Oxford, UK

Visit To Oxford - Easter Break, 2012

We spent a few days in Oxford before picking up Lori's parents in London.  One always hears about Oxford University, but actually, there are 39 colleges in the city under the one title.  Oxford's earliest colleges were University College (1249), Balliol (1263) and Merton (1264).  We saw the pub when our former president "didn't inhale" during his college days there.  Lots of character in the city.. we both left feeling a little smarter with all that intellect in the area.  One of the other items of interest was the author of Alice in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll) studied in Oxford. Hitler was intending to use Oxford as his capital if he conquered England which is one of the reasons it was not bombed during WWII.  We stayed outside the city and took the bus into town. 

The Blackwell Book store was founded in 1879.  It's the largest book store in the world though you wouldn't know it from the street.  To make room, they kept digging down (6 levels) and it now has 3 miles of shelves and 160,000 books for sale.   

Christ Church is one of the largest colleges of the University of Oxford.  As well as being a college, Christ Church is also the cathedral church of the diocese of Oxford.

The Great Hall below  (dining room for the university) was replicated to create Hogwart's Hall in the Harry Potter movies. 

The inner courtyard of the Christ Church university

We took a tour of the city on the hop-on bus.  Nice view but wasn't very warm or dry on the upper deck. 

Turf Tavern just to the left of the arch.. allegedly where a US former president smoked  (but didn't inhale)

Part of a 2 hour walking tour

Walking path along in the gardens of Magdalen College (est. 1458).  The grounds have a deer park and some very nice gardens.   Probably our favorite place in the city.  

Punting - a favourite Oxford past time. They use long poles to guide the boats down the canals.  The locals watch on the bridge waiting for the tourists to get their poles stuck in the mud which leaves them two choices, hang onto the pole and go for a swim, or abandon the pole and drift along.

On a walk with Magdalen college in the background

This pheasant was very vocal, calling for some friends I suppose.

We had lunch one day at The Bear pub.  Legend has it that it got its name because they used to have dog/bear fights back in the day. Still heated with coal in open fireplaces.  One of the traditions is that the owner collects neckties from the college students.  They just lop the bottom off the ties with some shears (below) and put them in a display.  Approx 5000 ties and growing      

Ties stubs in the display case with date, and college.

The Eagle and Child Pub, where C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams used to gather for weekly meetings to discuss their literary works.

Walking around Oxford..  

Indy and Bristol

TRIP BACK TO INDY, March 2012

Got to see Jen and Andy's new puppy, Derby

Here's Derby and Dad

Beautiful weather in Indy.. actually got to wear shorts.  Had a great time with the family

(Note:  Max is not a fan of Derby, notice the weary eye) 

Max is stubborn,  "not in my house"

Trip to Bristol.  

After leaving Indy, we travelled to Bristol, UK for a few days of meetings.  

Lori visited the SS Great Britain moored in the harbor.  

The SS Great Britain was a passenger steamship for transatlantic service between Bristol and New York in the 1800's.  It was the first iron steamer to cross the Atlantic in 1845 (14 days).

A nice view of Bristol from the harbor

Cabot Tower 

View of Bristol from Cabot Tower

Back in Derby - spring has not returned very quickly.. temps 50/40F and precip nearly every day this month. A spring snow looking outside our apartment window
It was the wettest April in the UK in over 100 years, which says something.  

While we were in Indy, we got to watch some good volleyball at the Indy convention center.. over 100 teams playing.  Lot's of fun. (Dad and son)

Sister, Faye, and niece Ashley

Lori and Ashley

Lori and Mom

Lauren, the volleyball player

Coventry, UK

Visit to Coventry, UK

After we picked up Lori's Mom and Dad in London, we stopped by Coventry and spent the afternoon at the cathedral before heading onward to Derby.  

Lori's parents arriving at Heathrow airport

 

A little history lesson..... Coventry's earliest cathedral, dedicated to St Mary, was founded by Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and his wife Lady Godiva in 1043. 

On the night of 14 November 1940, the city of Coventry was devastated by bombs dropped by the Luftwaffe.  The Cathedral burned with the city, having been hit by several incendiary devices. Shortly after the destruction, the cathedral stonemason, Jock Forbes, noticed that two of the charred medieval roof timbers had fallen in the shape of a cross.  He set them up in the ruins where they were later placed on an altar of rubble with the moving words 'Father Forgive' inscribed on the Sanctuary wall.

The Surviving Tower of the Coventry Cathedral

 Remains of the roofless cathedral. Most of the walls are still standing  

 Picture of the Cathedral after the bombing

 Replica of the the two roof timbers that formed a cross

Sculpture of St. Michael's victory over the devil

Tapestry in the new cathedral (75' x 40')

The theme of the cathedral is reconcilliation

Edinburgh, Scotland

Trip To Edinburgh, Scotland

April 2012

After a long Easter weekend, we travelled with Lori's parents for a long weekend trip to Edinburgh.  We took the Cross-Country train (~ 4.5 hour trip) north through some nice countryside.   

View of the North Sea from the Train

View down the Royal Mile (from the castle down to the Queens summer palace, Holyrood

View from the Castle courtyard.  

City skyline dominated by the Edinburgh Castle, high atop an extinct volcano.

 City park, tulips in bloom

 Castle view from the park

St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh

 View of the castle from the courtyard

 View of  Arthur's Seat (large hill) which overlooks Edinburgh 

Calton Hill is the headquarters of the Scottish Government. Nice views of the city and Fifth of Forth (bay).

 The National monument.. It was designed during 1820's and is modelled upon the Parthenon in Athens. Construction started in 1826 but the building was left in its unfinished state in 1829 due to lack of funds.   Local legend suggests that the city of Glasgow apparently offered to cover the costs but Edinburgh was too proud to accept the other city's charity. As a result, the monument is referred to by the nickname Edinburgh's Disgrace.  I guess time is relative to getting around to finishing it .

 Entrance to the Castle (The Portcullis Gate).  One of 4 gates that protected the occupants.  Earliest human habitation of the hill was traced back to the 9th century BC

View of the old city from the castle

The castle was used as a city fortress, and also as a prison.  It held Americans captured during the the American Revolution when we were at war with Britain. 

View from the Royal Mile outward toward the new city

Bobby was a Scottish Terrier who belonged to John Gray, and the two were inseparable. In 1858, Gray died of tuberculosis and was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard, the graveyard. Bobby, who survived Gray by fourteen years, is said to have spent the rest of his life sitting on his master's grave. 

Bobby died in 1872 and was buried instead just inside the gate of Greyfriars Kirkyard, not far from John Gray's grave

Sign on a building in the Grass Market district.  

At the train station heading back to Derby