eurostar.  On the Euroline bus, we are both traveling for under 100 Euro.  This price includes a “concession” or discount for our being old.

Market and Monet

Liz gave me a list of some of the markets to look for.  No need to look very far.  Just over a block from the youth hostel that we are staying in was a great market this morning.  I bought heritage tomatoes, woods strawberries, two kinds of cheese, pickled fish, olives, and a felafel sandwich for lunch.

After lunch we went to the Musse Marmottan-Claude Monet.  I am pretty sure that was the museum that I took Nick to when he was 2.  He fell asleep in his stroller on the way there, and the museum did not allow strollers.  So they suggested that I leave him asleep in the stroller in the cloakroom, "comme d'habitude", or "it is usual."  I checked back every 5 minutes, and he slept soundly!  I would say that I had a more in-depth look at the pictures today with Will.

We also went to Musee d l'Orangerie today to see the two full rooms of water lilies.  I think that was the museum that I took Dan through when he was about 2 -- with him riding on my back, and me explaining the pictures!

Paris for real!

In just the first day we have seen the Eiffel tower in the distance, done a walking tour of the Marais near where we are staying, and been to two museums.  Oh yes, and had 3 French meals.  Croissants for breakfast, sandwiches on baguettes for lunch, and Croque meusseur for dinner.

The Musee Carnavalet is dedicated to the history of Paris – we went in mostly to get out of the rain, and because it was free.  There were lots of paintings showing old Paris.  But, for me, the most interesting was the exhibit on pre-history.  The original people were here from about 4500 BC – stone, bone, and bronze materials were displayed from Paris excavations.  There were 2 old pirogues (wooden canoes) that had come from the excavations. 

And this was also a Roman stronghold, so there were some good Roman materials exhibited.  Particularly interesting were the sections of wall showing how very colorful the room had been.  In fact, the romans painted most of their stone ad rooms.

The Rodin museum was open this evening.  Before the rain got too heavy, we wandered in the garden.  Gates of Hell, Bergers of Callais, and The Thinker were very impressive.  I was reminded of taking Nick through in a stroller on our trip to Paris when he was 2, and of taking Nick to Philadelphia much more recently to see the Rodin museum there.  I was also reminded of visiting the Rodin sculpture garden at Stanford with Skip/Will when Ray had his heart surgery. Rodin was clearly a genius.

What side of the road do they drive on (part 3)?

Leaving London, the overnight bus was on the left side of the road.  This must have been a bit awkward because the driver’s seat was also on the left.  Then we arrived at the chunnel staging ground around midnight or so.  We were in a line for 1:35 am departure, and the sign indicated that we would board the shuttle about 25 minutes before the scheduled time.  So at the right time, the driver loaded the bus onto a tunnel-like train.  I picture it a bit like the Amtrak car train that can take your car to Florida. 

For the chunnel trip, about a half hour, the driver did not drive at all on either side of the road.  We were conveyed, along with other buses and vans. People were able to get out of the bus if we wished and walk around the inside of the shuttle.   Then when the conveyance reached France, the driver started the bus and drove off the shuttle -- to the right-hand side of the road. 

So as to simulate jet lag……

Most people arrive in Paris jet lagged, so we simulated that by taking an overnight bus from London.  To take the Eurostar train through the chunnel, it turns out that you really need to book 3 to 6 months ahead to any get any kind of a fare.  We arrived in London unwilling to pay the same day, or even next day, fare.  So we asked about options, and were referred to the overnight buses. 

The cost of the overnight bus for two of us was about the same as the discount (booked far in advance) fare for the Eurostar would have been for one person.  In fact, it was about the same as a cheap hotel, making the trip free, if you figure that we would have had to stay somewhere overnight.

Politics and religion

As we travelled with Semester at Sea in some conflicted places, we were encouraged to not speak about politics and religion.  Neither were we to take pictures of anything having to do with the military or police.  This was particularly the case in Vietnam and in Myanmar.

What a pleasure it has been to be a setting for free conversation about any and all topics – including politics and religion.  Our Servas host family not only made us very welcome and answered our millions of questions, but they also entered into easily into wide ranging conversations.

