It's Been Awhile

Hello again!

I've had a lot going on, so I hope you'll excuse the tardiness of these next posts. There will also be lots of pictures and links to Picasa!

First, we went to Plymouth. Not a lot to write about other than the plays themselves, which I will do later. Our first trip (Halloween) we stopped at Saltram, a country house, on the way. Some might recognize it from Emma Thompson's Sense and Sensibility where it was used for some of the scenes. This latest trip (November 28) took us through Dartmoor. It wasn't the best trip for me because of bus-sickness, but the moor was pretty cool. I do have pictures! I think I'll just do a picture post after this.

Second, we've been back to London a couple of times. The first was November 6-8. I was able to eat some Thai food, see Camden Market, and get down to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. That Sunday was also the Sunday closest to Armistice Day (November 11) so that's when it was celebrated. Of course, someone also had the bright idea of closing 3 subway lines. It was a bit crowded on the roads. I'm very glad I wasn't driving. The second time was November 21-22 for an Alumni party. The party was OK, good food and nice people (most of the time). But I also got back to Camden Market and subsequently caught in a rain storm. I'm very glad the hotel lets us hang out there until our trains. They have a fire. It warmed my feet nicely.

November 12 we stayed in Exeter. Rachel was planning to go to Paris, but got sick, so I brought her some Powerade. Lots to keep her hydrated. I felt so bad for her! I'm glad she got better quickly!

On Thanksgiving we all went to Topsham (the small town about 5 miles from Exeter where our Kenyon profs live) to have dinner. We went to The Bridge, a pub which has hosted the Kenyon Thanksgiving for 35 years! It's also the only pub the Queen has visited. It was a delicious dinner, especially following a beer. I remember being very happy...

Next weekend we travel back to Stratford for their production of Arabian Nights. It's a Christmas panto performance. Christmas pantos (pantomimes) are a tradition over here, often with a celebrity guest performing (ie, Pam Anderson is in Aladdin this year). They are usually fairy tales or something similar. Here is the Wikipedia entry.

Next up: Pictures!