Rome: Day 1, Nov. 20

Even before we left Columbus for Cambridge we had decided to visit Italy since we would be “in the neighborhood.”  We investigated and found a Rick Steves tour of Rome which seemed like a good way to see a city whose language we did not know and whose geography seemed confusing at best. As additional motivation, ever since our arrival in Cambridge, we had seen evidence of Roman outposts all over Great Britain. In the end we were very happy we chose this tour: our guide was engaging, knowledgeable, and easy going despite whatever stress he might have experienced trying to shepherd twenty four independent souls through the city.  He did all the legwork of purchasing tickets, arranging the hotel and several meals, and guiding us through chaotic traffic.  Perfetto!

DAY 1

Since our first organized activity wasn’t until Sunday afternoon and we had arrived Saturday evening, we had a few hours to acclimate ourselves to Rome.  Our lodging, Hotel Aberdeen, was on Via Firenze, “a short walk from the train station” and close to many attractions. It would indeed have been a short walk if we hadn’t missed its small sign. Eventually we did stumble upon it and checked in.  It was a very comfortable room with windows that opened onto another small (and at times, noisy) street. 

Hotel Aberdeen on Via Firenze.  The hotel was on only two floors of this building and hence could not have a large sign.

Our room

Just around the corner was the Piazza della Repubblica which to us meant our first of many fountains and basilicas.  Churches are to Rome what castles are to Great Britain: there are lots of them; they are the places where fantastic wealth is on display, and in Rome they are free to visit.

This basilica was once part of the Baths of Diocletian, with room for about 3000 people to meet and greet in 300 AD.  The current exterior was part of the steam room.  Later, around 1561, Michelangelo redesigned the baths to become a church.  This was a theme we heard over and over: what was once pagan was reused and refashioned by Christians.

Fountain in Piazza della Repubblica

We were able to attend the American church in Rome, St. Susanna, which is run by the Paulists, the same order who staff the Newman Center at Ohio State.  Not only were we fortunate to attend a mass in English, but we also heard the “old” translation which had already been done away with in England since early September.  After Mass there was a tour of the church including the crypt which was once the house where Susanna, an early Christian martyr, and her family lived.

Interior of St. Susanna

A beefy looking Susanna is spied upon by relatives of the emperor.

Crypt under main altar

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In the late afternoon we met our guide and the rest of our tour group.  Once the preliminaries were out of the way, we left the hotel to see the Pantheon and a few other sights .  One of the best parts of visiting Rome was the possibility of touring at night.  Temperatures were mild and public transportation was available.  The crowds, however, still seemed enormous even though our guide told us there were far fewer visitors this time of year.  We approached the Pantheon from the back; we had been walking by more typical size structures when this huge barrel shaped building with a modest dome came into view.

Pantheon at night

Pantheon during the day

Oculus

The writing on the pediment says that the Pantheon was built by Consul Marcus Agrippa in 27 B.C.; it was rebuilt by the Emperor Hadrian in 120 A.D. after several fires and served  initially as a temple for all the Roman gods.  Then it became a Christian church in the Middle Ages and later a burial place for such luminaries as the painter Raphael and Italy’s first two kings.  Architecturally, this building, constructed without modern tools, was the inspiration for other domes like St. Peter’s and the U.S. Capitol.  The dome itself is made of concrete (invented by the Romans we were told) that becomes thinner, and hence lighter, closer to the top. 

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Near the Pantheon were other churches of interest.  We stopped in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi, the French national church in Rome, which contains three paintings by Caravaggio, one of our favorite painters.  Lucky for us, we were able to take pictures of the paintings (at other sites with Caravaggio paintings we were not so fortunate).

Christ calls Matthew; his gesture is like the hand of God in Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel painting of the Creation of Adam.

The Inspiration of St. Matthew

The Martyrdom of St. Matthew

(Notice also the different colored marble on the church walls and pillars.  It would be a common sight in other churches and museums we visited over the week.)

The evening concluded with a group dinner at a family style restaurant that emphasized rustic fare.  We arrived at 7PM; by the time we left at 8:30-8:45, the place was packed with many customers waiting for tables.   In fact, whenever we ate out as a group we went early; the locals tend to eat much later in the evening.

Dover--Nov. 12

For living on an island we haven't seen too much water so one of our goals was to visit the famous White Cliffs of Dover and see a bit of the English Channel.  Fortunately we were able to coordinate this visit with our nephew Philip who was working in London for a short time.  We met at the remodeled St. Pancras International Train Station in London and headed southeast on a high speed train.

"The Meeting Place," one of St. Pancras' large sculptures that I was able to photograph as we dashed through the station looking for our nephew AND the correct platform from which to depart.

