After returning home from our vacation, going to a Blitzen Trapper concert, a Rocket Summer concert, and taking two finals, my family arrived. Travel was not kind to them and they had an endeavor getting across the ocean. But that seems to be the true Krob style. Nothing is ever just easy and simple. There has to be a monkey wrench. And that was true for this trip. Eagerly awaiting their arrival, Steph and I packed up our things and got ready to leave. As we sat in our bare rooms, we heard the doorbell ring.
Standing at the door was my sister, my dad, my mom, and a crutch. I must say, it was a truly odd feeling seeing such familiar faces in such a different setting. For we had gone months without seeing them and now they were in our study abroad home? We weren't in Iowa City, we were in Hull. OUR Hull. Needless to say it was pretty cool as we invited them in to show our humble abode.
After the quick tour of the house and a long series of catching up, we began the night’s activities. We took them around our Hull campus and showed them everything we knew so dearly; from the Union Pub where all our soccer was watched to the buildings where we mindlessly listened to lectures. We even stopped by the store to pick up some fresh apparel. Our energy was soon to fade, however, as jet lag and time differences quickly set in on the 3. Psh. Rookies. Regardless, we took them to our first ever pub: the Old Grey Mare. The food is mediocre and the prices are great and it was close enough for them to eat and go back and sleep. Nevermind the fact that it was about 7 p.m. England time.
The next day we ate breakfast with them before leaving for our final final. Ironic, I know. Once completed, we met up with our family to head to the city center. For the first time in England, we rode there in a car! As Joe drove on the opposite side of the road, we sat quietly trying to pretend it didn't feel completely foreign. We made it there in one piece, however, after stopping at the guitar shop and a post office. Once there, we shopped around a little and showed them the downtown to Hull. Tonight's dinner was at Barracudas; a favorite of Steph and I's. We had already stopped at Copland’s to get some English pastries but we still had enough room in our stomachs for dessert. After dinner was when the true fun began.
Not knowing how English parking garages worked, we were in for a surprise. As we walked towards the entrance to the ramp, we realized it was closed and the sign read that it was only until 6 p.m. Assuming that this was only for entering cars, we walked around to the exit. Low and behold, it was gated as well. Sitting in the office though was a worker. As we approached him, he asked, "Is it your car?" to which Steph asked him to repeat himself. He then said, "The silver car?" Not just if it was one of the cars. He was asking if our car was THE car. In a full-size parking ramp. We walked in and there was one car. Our silver car. And no others. I guess now we know if a parking ramp closes at 6:00, you better not show up at 8:30 or risk looking pretty daft. Once we made it home, Emmanuel had invited over our friends to meet the family. For the rest of the night we all hung out with ROARy, Emmanuel, Mathias, and Sam and discussed everything from WW2 to soccer.
The next day was to be spent outside of Hull. Heading to London, we expected a long day of travel but were unfortunately presented with a longer journey than originally thought. Crazy English roads provided us with countless roundabouts and carsickness for me. Eventually we made it though and were pleased to be staying at an amazing accommodation. The place was a two-story apartment fully furnished and completely awesome. It even had a spiral staircase! The location was a bit strange, but it was right next to a tube stop. The tube would not suffice the first night, however, seeing as how we needed to get to a show and were already running late.
Needing quick transportation, we decided to take a taxi. This was a good choice and it got us to Les Miserables in the knick of time. This was unfortunate though, as missing the show probably would have been a better experience for me. Of the 5 of us, however, I was the only one that felt this way. My feelings were no surprise though considering I don’t like musicals. It was still neat to see that side of England.
Waking up, we left the theater and walked through the gay district in search of Nando’s for some food. It was about 10:30 though and they thus only allowed take out orders. Hungry and desperate, we ordered food and ate it on the street. A car of drunken kids drove by and yelled, “Are you having fun?!” Yes. We were.
The next day was when our true London journey began. We hopped up at the crack of dawn to catch the first double decker tour bus through the city. It was a lot of fun, but the bitter English weather made our decision to sit in the open-topped upper compartment a mistake. The bus didn’t provide unique moments, but rather a nice overview of a massive city. A way to see all the sights in an hour. At the end of the tour, we went to the changing of the guards…which amounted to be nothing more than a mass of tourists as you strained to see some furry hats. We left 10 minutes later.
