Mom and I enjoyed a whirlwind two and a half weeks travelling around England. She was here between December 22 and January 13 and we certainly covered a lot of territory. It was amusing to count the number of transportation methods we used (many of them in a single day): bus, underground, train, taxi, private vehicle, and of course walking. Lots of walking.
My favorite part of the trip has to be the three days we spent in the Peak District. We came to the Peaks directly from the bustle of London (Boxing Day sale at Harrods...NOT a good idea). After a very long day of train delays and waiting for buses in the dark, I can't describe how good it was to arrive at Hartington Hall, a 17th century manor house turned youth hostel. The glow of the fireplaces through the window welcomed us in from the cold, and the home-like beauty of the house itself could only be matched by the surrounding countryside.
The hostel often reminded me of the Prancing Pony from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. In stark contrast to our London hotel, where we spent the evenings cloistered in our room with the television, at Hartington we joined a merry group of wanderers clustered around fireplaces with books, games, and pints of ale in hand. Tolkien's words regarding Rivendell, The Last Homely House, perhaps best describe it: 'a perfect house, whether you like food or sleep, or story-telling or singing, or just sitting and thinking best, or a pleasant mixture of them all.'
Our departure from Hartington was accompanied by many wishes to return. I still have much more exploring to do in the Peak District.
It seems unfair to skip over the rest of our English travels, but suffice it to say we both enjoyed the time immensely and were very sorry to say goodbye when it was time for her to fly back to Seattle.
Yesterday, though, I set off on a new adventure: to get my Bodleian Library card. Oxford University has kindly deigned to allow us Brookes students access to the reading rooms and 8 million volumes in the library's collection. Before obtaining the 'Bod Card,' that golden ticket of Oxford legitimacy (it also allows you access to certain colleges), I had to collect multiple signatures certifying that I was on a course of 'serious study' and solemnly read the Bodleian Oath before an admissions officer:
'I hereby undertake not to remove from the Library, or to mark, deface, or injure in any way, any volume, document, or other object belonging to it or in its custody; nor to bring into the Library or kindle therein any fire or flame, and not to smoke in the Library; and I promise to obey all rules of the Library.'
The admissions officer then reminded us that no one is allowed to take books out of the library, and that the last person who asked to do so had his head cut off (Charles I was beheaded in the English Civil War, but not by librarians). With this warning in mind, us four Brookes students took our newly minted cards to Radcliffe Camera, probably the most recognized and certainly most photographed reading room of the library.
Walking proudly past the 'No Visitors' sign, we had our bags searched and then headed up the massive spiral staircase. Once we reached the first level, we ascended a tightly-wound metal staircase (the kind every library should have) to the 'Upper Camera' gallery, where nothing separated us from the great dome but shelves and shelves of books.
I wish I could have taken a picture to show you the inside, but you'll just have to imagine. We settled down at desks and pulled out the reading material we brought along, dutifully taking notes and every once in awhile glancing up in delight. Picture a Little League baseball player suddenly set down in the middle of his favorite team's stadium. That's something like how I felt. Amazement I was actually there, and inspiration to tackle my studies with renewed enthusiasm.
It often seems most of my life is online. It's where I study, stay in touch with friends, and find out how to defrost chicken. Even though my course is digital publishing, I crave the the sense that my studies are grounded in something real, that they're part of a larger conversation and the rich history of books epitomized by the Bodleian.
That's why I'll be back many times this next semester. Laptop in hand.
