The Lake District

This weekend John and I wandered north to the Lake District in Cumrbia.  We both fell instantly in love with the area.  Hills, mountains, trees, lakes, tarns, rivers, woods, stones walls, quaint villages, beautiful farms, sheep and cows and cotton-tailed rabbits. It is a glorious combination of beauty, both wild and domesticated.   

The area is a walker’s paradise with so many walking trails that they are almost too many to accurately chart.  Thanks go to Beatrix Potter and the founders the National Trust: Octavia Hill, Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley who worked together to raise public awareness of the railway developments threatening the Lake District. Their collaboration led to the foundation of The National Trust (1885) for the Preservation of Historic Buildings and Natural Beauty, to hold land and buildings in perpetuity “for ever, for everyone” Hence, the Lake District remains as it was in their day -- relatively undeveloped and unspoiled and spectacularly beautiful.

We stayed in a little cottage in New Sawrey, Hawkshead, just down the street from Hill Top, the first home the Beatrix Potter bought with her earnings from her books of Peter Rabbit.  We spent our days hiking along lakeshores, forests and farmland. Three days there were absolutely wonderful but not nearly enough time to do it justice. I look forward to returning soon with good hiking boots, rain gear, and an up-to-date guidebook of trails.  (Yes, we got lost using a 1992 guide book.)

Hill Top: Beatrix Potter's beloved home

This is the land that Beatrix Potter worked to hard to preserve

Tarns How (Tarn means little lake)

Tarn How is an easy walk -- just 2 miles around the lake

with beautiful views everywhere you look.

Thanks to the National Trust, the land is very much like it was 150 years ago.

I don't know why I find gates and styles so appealing

We didn't see many fishermen.  We did see 4 scuba divers in this lake though!

We enjoyed a bit of blue sky one evening

The lake near Hill Top

The beauty of the Lake DIstrict

Lake District Notables:Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) is best known for her beautifully illustrated children's books of Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck and friends. She spent many childhood holidays in the Lake District and these influenced her work. Squirrel Nutkin sailed on Derwentwater and Hawkshead was the setting for The Tale of Johnny Townmouse.
With the profits from her highly successful publications, Beatrix Potter bought Hill Top farm, and other hill farms and estates in the Lake District. She became an expert Herdwick sheep breeder and the first female president designate of the Herdwick Sheepbreeders' Association. When she died in 1943 she left 14 farms, sheep and 4000 acres of land to the National Trust.

William Wordsworth’s (1770-1850) 'Daffodils' poem beginning “I wander’d lonely as a cloud” is the quintessential Lake District poem. Born in Cockermouth, just north of the National Park, he went to school in Hawkshead.  He returned to his beloved Cumbria after attending Cambridge University.Wordsworth’s Guide through the District of the Lakes published in 1820 sparked off the first beginnings of mass tourism to the area.

His words on the mountains of Lake District: "in the combinations which they make, towering above each other, or lifting themselves in ridges like the waves of a tumultuous sea, and in the beauty and variety of their surfaces and colors, they are surpassed by none".My favorite lake:  Tarns How (or the Tarns)Great place to stay: The Gardener’s Cottage at Garn’s Manor in New Sawrey. Or Rose Barn in Outgate. 

The Encaenia Garden Party

John and I felt so honored to be invited to the Encaenia Garden Party held at Worchester College yesterday afternoon.   It was one of those "pinch me" moments as we strolled about the gorgeous grounds of the college and watched the tutors and fellows, the Chancellor and the Vice Chancellor, the recipients of Honorary Degrees, and other members of Oxford University and guests, most in full academic dress. It was a venerable wizards party.Tents were set up with refreshments: tea, scones and clotted cream, elegant sandwiches, and strawberries and cream.  There was a 20-piece band that played soft jazz.  Best of all, it was a lovely afternoon – not a hint of rain.

It was fun to see so many different robes, hoods, caps and hats.  It’s easy to see where J.K. Rowling got her inspiration for wizard attire.  She must have attending an Encaenia garden party.

My favorite wizard

White tie is generally worn under academic robes at Oxford

Worcester College is the only college with it's own lake. It is stunning.  

The Encaenia is the only time robes from other colleges are worn at Oxford.  For all other occasions, one it supposed to wear Oxford robes dressed with the hood and cap from one's own college or university.  

I've been told the reason for that is that the Vice Chancellor robes are from Cambridge and no Cambridge robes are allowed at Oxford. 

Some of the outfits made me smile.  This gentleman's cap looked like a lampshade with fringes.

Wizards, wizards everywhere.

Worcester College is spectacular.  My pictures just don't capture the grandeur  

of the beauty of the grounds.  

My favorite wizard is getting a hood and cap for his birthday so he can look like all the other wizards here.  

Wizards Day at Hogwarts -- The Encaenia Ceremony

It was Wizards Day at  Oxford today and Aung San Suu Kyi was the chief wizard.  She finally received her honorary degree from Oxford University at todays Encaenia ceremony.

Suu Kyi, making her first visits outside of her native country in 24 years, was awarded an honorary doctorate in civil law in 1993 but was unable to collect it until today, due to being under house arrest in Myanmar. She studied philosophy, politics and economics at St. Hugh's College in Oxford between 1964 and 1967. After a time working in New York and Bhutan, she lived in Oxford for many years with her late husband, the Tibet scholar Michael Aris, and their sons Alexander and Kim.  Yesterday she celebrated her 67th birthday.

