Post 1 from Europe!

Well, here I am. I finally have enough time on free internet to bring things up to date...
I've made two stops so far and both have been quite eye opening and thrilling in so many different ways.
First was Amsterdam. I made it without any difficulty, but once I stepped out of Centraal Station, it was obvious I was in Europe. One thing that was of great comfort to me was that every resident I encountered spoke perfect English.
In all honesty, Amsterdam was not, upon my immediate impression, what I had imagined it to be. I guess it cannot be fair of me to judge such a celebrated city so quickly. When I first began following the directions to my hostel it took me immediately through the Red Light District. Thank Heavens it was only 11 a.m. I guess it was such a shock to my modest sense of values I was quickly turned off. It didn't help matters much either when I lost myself in the confusing streets crossing the canals. I made it safely however, and after setting my things down, set out to discover Amsterdam.
I was pleased to see that my hostel was, as advertised, right in front of one of the city's oldest canals. So I spent a great deal of time wandering the beautiful old canal streets and orienting myself to my surroundings. I then found my waz to the Dutch Historichmuseum, and learned a great deal about the founding of Amsterdam, how it came to become a canal city, look at a splendid array of preserved artefacts and learn about their glorious golden age of trade and travel.
I finished the day sitting alongside a canal with a cappucino enjoying the atmosphere and observing the people and way of life. In this more quiet laid back part of Amsterdam I cam to understand more about Amsterdam and appreciate it for the culture's unique sense of beauty. They cherish their time with friends and family, and will take a hour from a busy scedule to peacefully sit down with a friend over a cup of coffee. I noticed a young family just sitting on their front step of their canal house, watching the world go by and chatting away, food sitting right next to them, still hot in the frying pan.
I also was struck by the beauty of the church bells in Amsterdam. Not just regular chimes of monotone ding-dong back and forth but in rang in different pitches and harmonized parts to a musical piece or song. It was quite unlike any church bells I've heard before. The beauty of those sounds always seemed to stop me in my frenyied travel pace and draw me in to a sense of peace and prayer.
The most wonderful thing I did in Amsterdam was take the Canal Bus, a canal boat that works like the common tourist hop-on hop-off busses. I rode the canal boat to a few destinations but I most enjoyed just riding the whole route and even over again, and just sat there, taking it all in as we drove by. Of the many other things I saw were the Anne Frankhuis (not all that I thought it would be, and a bit dissapointing) and the Rijksmuseum, a lovely museum filled with mostly art from Holland's Golden Age. I found it to be a very enjoyable and worthwhile display, but I have always loved the personality and simplicity in much of Dutch 18th century Art, especially that of Johannes Vermeer.
So that is most of Amsterdam, and to finish up destination number 2 before it gets too late for me...
After today I find Berlin absolutely enjoyable. I also did not expect too much as I was aware from my history studies and the travel books that much of Berlin is modern due to the aftermath of destruction from WWII and the Communist Regime. Berlin has so much more to offer though, I would have to greatly credit my new admiration to the company that put on the New Berlin tours. It was a free 3 hour long tour, that was worth every moment. Through this I not only gained my bearings walking around Berlin, but learned from my guide, the significance culturally and historically of the major locations we saw, which was alot! It would be too much to reiterate it all but I gained a great deal from this experience. One, the information I heard on this tour tied all my scattered knowledge of German History together and helped me to comprehend and interpret the significance of such events in not only Germany's national history but its effect in World history as well. Another, the tour and information was presented in such a fascinating, passionate and entertaining way, it really seemed to make the history come alive! Finally, much of my negative opinions on the modern architecture was thrown aside as I learned that many of these were constructed by the communist dictatorship in East Berlin and was their attempt at creating a national monument, or to learn the symbolism and thinking behind a buildings architecture. Having these things explained to me really cleared up any doubts I had.
I unfortunately though, did not expect much and only scheduled enought for one full day's tourism. After the tour, I vistied the National German History Museum, and saw all the other major sites... I have no regrets for not seeing enough this time, however, and I look forward to that other time in the unseen future when I may return again to see Berlin again in a new light.
It's off to Prague tomorrow morning! Until then.... Cheers!