On everyone’s minds is the vote this fall on the independence of Scotland.  Clearly the devil is in the details.  Scotland has had its own education system for a long time, but the vote for independence would give it a lot more economic independence.  It is hard to sort out what that might really mean, even for people who are very informed.

Stirling Castle -- and Dr. Seuss

The Servas visit at Muthill gave us the chance to go into Stirling for a day trip and explore their castle.  The Stirling castle is at the top of a craggy peak and the old town areas wrap around.  Remember “Bartholomew Cubbins and the 500 Hats”, by Dr. Seuss?  Remember his trip up the hill, past the huts, past the houses of lords, past the church, and up to the castle?  That must have been written about Stirling, as we walked up through the same layers.

Of course, there was a shopping mall layered in there for today.  But we took a good look at the lord’s house, church grounds, and castle.  Stirling has a 500 year old bridge across its river, and it clearly was a strategic location for a long time. 

Will serves as my walking encyclopedia.  Who was William Wallace?  Who was Rob Roy?  Who were all those infant monarchs (3 in a row)?  In addition, we had an excellent tour guide, really an actor, as well as an excellent “lady in waiting” telling us about the women in the castle’s history.

Scotland has put a lot of money into the update and upkeep of this castle.  The excellent kitchen exhibit gave you the real feel of a hectic kitchen that was frantically preparing for a feast.  And they have spent 12 years with tapestry weavers recreating unicorn tapestries in the style of those in the cloisters in New York. 

The colors were amazing.   A big part of the outside of the castle itself had been restored to a light yellow/gold color with ochre pigments.  Several of the rooms had the original colorful decorations on their walls restored.  There were computer renditions of what the outside sculptures would have looked like with their original bright colors.

One degree of separation.

 Our Servas hosts in Muthill, north of Edinburgh, invited Servas friends to join for dinner.  It turns out that these guests had recently traveled in Myanmar, and had met twice with the same Servas day host that we met with twice!  Small world.

And what are the odds that the three Servas hosts that we have stayed with so far would all be into long distance cycling?  Across France for one, and two couples with round the world trips.  I am going to try bike commuting when I get home, and this inspires me to try longer trips.  Bicycling can be the right scale – not as slow as walking and slower than a car or train.

What else can be made with wool?

These views of twin lambs frolicking in green field after green field are a bit less charming for me today.  Turns out that this is mostly lamb for eating.  The farmer can get as little 50 pence for a fleece these days.

What are we wearing?  Almost entirely synthetics.  Today’s layers include a REI synthetic running shirt, topped by a synthetic REI long sleeve shirt, and over that a fleece by Mountain Hard Wear.  Some days I have short sleeve Merino wool tops that I wear – but they don’t grow Merino sheep around here.  The shops in Edinburgh features wool kilts, but mostly things made from cashmere – also not from around here.

If we are not wearing this wool and not sleeping under wool blankets, who is going to buy this?

We did not stop in Sheffield or York

Or Newcastle or Darlington.  Booking the trip this morning from Edinburgh to London, we got a ticket that could be used at any point today and tomorrow – opening up the possibility of a stopover.

I asked the ticket agent about Sheffield, indicating that my people came from there.  “You would not miss much if you skipped Sheffield.”  I said that I had heard there were good Indian restaurants there – the fellow at the next ticket window agreed.  They also indicated that you could get stainless there.   Me, “Perhaps it was a good thing that my relatives had left for America.” They agreed.

I am carrying a huge Great Britain travel book (purchased as a remaindered library book).  So we looked up each of the stops as we took the express train southward to see about a stopover.  Not much at Newcastle or Darlington.

York was more promising.  Actually it was quite a crossroads for a VERY long time.  The Brigants were there until the Romans came through in AD 71. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Anglo-Saxons took it over, then the Christians came in 625, and the Vikings in 866.  The Viking were chased out in 954 by King Eadred of Wessex, and it was William the Conqueror’s turn…..

I was interested in the 100 year long Viking settlement of Jorvik, but I was put off by the idea of viewing the reconstructed settlement from a monorail.  There is a Viking Exhibit in London; we hope to catch that later, and journeyed on.

