Then we spent most of the remainder of the weekend in the great outdoors (part of being patriotic is loving the land). I even spent a beautiful and bright fall afternoon sitting in the University Park writing under a bronze-leaved, gray bark tree that was as tall as a 12 story building (Wordsworth would be proud). Also, in encouragement of my sudden creativity, Ben bought me a watercolor set so I could do some painting.
But first…late Thursday night we had a little impromptu get together with all our neighbors. I had just sat down with some tea and a book when our earsplitting fire alarm started wailing. As we hurried out in our PJ’s—I could only hope what little bit of stuff we have here wasn’t burnt up.
To our relief it was only a false alarm. Fernando (one of our neighbors) was frying up some chips (potatoes) and set it off. Apparently no one informed anyone (but Ben and I) that the fire alarms are set off by heat, not smoke. The only problem was now was that no one could go back in because we could see no way to turn off the deafening alarm. After calling our ‘emergency’ number for our landlord and getting no answer (not even a voicemail option) we stood around on the front stoop for about 20 minutes wondering if help was coming. (Meanwhile droves of students inexplicably dressed as pirates walked by wondering why we were having a pajama party outside our flat.)
Finally another 10 minutes and three more unsuccessful attempts to get help or advice from anyone we could find in the phone book, Ben managed to figure out (leave it to him, right?). Someone had tucked the key to the control box on top of the box and out of view. Ben then switched it off—thus, ending our little get together.
Back to the weekend…Saturday we went out
beyond the University Gardens, further east across the University Park bridge. We discovered some wooded and open field walking paths (or towpaths). There had been some rain earlier in the week that had flooded the channel and many of the fields…even some of the walkways we were using. There’s a picture on our Picasaweb album of the makeshift bridge Ben made for me to cross some water…too bad I lost my footing on the last step and got soaked anyways. At one point I thought I heard the sound of the ocean and waves of water crashing, when I realized it was a heard of cows traipsing through a flooded field—that was actually kind of cool.Then Sunday we went out to a café for breakfast and walked around the shops a little before heading home to get dressed down and go back outside to play.
This time we were going to the Port Meadow. Amazingly so, within just a quarter mile northwest of us there is 400 acres of unplowed land that was first mentioned as grazing land (and still is) in the Doomsday Book in 1087! You can cross the meadow and walk along the River Thames to a few small towns or head North to the Burgees Field Nature Park paths. We must have walked five miles (at least), leaving just as the sun was setting. There are no words to describe the meadow, so I took lots of pictures and will surely go back to take a lot more as the seasons begin to change. It’s the perfect place to watch the sunset over the hills of the English countryside.I can’t help but feel as if we have gotten beyond the touristy side of things and have really just started to enjoy the essence of what it is like to live here. We feel really lucky and happy we can share it all with you! Thank you technology!
More pics at: http://picasaweb.google.com/amypvaughan
No comments:
Post a Comment