Thoughts as I am about to embark on the journey of a lifetime

Well, I set off in less than 10 hours for my European adventure. Right now, I am feeling a mixture of excitement, anxiety, caution, and curiosity. Most of all, I anticipate this journey to be a defining moment in my life.
First of all, apart from currently living abroad alone, this will be my very first time traveling from one destination to the next solo, without the guidance or protection of fellow travelers or guardians. Why travel solo?? The first reason being that I can explore museums, palaces, cities, and other attractions at my own pace. I can bypass whatever I have no interest in, or I could linger in a museum, cathedral or cafe however long I wish to and not hold up anyone else on schedule. My primary reason for traveling solo is for contemplation and education. To experience a different culture, no matter how brief, is life changing. It allows one's mind to be more open. I do not necessarily mean open as an acceptance of the beliefs and values of other cultures but as a learning tool that increases the desire to understand reasons, virtues, and history behind foreign cultural traditions and values. That would mean traveling with full attention in listening, observing, and not making assumptions or opinions based upon what our life-style has taught us.
Traveling solo in Europe today is relatively safe for a young person, but I am also increasingly aware of potential dangers that are present in the messy world we live in. In regards to that, many of you know me well enough, that I will move around with the utmost caution and will be constantly aware of my surroundings. In life, there will always be the question of circumstances beyond one's control. I therefore ask that you will please keep my safety and good health in your prayers as I travel about. I will do my best to make time online and post about my proceedings and adventures as I move throughout Europe.
I begin tomorrow morning after my plane lands in Amsterdam, Holland at 10 a.m. From there, I will continue in a circular movement around Europe back home to London. Berlin is my second stop, followed by Prague. Of all the destinations I selected, I most look forward to the Baroque beauty of Prague and will be spending 4 days there. I continue to Vienna & Salzburg, Austria then sweep west to Geneva, Switzerland and finish in Marseille, France. If time permits, I hope to meet up with my late tutor and good friend Alison in Marseille. Before graduate school, Alison lived in Marseille for 3 years; it would be wonderful to meet up as she anticipates showing me around her old home-city. Then it's back home again to England on September 7th to finish up a rather busy travel schedule!
Despite how much I would love to continue going on about why I want to visit all these destinations, I really must return to packing! I will instead content myself with regular posts to you all along the way. Until then, God Bless & Cheerio!