It was now time to split up, as Joe wanted different things than the family. He hopped back on a bus and we headed towards speakers corner. After listening to morons preach the second coming of Christ and the problems of America, we went to a pub for a true English experience: watching soccer. Today was an international game having England playing Japan and the pub we found was not a hotspot for watching the game. There were few fans but great food. We got a Sunday roast and watched England limp to a 2-1 victory.
After the game, we headed across town to meet up with Joe who had gone to the Imperial War Museum. And no, he did not walk there despite what he thought. Becky and Stephanie sat outside as Joe, Steph, and I went in and explored the Holocaust exhibit. Great exhibit. Then it was off for burgers and then Buckingham Palace before returning to our luxurious apartment.
Last on our itinerary was Brighton: the gay-friendly coastal beach town centered around its tacky pier. Once there we simply enjoyed the youthful energy of such a cheesy place and played arcade games and ate waffles on a stick. Becky, Steph, and Stephanie even put their feet in the channel! Ask Becky what the highlight was? Dinner at the great Italian restaurant. Overall though, Brighton was a relaxing day spent enjoying English life and recuperating before the 6-hour drive back to Hull the following day.
It’s funny how fast 6 hours go when you’re asleep. Waking up at our Hull home, we loaded up our luggage and took care of last minute things. It was difficult to say goodbye to all our friends. We gave them our emails and hoped to hear from them, but saying goodbye to people you’d grown so close to for 4 months is difficult. But we needed to head home. So, potato masher in hand, we hopped in the car that was a tight fit for 5, let alone with 8 pieces of luggage. You should’ve seen Becky, Steph, and I crammed in the backseat. Thankfully Manchester was only 2 hours away.
On the way to our hotel, we stopped at a rest stop. Leaving the rest stop, Steph and I discovered something completely strange. The Krob family trip’s last stop was at the exact same place Steph and I had first stopped. When we got to Manchester the bus stopped at this random stop as well, providing us our first glimpse into English culture. It couldn’t have been more fitting stopping at this exact place before saying goodbye.
Our flight left at 6:00 a.m., which meant no sleep for me. Steph slept an hour; I preferred to save it for the flight home. And much like the 6-hour car ride, the flight went by faster than I could’ve imagined lost in my dreams. Landing in Cedar Rapids was the strangest feeling. Stepping off the plane, we were amazed. Even the vending machines with our American snacks amazed us. We bought Sun Chips. Not because either of us love them, but because they didn’t have them in England. They signaled our return to our home country. And despite our best efforts to disappear into eternity in Cinque Terre and Keswick, we knew this land, a land of corn and bad weather, was our home. Walking through the terminal, we were home. Truly home.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Our Final Sans-Family Adventure
With a fresh bank account, it was time for the last true exploration prior to my parents joining us in England. We had a free week between the end of classes and our first final and we weren't about to let it go to waste.
The morning of the trip, we hopped up and headed to Oxford. No real interesting stories to tell other than we made it safely and on time...which is a feat in and of itself. Oxford was great. We started off buying postcards for 50p and paying with a 20 pound note (all we had). Somehow, we got 25.50 back in change. We noticed as we had left the store and debated returning. Condemn us if you wish, but we carried on, profit in hand. Oxford was a great town. It was beautiful and peaceful with a youthful college vibe. After exploring numerous stores, we stopped in the Gourmet Burger Kitchen...because I couldn't resist. It was well worth it.
No time to rest, though, as we hopped the next train to Windsor. After checking into our gorgeous hotel, we set off to explore the town before the sun set. Surprisingly substantial, the town expanded beyond its central castle. While the castle remained the focal point, the town was easily a favorite of ours. The streets were dead and the shops closed, but the town had that feeling. You know, the feeling that just speaks to you and says, "I'm a cool city." That feeling. And anyways, it had Nando's; what we initially thought was a delicious and unique restaurant and turned out to be a common and delicious restaurant found throughout South England.
