An Annum Abroad
30 Fascinating Facts About the Tube
“The mosquitoes inhabiting the tunnels of the London Tube have evolved into a completely different species to any that lives above the ground. Unlike their upstairs brethren, which bite only birds, the London Underground mosquitoes bite rats, mice and show a distinct affinity for human blood. Biologists named these voracious biters Culex pipiens molestus.”
Freaky!
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
I wanted to know how news traveled in from the country to London in the seventeenth century, and have somehow found myself sucked into reading about the dark world of protectorate and restoration espionage! History is a mystery.
Did you know, the postal system in Britain (now known as Royal Mail) was established solely for the purpose of controlling and intercepting information? 1984? More like 1684.
More news soon, promise.
x H
We went to see Laura Marling at the Hammersmith Apollo last week. Great show. Was really pleased to see Pete Roe playing his solo stuff and was pleasantly surprised that Timber Timbre was also opening.
Ginger ale only comes in tiny little cans in the UK. I guess because they only see it as something to mix gin with? Little do they know, it is good for upset tummies. More about our trip to Paris soon!
Broken Fridge?
… Or really good excuse to try our local Greek food restaurant? Seeing as we’ve become semi-vegetarian because meat is expensive, we ate about as much protein as we usually have in a week. Stuffed!
It’s snowing!
It’s snowing in London! Makes me feel quite at home. Except I have to laugh when the BBC calls 5-10 cm “heavy snowfall” and starts using phrases like “dangerous cocktail” to describe the weather conditions.
A Room For London
There’s a new art installation on the top of Queen Elizabeth Hall: an old river boat which has been converted into a bachelor apartment and sometimes music venue. The project is called “A Room for London” and their Vimeo website currently features a genius performance by Andrew Bird. It’s pretty cool, I recommend checking it out!
January
Hello!
I haven’t blogged in ages. Here’s what we’ve been up to:
We went home to Toronto for the Christmas holidays, and had an absolutely wonderful time visiting with family and friends. We were able to see many of the people whom we had been missing very much while away.
We flew back to London in early January during a scary wind storm that meant we had some pretty bad turbulence. In recent years, I’ve started to become a nervous flier. I know planes are designed to take a certain amount of weathering, but after the plane drops unexpectedly, I can’t help but watch the cabin crew to see it they are still smiling. The worst bit is when you are flying along all smooth, and the seat belt sign comes on. There’s that happy little “ding!” and you can almost hear the falsely cheerful voice saying, “fasten your seat belts please.” Meanwhile, you know turbulence is imminent.
When we got back to London, I had to do some last-minute work on a few essays before handing them in. One paper was on 17th century ballads. While researching for it I found one, called “Alas poore Scholler, whither wilt thou goe?”
I got a good chuckle out of the lines, “Into learned rags / I’ve rent my Plush and Satin / And now am fit to beg / in Hebrew, Greek and Latin,” which I feel are poignant even for university students today.
We’ve also had a couple really nice visits from friends, including Meg and Craig. Meg was here for work and Craig was here for his graduation.
James and I also had the chance to get in some sight-seeing, once my essays were handed in. We visited Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath, and have resolved to do more day-tripping this new year.
Windsor Castle
Looking out over Eton
Stonehenge!
Jane Austen lived in the house with the white door.
Bath Abbey
Inside the Roman Baths at Bath
So that’s about all for now — we’ll have more adventures to share in February!
- H xx.