Unfortunately southeast England was socked in with clouds that day and we had only a brief view of the Cliffs from the train.  Dover itself is not a remarkable town but it has a castle and ruins that have been in existence since Roman times so up to the castle grounds we hiked.  The castle area, given its strategic position as a gateway to London, was used as a military base continuously for about 700 years until 1958.

Dover Ferry as seen from the castle grounds.  It was clear that we were close to France even if we could not see the shore since there were a number of dual language signs--some in train stations and some in the castle.

In earlier times, the site of the castle was an Iron Age Fort followed by two Roman lighthouses or "Pharos," one of which remains today.

"Pharos."  The small Saxon church which dates from about 1000 AD can be seen next to it.

Church of St. Mary in Castro ("in Castle")  The church is still used today by Army members and locals.

Welcome to the Great Tower!  Mi Casa Su Casa?????

Today the Great Tower of the castle has been restored by a group known as English Heritage to what it would have looked like during the reign of Henry II in about 1180 (movie reference: "The Lion in Winter").  Although he was at least tangentially responsible for the death of Thomas a Becket,  his one time friend and Archbishop of Canterbury, Henry had done penance for the act and now welcomed pilgrims on their way to Canterbury where Becket was being venerated as a martyr. However, the rich colors and opulent furnishings of his castle gave a clear message that Henry was a powerful man and not to be trifled with.

The Great Tower

The thrones, although wooden, would have been impressive because of the expensive dyes used in the paints.

Mappa Mundi, or Map of the World, the Medieval Ages version, in the room with the thrones.

The map was handmade and is based on a Mappa Mundi in the Corpus Christie College Library, Cambridge University.  It was difficult for me to identify any known continents.

The Dining Hall

Some areas of the castle remain more or less as ruins.

The Barbican or outer fortification of the castle

Probably Dover is better known to us for its role in WW II.  Tunnels that had been built in 1803 during the Napoleonic Wars as barracks were reused as headquarters for Operation Dynamo, the rescue of British and French forces from Dunkirk in 1940.  We were unable to go on the tour of these tunnels because no tickets were available.  We did see the tunnels that were used as a hospital during this time but no photography was allowed.

Statue of Sir Bertram Ramsey who oversaw Operation Dynamo

A day that wasn't very light to begin with was turning dark so we headed back to the train station and to London.

FYI: Bluebirds never flew over the White Cliffs of Dover; bluebirds are not indigenous to this area.  But somehow, "There'll be gray gulls over the White Cliffs of Dover" doesn't have the same charm or sense of hope.

Armistice Day - Day of Remembrance, Nov. 11-13

Several weeks before November 11 we started seeing poppy boutonnieres on TV personalities and people in the streets.  Even more TV programs than usual emphasized some aspect of war stories.  My impression is that Armistice Day plays a larger role here than it does in the US. On November 11 itself,  the nation pauses for 2 minutes of silence.  I hadn't heard of any commemoration in Cambridge, so I watched the television at 11 AM.  Scenes at war memorials across the UK were broadcast with everyone standing at attention and saluting.  Children in schools stood in silence. The newspaper showed a picture of bank employees all lined up in silent attention.  A woman I spoke with told me how her bus had stopped for the 2 minutes of silence.

On Saturday the Festival of Remembrance concert was held in Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Family in attendance.  The evening culminates in a procession of service men and women and poppies fluttering down from the ceiling.

On Sunday, the 2 minutes of silence at 11 AM was repeated.  We were at church and the procession that is normally accompanied by a hymn was silent.  Later in the day we saw a replay of the day's activities in London. The queen laid a wreath of poppies at the foot of the Cenotaph, the empty grave memorial on Whitehall and then other family members did likewise.  Many more wreaths were laid on the site. This was followed by a long procession of medal-adorned service and service-related veterans from WW II  and beyond (the last WW I veteran died this past year) and from various Commonwealth countries.

The whole custom of wearing a poppy is not without controversy.  A minor issue that assumed major proportions was whether or not the soccer teams for England and Wales would be able to wear the poppy on their uniforms ("kits") for their international games this past weekend (they were allowed to wear the poppy on an armband).  A more subtle issue brought up in one editorial is whether or not wearing the poppy has become like wearing a US flag in one's lapel--a politically correct observance denoting patriotism.  There are also white poppies for Quakers and those who oppose war.

Remembrance Observance in Dover

E+S+W=Great!!; Wales Nov. 4-7

Now that we have visited Wales we can say that we have truly been to Great Britain.  Not all of the UK--that would include Northern Ireland and not all of the British Isles since that would include the Republic of Ireland as well.  A long weekend gave us only a taste of a small part of Wales but it was delightful and easy to see why tourism is the #1 industry in Wales.

DAY 1


We had booked a B&B in Cardiff, the capitol and largest city in Wales.  It is along the southern coast and faces the Bristol Channel.  We were told to expect rain and as our train left Paddington Station in London and approached Wales, rain was what we saw.