A Day in Greenwich, London

Well, I finally have something worthy to note after days of endless reading and paper writing. Yesterday, I took a greatly-welcomed break from the books and experienced Greenwich with my new friend Steve. Stephen Wates is the brother of my Museum Studies & Anthropology tutor, Alison, and is incredibly bright and knowledgeable about the history of Greenwich. He fortunately had the day off from work, and I am so thankful he was so generous as to spend his free time showing me around and indulging me in my endless curiosities. And don't worry! I won't bother you this time with my over-exuberant enthusiasm for British Maritime history, as this trip was to experience London for a few hours through my tour guide, Steve.
Greenwich (pronounced Gren-itch) is an old maritime neighborhood of London and lies on the southern shore of the River Thames. Today, Greenwich functions as another residential neighborhood with historic sites scattered throughout the local area.
After a morning tutorial with my other tutor, I finally arrived in Greenwich by 3 pm (I had a little confusion switching tube stations but I'm getting the hang of it!) Steve was there to greet me and we immediately headed out towards the first point of interest: The Greenwich Observatory. Steve is a world-traveler and enthusiastic hiker, and so I had to practically jog to keep up with his abnormally fast walking pace. We trekked through Greenwich park, and passed London's very first hospital which was the size of a cottage & sadly neglected. Continuing up a steep hill, Steve proceeded to tell me that during the Bubonic Plague, London needed to bury millions of dead. They began digging a series of mass burial pits beginning at Greenwich (the farthest part of London at the time) and stretched all the way out to where there is a city called Graves End. (Get the connection?) So we walked up this hill that was once a burial mound in the 1300's. At the top, I beheld one of the most beautiful scenic panoramas of London and Greenwich. From there, one can see the Thames meandering through the City, the Millennium Dome, Isle of Dogs across the river, everything...especially Greenwich immediately in front. We walked away to the left and into the Greenwich observatory and saw a display about famous British astrologists and astronomers, old scientific instruments and telescopes in the old Royal observatory, once again, designed by Sir Christopher Wren. The most famous fact about the Greenwich Observatory is that it is where Greenwich mean time begins, meaning it was established as the original intersecting point of longitude line 0 degrees and time (as in clocks) is derived from that, I guess. It was a scientific development that greatly benefitted the Royal Navy in nautical charts and navigation around the globe. We moved through the observatory so quickly, I didn't have enough time to try to fully comprehend it, but that just serves to be another excuse to go back again.
We then descended the hill to the Royal Naval Hospital which became the Royal Naval Academy in the late 19th century. Inside is a vast collection of portraits and paintings pertaining to naval officers, admiralty officials, naval wives, as well as a large amount of nautical battle scenes. Among those I saw were: a portrait of Nelson before he lost his arm and eye, a portrait of Nelson's beautiful mistress Emma Hamilton, a British portrait of Napoleon commissioned when he was captured and held in Portsmouth, as well as original paintings of pacific island scenes done by the commissioned artist taken along with Captain Cook's explorations. Again, however, we rushed on, this time however because the museum was closing down. Because it was too late I did not make it into the Greenwich Maritime Museum, but that was probably a good thing, so I wouldn't keep Steve waiting while I might have lost myself among all the relics. I also could not see the Cutty Sark, the last of the tea trade Clipper ships surviving today. She was almost completely gutted out in a suspicious fire not too long ago and is undergoing extensive restoration.
He then took me to see the Greenwich market and see what the community was like. It was very charming but, being not as popular as Kensington, Whitehall, Tower Hill and other parts of London, it felt different. More residential, indifferent to tourists, and much more symbolic of the everyday working-class man. Walking around the city, Steve and I had some very interesting conversations, one of the most memorable when we compared American and English vocabulary. It was quite amusing, and we had some good laughs over odd word usage or minor misunderstandings. He especially enjoyed poking fun at me for saying "totally" or "sure" and other words said on TV by California Valley-Girls as well as other American slang words...I now think twice, as I do not want to be associated with that!
We eventually found our way to his neighborhood of Deptford, right next to Greenwich. There he showed me the church of St. Nicholas. In St. Nicholas' graveyard he pointed out to me Christopher Marlowe's grave and tombstone which was very exciting! At the front gate of the church, there are two pediments with figures of a skull and two crossbones mounted at the top. These figures were allegedly the original skull and crossbones that were later popularized by Captain Morgan while pirating in the American continent. When I took a good look at the Tudor era figures, they appeared incredibly intimidating even in the light of day. Made of a dark, almost charcoal colored stone, covered in moss on one side, the figures seemed more menacing from the roughness of aging marks and had deep, cavernous looking depressions in the skull. I can see why someone like Morgan would pick something so morbid looking as that to represent his evil deeds on the high seas. On our walk around town we also saw the filming of the upcoming movie National Treasure 2 which was very exciting!
I spent the rest of the evening talking with Steve on various subjects after he took me back to his flat to show me an incredibly HUGE Oyster he bought at market that morning. He is a very very talkative person, and also very aggressive in conversation unlike I've known before. He enjoyed telling me about things he knows, he's discovered, experienced or would like to do but is also interested in hearing the other side, and listening to my opinions and what knowledge I can impart. We talked about political and social issues and our opinions in regard to, we talked about themes in some of the latest movies, we talked about general misunderstandings between the mindset and culture of America and England, and we talked about certain questions about spirituality and the human psyche. I also eagerly listened about his travels around the world on motorbike, his experiences in America and the opinion about us as a nation he came away with.
Before I came to England, I have also heard much about dying spirituality in Europe as secularity grows more prevalent. It wasn't until I began talking with Steve on these matters when I really began to realize the truth in the statement. He mentioned earlier when we visited the church that he didn't care to step foot inside and I questioned his comment to myself for a fleeting moment. Later, when I remarked on something being a "blessing from God", Steve responded to my comment stating that he was sensitive to the word "God" and didn't like when people used His name so carelessly. Because I used God's name in a more reverent tone he then asked "Oh, do you go to church regularly? Are you a born-again Christian?". I was struck, because I've never been called a "born-again". I would assume, then, from Steve's comments that for the British, everyone who is God fearing is a Christian. In many historical texts the Western world is generally referred to a Christian culture. In that case, I would assume anyone who is a practicing Christian is referred to as a born-again Christian. I am still sorting this concept out in my head but I definitely have something to meditate on and look for when I am traveling the European continent in 2 weeks.
On a more adventurous note, spending my day with Steve opened my eyes to many new experiences too. While there I experienced my first taste Oyster (i tried once before but gagged), my first taste of Amaretto Liquor he had brought from his trip in Italy which is light, tart & sweet at the same time and very pleasant, and I also had my first taste of Licorice herbal tea which is also very good.
All in all for just over 6 hours, it was a very full day! Though I would have liked to do so much more and see lots more of Greenwich, I will have to content myself with another day at another time. It looks like I might be going back to London again next Saturday to have my last tutorial there, as well as meet up with my good friend Kristen Elmes and a relative from posh Kensington! More exciting stories to come!

Cheers,
Lindsay

My Life is Complete Now.