Encaenia is the ceremony at which the University of Oxford awards honorary degrees to distinguished men and women and commemorates its benefactors. It is held annually on the Wednesday of ninth week during Trinity Term.On the morning of the ceremony, the Heads of Colleges, university dignitaries and honored guests assemble, in full academic dress, in one of the colleges, where they enjoy Lord Crewe's benefaction of peaches, strawberries and champagne. They then walk through the streets in procession to the Sheldonian Theatre on Broad Street.

The University dignitaries enter the theatre in procession; those who are to receive honorary degrees wait in the Divinity School where they sign their names in the Honorary Degrees Book. They are then escorted into the theatre. Once the Chancellor has opened the proceedings, each honorand is introduced by the Public Orator with a speech in Latin and admitted to his or her new degree by the Chancellor. The Orator then delivers the Creweian Oration on the events of the past year and in commemoration of the University's benefactors.

As with so many traditions in Oxford, the Encaenia ceremony is beloved and hundreds lined the streets to get a glimpse of the procession.  The crowds roared with Aung San Suu Kyi walked by.  She graciously stopped to shake hands with Oxford students, much to the dismay of security.  She is stunningly beautiful!

Professors heading to the Encaenia

The procession 

The University Chancellor has the gold trimmed gown

Walking toward the Sheldonian

Past the Bodleian Library 

Aung San Suu Kyi carrying the poppies

And entering the main gate at the Bodleian

The story behind Keep Calm and Carry On

Rather interesting!

Impressions of the Diamond Jubilee

It was a party 60 years in the making.  It was an event I’ll never see again in my lifetime.  The Diamond Jubilee was remarkable.  While I was lucky enough to get a glimpse of the Queen and her family, what I’ll remember most are the wonderful people I met and the genuine goodwill and warm affection from the crowds for their queen and the royal family.

Some of my impressions:

Queen Elizabeth is an extraordinary woman.  I’ve enjoyed watching and reading her short biographies in the press this week.  She is the 40^th direct bloodline monarch since William the Conqueror.  She grew up never expecting or being trained to be queen since her uncle was to be king, not her father.  She became queen at the age of 25, when her father died suddenly.  She was a young woman in an all male world and she more than held her own. 

It was all so well organized.  There were thousands of extra security and crowd control personel.  There were also thousands of litter control workers wandering through the crowds picking up any litter.  At the end of the 4-day long party, London looked as clean as tidy as ever.

No one does pageantry like the British.  It is something that they are proud of, that binds them to their history, and is a significant part of their cultural identity.  And, for the most part, the Brits love their queen and the royal family.  This affection unites the country in a way that is remarkable.  No matter what party is in power, or how dysfunctional their government might be, there is one thing that all of Britain can stand behind and be united about – their monarchy.  This is not to say that every one loves the institution of the monarchy.  There are many who don’t.  That said, they still respect and appreciate the good that the royal family does for England. 

I am not a fan of huge crowds.  The crowds I was part of this weekend were the most well-behaved and friendly crowds I’ve ever been part of. 

Favorite Signs:  

"Drought, What drought!  This reign has lasted 60 years!

"Elizabeth the Great!  She's a diamond!"

"Your Majesty, Ma'am, Mummy -- How ever you say it, we love you!"

"We sing the words "God Save the Queen" and He has, to our tremendous benefit."

After the Jubilee, I think London is ready for the Olympics.  Let the games begin.

The Mounted Guard getting ready for the escort.

The Queen's Guards heading toward Buckingham Palace

More guards and a band

The cavalry with canons getting into place

The Queen and Camila

Poor timing! Harry and William, with Kate hidden behind the post.

The crowds

Union Jacks everywhere

Crowds watching the giant screen

Watching the greeting from the royal balcony on the giant screen

St. James Park at the end

A Party Fit For A Queen!

I went to London today, along with a million other well wishers to watch the Diamond Julilee flotilla.  It was amazing -- a once in a lifetime experience.  In fact, the last time the Thames has seen a flotilla of this magnitude was 350 years ago under the reign of Charles II. This is only the  second time in English history there has been a Diamond Jubilee for a monarch who has reigned this long.  The first was Queen Victory. 

I didn't get to London at the crack of dawn to save a great spot but I did climb up on a railing and had a decent vantage point, despite the crowds.  It rained in London all morning.  Then, an hour before the flotilla, the rain stopped as if by divine decree and it didn't rain the whole time the Queen was sailing down the Thames.  The royal barge made it all the way to the Tower Bridge before the rain began again.  My perch was under a tree so I was able to stay to the bitter end without getting too wet.  I made it back to Victoria Station and onto the bus back to Oxford and thoroughly enjoyed the happy, well behaved, and delightful crowds -- these aren't adjectives I generally use for crowds but today they most definitely applied.

All in all, it was a day I'll never forget.  I plan to go in again on Tuesday to see the pageantry as the whole royal family parades to the palace in their fancy carriages.  I'll bring a stepping stool so I can see above the crowds. 

The Brits have called this jubilee, "A party 60 years in the making" and, "We say God save the queen and He has to our great benefit."  It has been such a treat to be here during this remarkable party.  I've posted some photos on the blog -- I wish they did the event justice.  I just couldn't capture the scope and color of the pageantry and the jubilant crowds.

God save the Queen!

This was a gondola from Venice

This was a boat made for the film "Robin Hood" with Russel Crowe

This was my favorite --  each boat represents a land of the Commonwealth

The Royal Barge

Camila, William and a bit of Charles

The Queen and Philip

Happy crowds!