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callistotoniI've come down with a *nasty* sore throat and cold. Not running a fever, and didn't feel like I needed to stay in bed, so I went into work. Now I'm pretty tired and seriously considering going home early. Blah. I swear, if there is any sort of bug going around I get it in spades. I'm thinking this one came from the plane trip home.
Thoughts on England:
I really liked the place. For the first 48 hours I felt like I had entered an alternative reality in which I was retarded. But then I got used to stuff and it was all good. I like the money (with coins for 1 and 2 pounds). Travelling by train was fabulous! Very easy, no real delays or waiting, and we got to see a lot of the country (including the English Channel!) If you go get the rail pass, 'cause it was *so* worth it.
On physical types: I've never left the country before, at the risk of sounding politially incorrect, I always thought I'd blend in, as a generic northern-european decent white person. I was so wrong. There appears to be a common phenotype among white English people: for men, its a high forhead with chins tending towards the 'weak', and tend to be of light build. Women tend to look like they stepped out of Holbein portrait. I also didn't see many people (almost none!) that I'd characterize as overweight. I really stood out, and that surprised me -- kinda felt like Amazon Woman or something. :-0
On what people wear: Everyone we saw was dressed nicely -- about as casual as I saw would be considered work casual. Not many sneakers, no sweats, surprizingly few jeans. No T-shirts. Work dress appears to still be dominated by suits. I brought only nice work clothes (no jeans, no sneakers) and I was really glad I did. Oh, and people all tend to wear scarves, both men and women.
London is The City That Knows How: The streets (that I saw) were clean, there were no homeless people hassleing you, and people use and enjoy the public spaces. And it felt safe: people of all ages were walking around enjoying themselves at night. Trafalgar square was crowded but *wonderful* (loved the Nelson lions!). Even the underground is clean (lived in, but clean). Made SF look very bad -- I was embarrassed for us. :-P
OMG everything is expensive! Food was particuarly so. If you just looked at the numbers, it was pricey but not *so* bad, but when you converted to $ it was shocking. A burger in London cost over 8 pounds, which comes to about $16. Very good burger, large portions, but still... Over the whole trip I was paying something like 10 pounds for lunch and at least 20 pounds for dinner. I just had to stop thinking about it after a while.
I love Bath! I want to go back there and just hang out. The Roman Bath was awesome! Excellent displays and an audio tour that allowed you to get as much or as little info about stuff as you wanted. The Costume Museum was dissappointed because the displays were poor, and they did not provide any of the desired detail people like us would want (even in the book store!) I did burst into tears when I saw the 16th C shirts, though.
York was fun, but I think I'll go other places before I go back. The Jorvik Center was silly, but in all dissappointing (high on schtick, low on detail). The best part was the end with bones that had been injured by weapons. Yes, I have been watching a lot of CSI, why do you ask? ;-)
The Royal Armoury is in Leeds. Leeds reminded me a lot of Oakland, but with better buildings. The RA is overwhelming. We spent 5 hours there, and didn't see it all. I got to wallow in being in the presence of Robert Dudley's armor. Also, the lion armor is amazing. Also, they have what has to be the world's largest chamfron -- What horse wore that? Enjoyed a little video of sabers as well.
The RA had good displays, but again I was dissappointed in the bookstore. No good collection documentation that I could find.
More later.
Thoughts on England:
I really liked the place. For the first 48 hours I felt like I had entered an alternative reality in which I was retarded. But then I got used to stuff and it was all good. I like the money (with coins for 1 and 2 pounds). Travelling by train was fabulous! Very easy, no real delays or waiting, and we got to see a lot of the country (including the English Channel!) If you go get the rail pass, 'cause it was *so* worth it.
On physical types: I've never left the country before, at the risk of sounding politially incorrect, I always thought I'd blend in, as a generic northern-european decent white person. I was so wrong. There appears to be a common phenotype among white English people: for men, its a high forhead with chins tending towards the 'weak', and tend to be of light build. Women tend to look like they stepped out of Holbein portrait. I also didn't see many people (almost none!) that I'd characterize as overweight. I really stood out, and that surprised me -- kinda felt like Amazon Woman or something. :-0
On what people wear: Everyone we saw was dressed nicely -- about as casual as I saw would be considered work casual. Not many sneakers, no sweats, surprizingly few jeans. No T-shirts. Work dress appears to still be dominated by suits. I brought only nice work clothes (no jeans, no sneakers) and I was really glad I did. Oh, and people all tend to wear scarves, both men and women.
London is The City That Knows How: The streets (that I saw) were clean, there were no homeless people hassleing you, and people use and enjoy the public spaces. And it felt safe: people of all ages were walking around enjoying themselves at night. Trafalgar square was crowded but *wonderful* (loved the Nelson lions!). Even the underground is clean (lived in, but clean). Made SF look very bad -- I was embarrassed for us. :-P
OMG everything is expensive! Food was particuarly so. If you just looked at the numbers, it was pricey but not *so* bad, but when you converted to $ it was shocking. A burger in London cost over 8 pounds, which comes to about $16. Very good burger, large portions, but still... Over the whole trip I was paying something like 10 pounds for lunch and at least 20 pounds for dinner. I just had to stop thinking about it after a while.
I love Bath! I want to go back there and just hang out. The Roman Bath was awesome! Excellent displays and an audio tour that allowed you to get as much or as little info about stuff as you wanted. The Costume Museum was dissappointed because the displays were poor, and they did not provide any of the desired detail people like us would want (even in the book store!) I did burst into tears when I saw the 16th C shirts, though.
York was fun, but I think I'll go other places before I go back. The Jorvik Center was silly, but in all dissappointing (high on schtick, low on detail). The best part was the end with bones that had been injured by weapons. Yes, I have been watching a lot of CSI, why do you ask? ;-)
The Royal Armoury is in Leeds. Leeds reminded me a lot of Oakland, but with better buildings. The RA is overwhelming. We spent 5 hours there, and didn't see it all. I got to wallow in being in the presence of Robert Dudley's armor. Also, the lion armor is amazing. Also, they have what has to be the world's largest chamfron -- What horse wore that? Enjoyed a little video of sabers as well.
The RA had good displays, but again I was dissappointed in the bookstore. No good collection documentation that I could find.
More later.
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no subject
Date: 2006-10-18 10:20 pm (UTC)Moira
no subject
Date: 2006-10-19 12:59 am (UTC)I know you did! Jeez, I cannot wait to hear about it - I'm so interested in your take on what you saw.
When we go, I expect to start crying as soon as we get off the plane and not stop until I become dehydrated, or come home, whichever comes last.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-19 01:11 am (UTC)Bronzino at 6'x8' - the details!!!!!!!!!!!!! le sigh
Oh and the bookstore and the London National Museum....I think we spent 4 hours there alone.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-19 07:15 pm (UTC)York is on our list for when we go back someday, I will expect more stories from you about it!
I liked Leeds a lot, I even snagged a few feathers from the black swans that I'm saving for a special Prince of Cynagua...
You better have a lot of pictures for me to drool over!