Perfect evening light

I think I am inherently a northern person -- I love this long mid-summer light.  At 8:30 this eve, the sun had not even gone down here in Edinburgh, and at 9:30 it was still not fully dark.  We are moving up on the summer solstice, and these long days are a treasure!  We explored the light on the various castle ramparts and several views out over the city.

Vendor strategies

In social psychology, I taught about some strategies that are used in convincing someone to buy something.  We experienced them all!

Foot-in-the door.  The first suggestion is that you buy something quite expensive.  The next proffered item seems incredibly cheap by comparison, and perhaps you bite.

Low-balling.  Just as you have agreed on the price, new conditions emerge – could be the “manager’s approval” or a tax or shipping, etc. 

Bait and switch.  You are drawn in by a great offer, and then moved on to “higher quality” goods. 

Just a peek – you are encouraged to step in to look, to handle the goods, or even to accept something free – this creates a familiarity, even an obligation to buy.

In a market for wooden goods in Ghana, we were called Papa and Mama, encouraged to sit, and even fanned as we explored our interest in buying.  In Vietnam almost every woman bought multiple elephant pants.  As we shared stories about bargaining and found out what others had paid, we became even better bargainers on subsequent trips to the night market. 

Adinke printing

The MV Explorer seemed to seek out the cheapest ports with the lowest dock fees.  The arrival of the MV Explorer in Ghana was in Tema, more than an hour outside of Accra.  The ship was supposed to spend a couple days there, then move on to Takarade for a couple of days.  Actually, another ship displaced our reservation, and the MV Explorer moved after only 1 day.  The fact that the guidebook had almost nothing to recommend in these two ports was part of what inclined us to hire a car and driver for going inland to the original Ashante capital.

Anyway, on the bus into Accra, I sat next to a life-long learner from Minnesota who was very knowledgeable about fabric, and was specifically looking for Adinke printed fabric.  She explained enough so that I wanted to learn more.  In town, at the cultural museum, I bought a couple of copies of a “decoder manual” giving the meaning of the various symbols. 

When we drove through a fabric town, I asked the driver to stop.  We bought a piece of fabric with large designs that followed the original smaller ones.  The fellows who sold the fabric offered us the opportunity to learn more.  It was a bit scary to be lead down an alley, but proved to be worthwhile.  He showed us an array of the shapes, carved out of large calabash (gourd) shells, and explained the stories behind the shapes.  Then he showed how the traditional printing process worked, and how the “modern” process uses silk screening.

Meteorite hits Ghana -- Lake Bosomtwe

About 1.3 million year ago a meteorite with an estimated size of 800 meters hit mid-Ghana.  Today there is a lake about 8K across and about 75 meters deep.  On the way back south from Kumasi, we stopped at this lake.  At the hut “greeting center” we were “invited” to make a donation towards reforestation of the crater, and to purchase a map/guide. 

On the lake people were paddling astride log boats and fishing with nets.  We walked along the edge of the lake a bit to watch.  There we ran into a couple fellows from China.  Turns out that he is part of a business manufacturing hair extenders and visits a different African country each year.  Interesting.

On the way back, we decided to stop for lunch.  Turns out that the fellow who ran the small restaurant (5 tables) and guesthouse (about 4 rooms) was from Memphis Tenn.  When we ordered, he suggested that it might be quicker if we both ordered the same thing.  So we ordered the basic fried rice dish and fish.  And we settled in to chat.  And chat.  And chat.  It was very interesting to hear about how he ended up managing this guest house in remote Ghana.  And we waited for the food.  And waited some more.  In all , it was over an hour for them to make the basic national rice dish with red palm oil and the fish.  Actually, the fish may have been purchased already cooked, because we saw the same fish being sold from woks with charcoal fires along the beach.

Turns out that they were running on Ghana time.  No matter how simple the food that we ordered, it usually took over an hour to fix and serve it.  Now we understood why the restaurant at the hotel in Kumasi had served a buffet—no waiting.  Since we did not have a particular plan, it was OK to be leisurely.  By the end of the day we checked in at the National Park to find out the next day’s schedule, and found a place to stay near the park.  And then waited for our dinner……..