Before you begin to read, I must warn you that I wrote this with much passion and excitement after a hard day's traveling, so I apologize for it's lengthiness. Today was our trip to Portsmouth in Southeast England near the shores of Dover. It is a city steeped in history, particularly that pertaining to HM Royal Navy. Today, from what I saw on the bus and walking around, Portsmouth is not exactly a charming place like the Cotswolds or Kent, but it serves as an embodiment of British naval past and future, as it is still the home of the modern Royal Navy. I spent my few hours there within the confines of the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. To me, their historical collection was like being a kid in a candy store. Call me a nerd, but today's experience definitely reaffirmed my academic desire to studying British history, particularly that pertaining to nautical history.

Portsmouth was a functioning nautical capital as far back as King Henry VIII, but the dockyards were in their prime during the 18th and 19th centuries. On display at the dockyards are 3 primary ships as well as exhibitions on the Royal Navy sailing ships, Lord Horatio Nelson, the Battle of Trafalgar, the 19th century navy and much more. I'll go in reverse order of my visits to the 3 ships as the first one I visited was, without a doubt, my favorite and I am afraid I may ramble on in deep admiration...

The HMS Warrior was a Victorian iron-hulled armor warship dating to 1860. I found it interesting because from the outside it looked similar to any of the wooden sailing ships of the 18th century with rigging and everything, but once you step down below it is more obviously from the 19th century industrial expansion. Iron frames most of the doorways, windows and other parts of the ship, though the floorboards are still wood planks. The cannons are of greater technological build meant to shoot exploding shots rather than iron cannonballs. Most Victorian about it all though, is that there is a great steam engine in the hull of the ship. It may not be as big as those one might see today, but if you look at it from the perspective of the late 19th century, it is rather remarkable.

It is incredible to even consider that we are so fortunate to have something like the Mary Rose on exhibit at all today. It is the ONLY surviving warship on display dating back to the Tudor reign in the 1500's! She sank in Portsmouth Harbor for various, complicated reasons in 1545, and was only recently delivered from the ocean floor in 1982. She has not been completely restored, but we were so privileged as to walk through a gallery and see her in the process of being preserved for permanent display by 2011. In another gallery, thousands of personal and military objects have been recovered from the site through maritime archeology and it is amazing how well the silt has preserved these common-day objects! Some of them we were even allowed to touch...so I can say that I actually handled a Tudor-era arrow and nautical cable! ..something quite unheard of in most museum institutions. It was quite an experience.

My most life-fulfilling visit today was on the HMS Victory. The flagship of Lord Horatio Nelson in the Battle of Trafalgar, the Victory is the epitome of everything Romantic and novel-like about the sailing Royal Navy in the 18th century. I spent a good 2 hours there and could have spent more if time did not press me. The Victory has been refurbished after active-duty as she was during Nelson's time at Trafalgar, and it is amazing to walk through and see things exactly as they were during her active command in the Napoleonic Wars. The 24lb guns, 68lb carronades, mess tables, hammocks, and store rooms, all set up to authentic qualifications make the experience truly memorable and as close to 'living history' as I have ever seen in a nautical historical attraction. To top it off, there is a shrine on the Orlop deck at the exact location Lord Horatio Nelson died amidst his crew at the end of battle. I know it may seem rather absurd to make his death place a shrine, but Nelson was one of the most popular social and patriotic figures during his lifetime. So popular, that there were curios, collectibles and souvenir things made of him while he was still alive. When he died, the whole nation went into mourning and he was given a state burial to behold, whose procession train was 2 miles long. THAT is what I find so remarkable and captivating about not only Nelson, but also the social thinking of the time in which he lived. What intrigues me even more was that he was so popular despite the fact that English society, as a general whole, disapproved of his private life decisions which were unbefitting of a man who literally represented Great Britain at the time. I find such historical questions so fascinating to unravel, and that is why I am studying over here...so I can be in the midst of it all.

From my readings this summer...

I found this quote in my readings for my "British Imperialism and the Royal Navy" tutorial this summer. I think it adequately sums up why I'm interested in these studies, not very feminine, I know, but the deeper theme is what I most appreciate:

"Take it all in all, a ship of the line is the most honorable thing that man, as a gregarious animal, has ever produced. By himself, unhelped, he can do better things than ships of the line; he can make poems and pictures...But as a being living in flocks, and hammering out, with alternative strokes and mutual agreement, what is necessary for him, in these flocks, to get of produce, the ship of the line is his first work. Into that he has put as much of his human patience, common sense, forethought, experimental philosophy, self-control, habits of order and obedience, thoroughly wrought handwork, defiance of brute elements, careless courage, careful patriotism, and calm expectation of the judgment of God, as can well be put into a space of 300 feet long by 80 broad. And I am thankful to have lived in an age when I could see this thing so done."
John Ruskin, 1856