The next day was full speed ahead as we took the early train to the edge of the country. 7 hours of train travel from central England to southwestern England, Cornwall, was draining. It probably did not help that I was sick as a dog at this point. My sore throat and fever meant the last thing I wanted to do was travel. But we had to carry on. Arriving in Penzance, we were met with miserably cold weather but beautiful scenery. The town was perched atop a hill overlooking the waterfront below. It lacked the beach-side allure of Blackpool and had a heavy nautical sea-port feel to it. It was definitely a side of England we had never seen. Unfortunately, this day was spent moping around half-heartedly looking at the views as I flew through tissues.
The following day, however, was much better. Rather than staying in the industrial town of Penzance, we took a quick train North to St. Ives. St. Ives was a beautiful place that brought back memories of Cinque Terre. While nowhere near as impressive, the town retained a nice charm as it sat idly along gorgeous blue water. Sea-side England was not lost, however, as arcades and junky tourist shops were abound. The view and scenery were undeniable as we bought some Cornish Ice Cream and watched the pelicans circle the docked boats. We relaxed and did nothing as we took in the sights and reminisced on our time so far in England. After the relaxation, though, we took to the 2-cent arcade game we love so much. We were so good, we had a crowd watching us. Pretty embarrassing. And if you're ever in Southern England, don't eat at a chain called Wimpy's.
The next day, we had a joyous 8-hour train ride to Moreton-in-Marsh in the Cotswolds region. Since computers don't pick up sarcasm, the last sentence was sarcastic. It was terrible. But the ultimate reward justified the means; the Cotswolds were gorgeous. We took a bus to our homebase of Chipping Campden and fell in love. Our late arrival meant there was nothing for us to do other than wander the city and enjoy our nice comfortable room. The city was dead and peaceful at this time of night
which provided a nice refuge from our long trip. Dinner choices were slim, however, in this tiny countryside village and our picky palettes demanded a dinner of peanut butter sandwiches and Milky Bars.
The following day started off with Steph's favorite activity: dogs! The owners of our Bed and Breakfast had 3 dogs that lazily roamed their stunning backyard: 1 small pug, 1 big black lab, and 1 skinny greyhound. The pug, Connie, loved Steph. She petted him/her (not sure) as his/her leg thumped emphatically in praise of Steph finding his/her 'spot.' I practically had to tear Steph away from the adorable pooches seeing as how we needed to start our bike ride.
We walked down Main Street to a local pub that rented bicycles. Paying 10 pounds each, we were taken out back and supplied with our gear, helmets and all. After deciding not to wear the bright orange safety vests, we hopped on the bikes and wobbled out of the alley. Having not riden a bike in years, it was rough. We had to stop every 3 minutes from exhaustion as we worked up the countless hills. On a positive, however, there were no crashes.
Our goal was to make it to the Snowshill Lavender Fields in Snowshill, a town about 8 miles away. Going to the town was unfortunately all uphill and we felt the burn. The closer and closer we got, the more we wondered when the lavender fields would jump out of of the yellow and green countryside. We wondered this as we kept getting closer. As we saw the sign for the fields, our confusion grew. As we turned into the lot for the fields, we understood. We were a few months early. Our 2 hours of uphill battles and soar butts rewarded us with 200 acres of unbloomed lavender plants...I sight much like that in Iowa. Turning to Steph, what reaction was it going to be? Anger? Desperate sadness? Crushed hopes? None of the above. We turned to each other and laughed. Only us we figured. Just our luck.
Not being ones to get down, we went into the nice little store and shopped around. Delicious minestrone soup and ice cream lifted our spirits as we rejuvenated for the imprending ride home. Yet what felt like a task coming out was a joy on the way home; for it was all downhill. This allowed us to appreciate the beauty more. For the scenery was stunning. The weather was perfect and for once, you could hear actual silence. Laying in a grassy field surrounded by yellow flowers and chirping birds, we took in the forzen moment of pure serenity. Between Steph's blowing noses, I took in the silence and debated whether you can hear silence or if silence is a lack of hearing altogether. By far one of the highlights of the trip. Riding the bikes through the countryside provided us imagery and an experience we would have otherwise never had. Who cares that there were no purple fields. We had the most fun we've had in a long time. And trust us, we have lots of fun.