So what did we get from the Brits?

Substantively sized well-behaved dogs abound.  And we see adults willingly and enthusiastically walking the dogs at all times of day.  Sometimes 2 or 3 people are talking together as they walk their dogs.  Sometimes one person is walking a couple of dogs.  The dogs are often walking at heel, and always on leash and quiet.  We did see one dog with a waterproof coat on a drizzly day, but otherwise the dogs have not been accessorized.

English cottage gardens and English formal gardens clearly form the foundation for so much of the gardening that we do in the US.  We have arrived here in early spring, and flowers are everywhere.  Daffodils (the Wales national flower) are gone by, and just the late tulips are in bloom.  Lilac in several shades of light and dark lavender are in bloom, and sometimes adjacent to what I would call “bridal veil”.  It was a very mild winter, and fuchsia wintered over.  Viola and pansies were probably planted in the fall and are in their glory now.  Bluebells (also in white) are in gardens and along paths.

Charity shops seem to come from Britain.  We have Goodwill.  They have Oxfam as well as a ton of other charity shops.  These use volunteers to sell used things – often quite nicely arranged items sold on main streets.  One shop had a poster encouraging volunteering as a way to build confidence. I got Nick some Dr. Who paraphernalia at one of these shops – this one benefiting the Red Cross. 

Volunteering seems to be a strong British tradition.  Train stations have great plantings – at one we saw an elderly couple working in those flower gardens – I had the impression that they were volunteers.  There was a volunteer sweeping out the old church at Broadwell.  And we have had excellent walking tours in two locations lead by very informed volunteers.

Path not taken, heritage

Today’s train to Edinburgh is passing through Sheffield.  This is where the Barratt name comes from.  George O. Barratt was a “grinder” in Sheffield (famous for its steel), and fell in love with Elizabeth Cottam from about 30 miles away.  Dan says that 30 miles was not so far in those days because of the railroads.  Elizabeth Cottam was from a fairly well-to-do business family, and there seems to have been some family discontent with the pairing.

That may have been the reason that George and Elizabeth left for America.  George Albert Barratt, my grandfather, was born in the US.  He recalled being taken back to England for a visit when he was around 12 years old, and being seen as an unruly American boy. 

George A. Barratt married another Elizabeth in Holyoke Mass.  Elizabeth Bretchschneider’s father was Max who came from Saxon in Germany.

“Edge tools, files, steel” was written in very faded letters on an old low brick building viewed from the tracks.  “English Pewter Company” and “Steel,”  were written on subsequent buildings.  Perhaps George O. worked there.  Dan has located a photograph of his home – still there.  Clearly the railroad, tunnels, and station are original – I expect that George passed along these same tracks. 

These days Sheffield is a city of ½ million.  As the “Lonely Planet” says, “the ‘Sheffield Steel’ stamp on locally made cutlery and tableware now has the cachet of designer chic.”  And, who knew, Sheffield is host to the World Snooker Championship. 

I did not know we would pass directly through, but am glad to have had a glimpse from the tracks. 

Across the Cotswolds

Imagine lamb twins bleating as you walk by; buttercups and low white flowers strewn across the green fields; trees with white blossoms within each hedgerow; blue, purple and tall white flowers along each path, and fluffy white clouds against brilliant blue skies.  Well, we were there. 

The second loop walk from Stow-on-the-Wold took us across open fields, along stone walls, through very small towns with a stone buildings, and on small roads.  As someone said to us this morning, “It took a lot of rain to make it this green.”  But we were not here for the rain, and reaped all the pleasure of 3 days of sunshine.

Broadwell received its charter in 708 from Coenred, king of Mercia who granted the manor and its “appurtenances” to the Abbey of Evesham.  It was located along the Roman Fosse Way.  The stone church from Anglo-Saxon times was replaced after the Norman Conquest. When Henry VIII disbanded the Roman Catholic church in 1539, the Abbey of Evesham was disbanded, but the church building has been kept up over the years.  In the cemetery are graves marked by sarcophagus shaped like the bales of wool that generated the wealth for the deceased. 

