Your _______  (noun) __________ (name) is a ___________  (adjective) and _____________  (adj.)  student.  His work show a great deal of ____________  (abstract noun) and he always _____________  (verb) in class.  His grade is currently ___________ (comparative adj.)  than that of his peers and he can improve it by regularly ____________ (verb).  If you have any questions about his ____________  (noun), don’t hesitate to ________________  (something people shout).

Evening light through the stained glass at Exeter College chapel- imagine it with candle light reflecting on the dark wood and the gold detailing around a small group of performers, and me in one of the beautifully carved and rather uncomfortable benches along the wall.   The concert was a juxtaposition of stories about Queen Elizabeth, perfectly matched with Shakespearean sonnets and period music performed by the virginals (like a harpsichord), viol (ancestor of the cello), recorder and a soprano.

I got together with a wee clan of Americans for a bonfire and picnic at Port Meadows. Audree and I went out earlier that day scouting for available spots and wood, prepared to hunt and gather, but we lucked out with a ready made bonfire site next to the river. We didn’t even have to pick up firewood. Luckily, my friends knew all about building a fire so I was not put in charge, although I had been planning to rise to the occasion if patriotism required it of me. I’ll put up some pictures of us all celebrating America in a rather British fashion when I can get them from Audree.

I’ll have to admit that I am now addicted to s’mores made with digestives, which are awesome round cookies similar to graham crackers with the chocolate already on one side. There’s just the right amount of chocoIate to melt perfectly. In the true American holiday spirit, I ate… well, I didn’t count, but more than five. If you are what you eat, I’ll be returning to the States rather round and with chocolate smeared on me.

The Kilns

Audree and I under the rose trellis in front of C. S. Lewis’ home in Oxford. It was a beautiful home and the scholars in residence were jolly good fun. I feel so lucky to have lived there for a bit!

I used to think that I didn’t care one way or the other about museums… but the world class museums in London are amazing. The rooms are crammed full with pieces that would each be the prized display item in another museum, but the museums are free and let you take pictures. The highlight for me was the seeing so many famous sculptures in person – pictures don’t do them justice.

View across the lake

I took a short trip to Copenhagen and stayed with a Danish family. The room had a separate entrance but no bathroom, so I got a key to their flat and used their kitchen and bathroom. I don’t know if they often build rooms like that there, or if it’s just an old building, but it was cool to (briefly) meet some friendly Danes instead of staying in a generic hotel. The flat was just off of the lakes that divide the city center from the more residential areas.

Nat was in Copenhagen for a math conference, but we managed to do some sight seeing.

Biking around the city was pretty exhilarating – and a few times kind of scary, since the faster you are going the faster you get lost or into awkward spots. Those Danes seem quiet and civilized when they are walking, but the viking spirit comes out when they mount their bikes (minus the helmets!). The statue in the background is of a woman plowing the water, so it’s probably symbolic of Danish marine commerce or something like that.

Obligatory photo of tourist with the famous mermaid statue.

Nat had an unfortunate encounter with a Danish bird in the Botanic Garden. I laughed at him mercilessly, and then received my sevenfold retribution from the bird’s English cousin within a week.

Audree and I took a quick trip to Stratford. After running, literally, to catch our train, I got my first taste of civilized travel past the Cotswald villages and sheep. It’s too bad train travel didn’t survive in the states, I would love to read books, sip from a travel mug and look at scenery every day instead of driving. Maybe some people do this while driving, but if I tried to do that in a car I would run into things. Which, certain people might say, just goes to show that cars are evil.

In Stratford we did the usual touristy stuff – visited Shakespeare’s birthplace and his grave, saw a play. The Taming of the Shrew was my favorite part of the trip, although the interpretation of the text was rather questionable. A modern feminist reading, which completely undermined the comic ending, could not entirely obscure Shakespeare’s wit, and the production quality was excellent. And with a risky interpretation of the text, we got the added pleasure of deriding the director’s reading ability, sobriety and parentage. Just the sort of academic elitism that will help a college graduate redeem herself after a Heath Family Classic Moment:

Audree: “Hey, what’s the name of the river that Stratford is next to?”

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