Returning to the pub, we dropped off our bikes and enjoyed our favorite English past-time. Grabbing some drinks and watching the soccer game. The match had 2 teams we didn't like, but we enjoyed it nevertheless.
The next day was more of an endeavor than we planned. The plan? Catch the early bus to the train station. The problem? The schedule I had looked at ran from Mon-Sat and there were no buses on Sunday. Walking to the TI, we asked for tips. They said there was no way to get to the train station on Sundays other than taxis. This was a problem considering we had budgeted 20 pounds a day for food and such and the taxi would cost a flat 20 pounds. The old man gave us a list of numbers to try and we set off to the nearest cliche red telephone booth. Calling every number, only one could pick us up and take us. Thank God. The trip was a lot of fun as he filled us in on English history and showed us the beautiful countryside. We made it to the station on time and made it Canterbury.
Canterbury was beautiful. Our Bed and Breakfast was a treat at a steal of a price. The town was very college-friendly mixed with classical history. It had an undeniable charm that is difficult to describe...you know the kind of place that you enjoy not because of 4 star attractions and photo-op scenes, but rather from the little stores you love and snacks that couldn't be beat? This was one of those places. Every store was unique and the town had a great feel to it. While there was very little for us to do there, we didn't want to leave. But after one night, we had to. Riding back to Hull, we knew there was no more true travel until my family came; signlaling the beginning of the end of our semester abroad.
The morning of the trip, we hopped up and headed to Oxford. No real interesting stories to tell other than we made it safely and on time...which is a feat in and of itself. Oxford was great. We started off buying postcards for 50p and paying with a 20 pound note (all we had). Somehow, we got 25.50 back in change. We noticed as we had left the store and debated returning. Condemn us if you wish, but we carried on, profit in hand. Oxford was a great town. It was beautiful and peaceful with a youthful college vibe. After exploring numerous stores, we stopped in the Gourmet Burger Kitchen...because I couldn't resist. It was well worth it.
No time to rest, though, as we hopped the next train to Windsor. After checking into our gorgeous hotel, we set off to explore the town before the sun set. Surprisingly substantial, the town expanded beyond its central castle. While the castle remained the focal point, the town was easily a favorite of ours. The streets were dead and the shops closed, but the town had that feeling. You know, the feeling that just speaks to you and says, "I'm a cool city." That feeling. And anyways, it had Nando's; what we initially thought was a delicious and unique restaurant and turned out to be a common and delicious restaurant found throughout South England.
The next day was full speed ahead as we took the early train to the edge of the country. 7 hours of train travel from central England to southwestern England, Cornwall, was draining. It probably did not help that I was sick as a dog at this point. My sore throat and fever meant the last thing I wanted to do was travel. But we had to carry on. Arriving in Penzance, we were met with miserably cold weather but beautiful scenery. The town was perched atop a hill overlooking the waterfront below. It lacked the beach-side allure of Blackpool and had a heavy nautical sea-port feel to it. It was definitely a side of England we had never seen. Unfortunately, this day was spent moping around half-heartedly looking at the views as I flew through tissues.
The following day, however, was much better. Rather than staying in the industrial town of Penzance, we took a quick train North to St. Ives. St. Ives was a beautiful place that brought back memories of Cinque Terre. While nowhere near as impressive, the town retained a nice charm as it sat idly along gorgeous blue water. Sea-side England was not lost, however, as arcades and junky tourist shops were abound. The view and scenery were undeniable as we bought some Cornish Ice Cream and watched the pelicans circle the docked boats. We relaxed and did nothing as we took in the sights and reminisced on our time so far in England. After the relaxation, though, we took to the 2-cent arcade game we love so much. We were so good, we had a crowd watching us. Pretty embarrassing. And if you're ever in Southern England, don't eat at a chain called Wimpy's.