We passed the Donnington Brewery – not open for visits, but supplying their 15 pubs scattered around the region as well as other pubs.  We also passed the spa cottages where they attempted to establish a spa culture hundreds of years ago.  Otherwise, there was the usual assortment of mills, former forges, bakeries, and farms.

Almost, but not quite exactly, like English

Surgery (noun) = Doctor’s office

Advisory surgery = local consultation hours with your Member of Parliament

Loo, WC = toilet, rest room (they find rest room a hilarious euphemism)

Concession = ticket reduction for old people

Trainers = running shoes, sneakers

Boot = taxi trunk

Lorry = truck

On holiday = vacation

Infant = young child (as in “Infant School” for elementary school)

And putting together some sentences

Let me have a looky for you (looking up a train time)

Breakfast ends at half nine (9:30)

Casablanca

The process of disembarkation was different in each country -- not so handy in Morocco.  We picked up our passports and disembarkation cards on the ship, but then had to wait over an hour in a very slow moving line to get the cards stamped.  By then we were hungry.  But without local money, that was problematic -- my card did not work in the ATM, so I went to a bank, and had another long wait. 

Finally with money in hand, we set out to explore the medina (old city) and find food.  We unsuccessfully looked for a recommended place, then were getting really hungry.  We had been told to avoid cafes that were serving only men -- and in fact, in the medina, there were never any women in any cafe.  Will saw people carrying sandwiches in bags, so we followed them upstream to a small shop with about 4 tables on the sidewalk.  We were near a naval base, and there were some well dressed military or merchant marine men at 2 of the tables. 

Their presence suggested a respectability, and perhaps acceptable food handling practices.  I do not know what drew me, but I looked at what was being assembled on a pita and said we wanted 2 of those.  Anyway, I am back to vegan now, but ate a grilled chicken and chicken liver combination.

The sparkling sea and almost oppressive bright blue sky was a great backdrop for our exploration.  We had to wait until mid-afternoon for the tour of the mosque (until after prayers).  Some folks from the ship who were also visiting the mosque told us where to find the restaurant we had been seeking.  Indoors and out were incredible mosaic patterns.  What was particularly interesting to me was that the glazed ceramic tiles were cut to shape, including V cuts into the ceramic.

After the mosque, we wandered through the markets -- stuff that probably did not sell at our Goodwill was spread out along the street.  There were also sections where welding was being done and where furniture was being made, as well as a bit of food.  We got some great small round loaves of bread.

Walking back towards the ship, we ran into friends, and together found the restaurant for dinner.  We sat outside, with a soothing fountain nearby.  I had an wonderfully flavored fish tagine and non-alcoholic beer.  Some places do serve alcohol, but many do not.

The Cotswolds

We arrived mid-day in Stow-on-the-Wold and tried to figure out a walk.  The hostel was not helpful, but I picked up a 20-year-old description of a 4-mile walk.  It might not be the best idea to follow 20 year out of date directions that said things like walk across the open field, follow the lane of trees, keep the woods on your right, and go through 4 kissing gates.

But what is amazing is that the directions were perfect.  The place is essentially unchanged.  I knew we would be seeing sheep, fields, and stone buildings -- and we did.  What I did not realize was that we would be walking along lanes between fields, and across the fields themselves.  We shared some of the fields with sheep, mostly ewes with pairs of lambs.  And one field was shared with horses.  

The "youth" hostel is in a 16th century townhouse!  Will had chicken pot pie, smashed peas, and mash for supper -- with a local beer.  I had small fried whitefish, and hummus.  Perhaps the hummus is not historically correct, but considering the melting pot that is England today, it is appropriate.  Since we did not have hummus on the ship, I am pretty excited to be able to get it.

Brits, male and female

It is hard to stop the habit that I developed as we went around the world of observing gender roles.  So the first day in Southampton, the waitress was having the hotel manager ring something up or make a correction in the accounts -- she said to us that he did a pretty good job, "for a bloke".