Cavernous Paddington Station

I was hoping that at least we would cross into Wales on a beautiful bridge perhaps like the Firth of Forth Bridge in Edinburgh but that wasn't to be.  Instead of a graceful suspension bridge over the Severn River, we went into a tunnel. A positive way of looking at this disappointment was that it was our mini Chunnel experience.

The trip from London was only about 2 hours 20 minutes and even though it was the middle of the afternoon when we arrived in Cardiff, the rain made it seem like nighttime was near at hand.

 Outside the Cardiff Train Station

With bags and suitcase we trundled off to the Tourist Information Centre hoping to get a map of the city and plan some excursions.  People remark that the Welsh are friendly and that was definitely our experience.  We must have been going in (rainy) circles trying to figure out directions when a bystander asked what we were looking for.  He walked off in what he thought was the correct direction (it was) and came back to tell us exactly how to get to the Centre.  A very helpful employee there gave us all our necessary maps and lined up a bus tour for us on Sunday after checking the weather forecast.  In addition there was a newly opened museum called "The Cardiff Story" which presented a multi-media look at Cardiff through time.  

A word about language.  Wales is bi-lingual which for us meant that all signs were in Welsh as well as English. Thank goodness we know English because Welsh, with its multiple consonants is incomprehensible to our ears and eyes.  I learned two words:  "Cymru" refers to Wales and "croeso" means "welcome."  Here is another word that might have helped us.

DAY 2

Saturday turned out to be a perfect day for the outdoors: white clouds gave way to sunshine; how lucky could we get???  We left our B&B, took the bus, and headed to St. Fagans National History Museum, where representative buildings from all over the country have been relocated to give a flavor of what Wales once was.  This museum, like many we have seen since being in Great Britain, was free.

The Town House, our B&B in Cardiff along the Cathedral Road.  All the townhouses along this street were of similar architecture.  We were told that these were once merchants' homes.  Now quite a few of them are bed and breakfast establishments, pubs, or office buildings.

Our first stop was the St. Fagans Castle, or manor house, which formed the basis of the museum.  The castle had existed since 1580 and was owned by a variety of people.  It is presently decorated as it might have been in the 1900s.  It was used as a summer home only and the owners were never there for more than 6 weeks or so out of the year.  We were told that one of the buildings on the grounds was used as a hospital during WW I and after seeing the bells in the castle's basement used to call the servants, we had  one thought only: a mini Downton Abbey!! 

Behind the Castle.

Other buildings were of a humbler sort.  The Kennixton Farmhouse dates from 1610.  Its red color was meant to ward off evil spirits.  The white building is the barn.

Of course the smell of bread baking could not be ignored and we stopped for a snack of a scone and some cheese bread.  Wales is also known for its Welsh cakes; some say they are like flat scones made on a bakestone or cast iron griddle.  We could not get them at the bakery but were able to purchase them later.  They were delicious but when have I not liked any kind of bread or sweets??

The social and cultural life of miners was supported by organizations such as the Oakdale Workman's Institute.  The building was financed by a loan from the coal company and was eventually repaid.

 (Note 1.The Welsh are famous for their male choirs which apparently started with the miners; unfortunately we were not able to hear any live performances or practices.   

Note 2. Where Cardiff once was the #1 exporter of coal, very few mines are in operation today and those that are are very small.)

Some of the most interesting buildings were not transported to St. Fagans but are examples of "experimental archaeology."  We tramped through mud to get to the Celtic Village, a collection of three roundhouses thought to be representative of Iron Age Celts' homes (about 2000-2500 years ago).

Despite the similarity, this is not a Smurf House!

The interpreter told us how well the combination of fire and thatch roof worked to keep the house warm.  The fire killed insects in the thatch and the 45 degree angle of the roof meant that the rain rolled off.  There was no smoke hole at the top but smoke eventually drifted out through the thatch.  Doorways at opposite sides were the only source of light.

There were a number of other buildings to visit but given our desire to see more of present day Cardiff, we left St. Fagans and headed towards Cardiff Bay which ended up being a very long walk from downtown Cardiff.  

The area around Cardiff Bay has been redeveloped since the 1980s to make it a pedestrian friendly zone with walking paths, shopping centers, hotels, government and art buildings, and, best of all, a plaza where people watching is entertainment itself.

Millennium Centre, performing arts venue.  Constructed with slate from all parts of Wales.  Calligraphy is poetry from Gwyneth Lewis.

Roald Dahl Plass (for all the lovers of James and the Giant Peach, The BFG, Matilda, etc.)  Dahl came from Cardiff.  "Plass" is a Norwegian word for "plaza" and is used here since Dahl was born to a Norwegian family.

There are numerous works of art all over the Plass; some call it eclectic and it does seem to be a bit of a jumble but still, how nice to have something to admire and wonder about.  