The next day, we had a joyous 8-hour train ride to Moreton-in-Marsh in the Cotswolds region. Since computers don't pick up sarcasm, the last sentence was sarcastic. It was terrible. But the ultimate reward justified the means; the Cotswolds were gorgeous. We took a bus to our homebase of Chipping Campden and fell in love. Our late arrival meant there was nothing for us to do other than wander the city and enjoy our nice comfortable room. The city was dead and peaceful at this time of night
which provided a nice refuge from our long trip. Dinner choices were slim, however, in this tiny countryside village and our picky palettes demanded a dinner of peanut butter sandwiches and Milky Bars.
The following day started off with Steph's favorite activity: dogs! The owners of our Bed and Breakfast had 3 dogs that lazily roamed their stunning backyard: 1 small pug, 1 big black lab, and 1 skinny greyhound. The pug, Connie, loved Steph. She petted him/her (not sure) as his/her leg thumped emphatically in praise of Steph finding his/her 'spot.' I practically had to tear Steph away from the adorable pooches seeing as how we needed to start our bike ride.
We walked down Main Street to a local pub that rented bicycles. Paying 10 pounds each, we were taken out back and supplied with our gear, helmets and all. After deciding not to wear the bright orange safety vests, we hopped on the bikes and wobbled out of the alley. Having not riden a bike in years, it was rough. We had to stop every 3 minutes from exhaustion as we worked up the countless hills. On a positive, however, there were no crashes.
Our goal was to make it to the Snowshill Lavender Fields in Snowshill, a town about 8 miles away. Going to the town was unfortunately all uphill and we felt the burn. The closer and closer we got, the more we wondered when the lavender fields would jump out of of the yellow and green countryside. We wondered this as we kept getting closer. As we saw the sign for the fields, our confusion grew. As we turned into the lot for the fields, we understood. We were a few months early. Our 2 hours of uphill battles and soar butts rewarded us with 200 acres of unbloomed lavender plants...I sight much like that in Iowa. Turning to Steph, what reaction was it going to be? Anger? Desperate sadness? Crushed hopes? None of the above. We turned to each other and laughed. Only us we figured. Just our luck.
Not being ones to get down, we went into the nice little store and shopped around. Delicious minestrone soup and ice cream lifted our spirits as we rejuvenated for the imprending ride home. Yet what felt like a task coming out was a joy on the way home; for it was all downhill. This allowed us to appreciate the beauty more. For the scenery was stunning. The weather was perfect and for once, you could hear actual silence. Laying in a grassy field surrounded by yellow flowers and chirping birds, we took in the forzen moment of pure serenity. Between Steph's blowing noses, I took in the silence and debated whether you can hear silence or if silence is a lack of hearing altogether. By far one of the highlights of the trip. Riding the bikes through the countryside provided us imagery and an experience we would have otherwise never had. Who cares that there were no purple fields. We had the most fun we've had in a long time. And trust us, we have lots of fun.
Returning to the pub, we dropped off our bikes and enjoyed our favorite English past-time. Grabbing some drinks and watching the soccer game. The match had 2 teams we didn't like, but we enjoyed it nevertheless.
The next day was more of an endeavor than we planned. The plan? Catch the early bus to the train station. The problem? The schedule I had looked at ran from Mon-Sat and there were no buses on Sunday. Walking to the TI, we asked for tips. They said there was no way to get to the train station on Sundays other than taxis. This was a problem considering we had budgeted 20 pounds a day for food and such and the taxi would cost a flat 20 pounds. The old man gave us a list of numbers to try and we set off to the nearest cliche red telephone booth. Calling every number, only one could pick us up and take us. Thank God. The trip was a lot of fun as he filled us in on English history and showed us the beautiful countryside. We made it to the station on time and made it Canterbury.
Canterbury was beautiful. Our Bed and Breakfast was a treat at a steal of a price. The town was very college-friendly mixed with classical history. It had an undeniable charm that is difficult to describe...you know the kind of place that you enjoy not because of 4 star attractions and photo-op scenes, but rather from the little stores you love and snacks that couldn't be beat? This was one of those places. Every store was unique and the town had a great feel to it. While there was very little for us to do there, we didn't want to leave. But after one night, we had to. Riding back to Hull, we knew there was no more true travel until my family came; signlaling the beginning of the end of our semester abroad.
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