Then we learned more about the construction of the original stone walls around Southampton.  These were put up in response to an attach that stole most of the royal supplies of wine, wool, and grain -- that had been obtained by tithing.  Men and women both worked in the construction -- women were paid 4, men were paid 6 of whatever the money unit was.

Still in Southampton, we saw a couple of women around town with pink sashes that said "Hen Party."  Later in our hotel, we saw several women, of assorted ages with the sashes.  Finally when we were having a drink in the pub, we saw two more having a cigarette out front, and a handful in the lobby with a 3 or 4 foot inflatable penis.

Small Brits

As a developmental psychologist, I am always observing babies, parents, and small children.  First day in Southampton, I saw two toddler-types on leashes.  I have occasionally seen this at home, but never two in one day.  I have seen a few more since then, but it clearly is not the every-day-way to handle toddlers.

From the first days, I saw lots of babies and small children in prams with pacifiers.  What is a pram anyway?  There have been a few old-fashioned buggies, but mostly I see extravagant high-end strollers.

Actually, I have seen lots of babies.  At first I thought there might be some sort of mini-baby boom.  But I know that the data indicates otherwise.  I think that there are two explanations – first, mothers get a year parental leave with partial pay, so they are able to be out and about with their infants.  And second, getting out seems to be usual – whether it is to “air” the baby, or to run nearby errands on foot. 

Since then I have seen babies in front and back packs, facing front and facing back, on moms and dads.  But mostly, babies are in prams pushed by mothers. 

We saw a mother on the bus today with a pram and a child of about 4.  She kept telling the 4-year-old not to sit on the steps up to the second level, and he kept going back to do so.  Her penultimate strategy was to point to the on-board surveillance camera and tell him that he needed to behave because the camera was watching.  And for the final strategy, as parents everywhere, she let him play with her phone.

Wales

We put one foot in front of another, starting in Southampton and find ourselves in Wales.  The first night in Southampton we stayed at a brand name hotel (ane will be reimbursed), then we stayed in a small local hotel where Ben Franklin had stayed. 

After that we spent a couple of nights with a Servas host.  When we arrived, I complemented him on his fantastic flower-filled yard.  Not a yard. We are learning British English -- a yard is plain gravel or pavement like, perhaps, a school yard.  It is a garden.

The second night, we went along to a pub with a few of his friends.  Will thinks he is living in the middle of every British novel he has read over the last 40 years, and the pub clinched it.  Actually, it was reminiscent of the Laurel Tavern on Monroe Street in Madison.

After that we went to Bradford-on-Avon and stayed in a lovely very old B&B for a couple of nights.  And from there we stayed with a Servas family in Bath -- great bikers and outdoors people.  In order to see a wonderful outdoor living museum in Cardiff, we took the train to Wales and have just spent two nights in a "youth" hostel. 

In Bradford-on-Avon, we went into the library to get out of the rain.  We ended up going through the small town museum that was upstairs.  Downstairs, I picked up a used guidebook (Lonely Planet) that they had de-accessioned, and found that the path we have been taking by following our whims was more or less following a "classical" 2-week tour plan for the UK.

The Romans in Wales

Today was a day for exploring Roman ruins near Newport, Wales in the small town of Caerleon.  As we approached the amphitheater/stadium, it was filled with school children in blue uniforms being marched enthusiastically around the field by their teacher.  The Stadium originally had additional wooden seating areas -- to hold 6000!  That would include the 5000 soldier stationed in this area and some of the locals who were also serving.

The stadium was just outside the wall.  Just inside the wall are the foundations of the barracks that held the soldiers.  I wonder about the math -- the museum shows 4 bunkbeds per room, and I counted around 150 rooms -- that would never add up to 5000.  We will have to ask.

The baths were amazing -- we walked along on platforms looking down on part of the outdoor swimming pool and several of the rooms.  A soldier would start by exercising outdoors, swimming in the outdoor pool, or exercising indoors.  Then they would disrobe in the heated room before rinsing off in cold water.  Next, in the warm room (tepidarium) they could rub olive oil on their skin.  Then they went into the hot room, followed by a return to the warm room to scrape off the gunky oil.  A dunk in the cold pool was followed by dressing and playing games like dice.  The order of events was somewhat different for different individuals. 