This memorial, called "Lost at Sea" honors merchant seamen who have lost their lives in times of conflict.

Just beyond the Plass is the Norwegian Church and sculpture of Captain Robert Falcon Scott, a British explorer who set sail for Antarctica on his ship Terra Nova in 1910.  He was beaten to the South Pole by Roald Amundsen and later perished on the return voyage from a combination of starvation and extreme cold.

The Norwegians have a long history associated with Wales since the 1800s when the Norwegian merchant fleet came to Cardiff, one of Britain's three major ports.  The Norwegian Church served its community both religiously and culturally.  Today the deconsecrated church serves as an art center and cafe. We had a delightful lunch there--Welsh and Norwegian cheeses on oatcakes with chutney.  Some of the most flavorful food I have had since coming overseas.

We called it a day and headed back to the city center on a bus.  We waded through crowds of people streaming into Cardiff Castle to see the fireworks for Bonfire Night (Guy Fawkes Night to previous generations) on our way to our B&B.  The weather was great for the fireworks and was still looking good for our bus tour the next day.

DAY 3

We woke to sunshine and after a quick breakfast headed to the National Museum Wales to await our tour bus.  For this tour we chose to emphasize the natural beauty of Wales as opposed to historical sights.  We were not disappointed.

Beside the museum was this stand of bicycles.

Green and slightly disorganized Wales?? (however, the next day all was in order)

The sign says that the bikes can be used for free for up to 30 minutes if they have been reserved.  Wales has a reputation for going "green."  It is the first country in the UK to charge for those ubiquitous plastic bags from the grocers. Marks & Spencers department store had advertising saying their stores in the UK and Ireland will be carbon neutral in 5 years (but not when the 5 years starts) and by 2012 none of their clothing or packaging "needs end up as landfill." We also heard about restaurants featuring "10 mile menus" meaning all the food was produced within a 10 mile radius.

Our tour took us first to Swansea (Abertawe in Welsh meaning at the mouth of the Tawe River) and then to the Gower Peninsula.  Swansea is Wales' second largest city.  It features the National Waterfront Museum and odes to Dylan Thomas, the poet whose name Bob Zimmerman took to become the singer known as Bob Dylan.

Our guide Janet filling us in on Swansea's attractions.  The museum off to the right has examples of industrial innovations including the sociable bicycle that never caught on like the bicycle built for two despite its having the advantage of the couple sitting beside each other.

Statue of Dylan Thomas looking out to the waterfront.

A little way out of Swansea we came to an area called "The Mumbles."  It was the first of many beautiful coastal areas.

Tom became the unofficial photographer for two women on the tour who loved having their picture taken in front of every rocky vista.

Continuing west, we entered the Gower Peninsula, the UK's first official Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1956.  It is not a national park but the next best designation.  The area reminded us of the coast around Carmel California and the Big Sur.  Both places have rocky cliffs, surfers, seals, sunbathers...  However, California does not have sheep or wild ponies.

We started our walk along the shore from Langland Bay to Caswell.  Those green huts are very pricey.

Rocky limestone cliffs

Yellow gorse which the hardy Welsh black cattle can eat and red berries on cliffs.

At this point, just before descending into Caswell Bay, misfortune struck.  Our camera battery went dead!  It was done for but our tour was not.  Thank goodness for visitors' shops that sell postcards.

Our next stop was Three Cliffs Bay.  We didn't walk to it however since we were told it would take over  an hour and a half just to reach it.  It appeared that there was an arch, perhaps depending on the tide, that the water flowed through.

We stopped for lunch at Rhossili Bay where there is a walk to a rock formation called "Worms Head."  The word "worm" actually comes from the Old English word "wurm" meaning dragon; the formation looks like a dragon or perhaps, less belligerently, a whale.  We walked on the cliff above the bay enjoying the sights below and the sheep beside us.

 (the little bit of land beyond the cliff is the Worms Head)

Our last stop was an ancient burial pit called Arthur's Stone.  It is not on the coast but is in the interior of the peninsula on an upland overlooking the Llanrhidian Marsh, the bay, and back to the mainland.  Sheep that graze on the marsh are highly prized for their meat (France buys 10%).  We saw wild ponies roaming over the common land.  The stone itself is a quartz boulder, probably a glacial erratic, that formed the capstone of a Neolithic burial chamber, dating from about 2500 BC.  All kinds of myths have been associated with the rock including one that claims King Arthur found a pebble in his boot and flung it across the Burry Inlet where it grew into this massive stone.  There is even a slit in the rock where legend has it King Arthur pulled out Excalibur.

Whatever the stories, it was a magical place to be at as the sun was sinking into the horizon.  Maybe it was the excellent weather (it is always easier to appreciate nature in dry conditions) but it was very easy to understand why people are attracted to Wales.