The museum (free, public museum) had great interpretation.  They had a huge collection of carved carnelian stones from rings -- that they pulled up out of the drains!  They also had a large hoard of coins found nearby in 2007 -- including one with a Pegasus, and one with an elephant.

So, when was this?  They arrived in about 43 AD, build a more temporary set of buildings a few miles away, and began constructing the baths in 79 AD when they arrived here in Caerleon.

Southampton

Who knew all the history here?  This has been a significant port forever -- King Henry V and his troops were stationed here before they set sail for the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.  The Mayflower and Speedwell set sail for America from here.  The Speedwell was not really seaworthy, and they put everything and everyone onto the Mayflower.  The Titanic set sail from here, and Southampton was a communications hub during the recovery efforts.

More than just a port for high profile voyages, Southampton was a merchant and trade crossroads.  St Micheal's church was built in 1070 and spared in WWII because the steeple was a helpful navigation point in air raids.  The Bargate was constructed by the Normans in 1180 and served as the main point of land entry into the city.  A good bit of the Medieval walls remain.

The Tudor house and gardens have been restored into a state of the art museum, while retaining the 15th century timber framed building and brick side buildings that were its essence.  Public lottery money went into this restoration.  I took lots of garden pictures, and it is spring here with iris, columbine, borage, and peonies in bloom.  It will be hard to decide what parts of the yard are going to be Japanese, and what will be English formal garden, and what will be English cottage garden.

More recent history is here too.  Jane Austin lived in Southampton a couple of years, and Ben Franklin stayed a few nights in the hotel we are in -- because his ship was a few days late arriving to take him back to America.

Will has spent his life reading historical novels about England, and is constantly seeing things that are familiar, and explaining the historical references.

A 14-year-old

Will's phone has not worked for quite a while as a phone.  It gets a lot of use as his reading devise, and we did not really need a phone.  But now that we are traveling on our own and hoping to make some arrangements, a phone would be good -- even if calls are expensive.

So what we needed was a "14-year-old" to help get it straightened out.  We went to the mall in Southampton to look for a guidebook.  I was overwhelmed with the number of guidebooks.  There were books for each possible small region, as well as one overall book for the whole of Europe.  Since we do not know what we are going to do, and we are carrying our gear, I ended up not buying any books.  I guess it is all on line today anyway....

But we did find an Apple store, and a young lady who looked to be 14, with 3 facial piercings, helped Will for a considerable time with his phone.  She was getting ready to give up -- and tried rebooting the SIM.  Now we are carrying a working phone.

Disembarkation

After 4 months as an essentially closed community, it was pretty poignant to bring it all to the end.  Being on the ship had the feeling of being at summer camp -- those intense relationships that build in a closed community over a defined period of time are hard to bring to a close.  For the students, this was particularly intense; but even the grown-ups found it poignant to bring the journey to a close.  We have new friends in assorted places from Moab Utah, to Ashville NC, to Poughkepsie NY, to Charlottesville VA.

Ship friends and their 3 small kids had been in Iowa for his school; then, when he got his PhD, moved back in with parents in California, looking for a job.  Semester at Sea was what came along.  The whole ship cheered him along through a long distance job application process that included a Skype interview from India and a quick trip back to the US while we were in South Africa. And now we have new friends moving to Switzerland.

Before every port on the Semester at Sea voyage, there was a mandatory "Pre-port" session on health and safety, cultural information, and logistics of embarking and disembarking.  The session on England was hysterically funny -- including a language session on how to speak British.  Biscuit, not cookie; crisps, not chips; chips, not fries; pudding means desert, and how to pronounce aluminium.  We were also instructed about British food, and told TO drink the water (and beer).

We are all changed by the experience of our voyage, and we will all have a round of reverse culture shock.  I participated in a "re-entry" program and spoke about service as a way to continue the journey and manage the feelings of boredom/stress/loneliness.   Why lonely?  No one will really understand the experience.  As one of my students said, "there is no way that they will think of us as anything other than spoiled brats."  And who really wants to see 4 MONTHS of photos?  And breakfast will be with the same people every day at home.....