Just Before Christmas...

Just before Christmas I wanted to share some photos of a beautiful church that is definitely “one of the greatest secrets of London“. I’ve been to this city for quite a few times now, but only on the last trip I’ve discovered Westminster Cathedral and how much effort people can put into building God’s houses.

Some facts that I didn’t know: "Westminster Cathedral in London is the mother church of the Catholic community in England and Wales and the Metropolitan Church and Cathedral of the Archbishop of Westminster. It is dedicated to the "Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ" (the Eucharist)."

It is the largest Catholic church in England and Wales and, to tell the truth, I've never seen anything like that before. The architecture could be called atypical as looking at the tower I'd suspect it's actually a mosque. And the interior is stunning - the colourful mosaics make you think you've actually gone back in time and ended up somewhere in the Byzantine Empire.

God inspires us to do great things, something you might not even think is possible. I hope you can keep it in your mind not just before Christmas and not only through the new coming year.

Christmas Colours (London)

Shop keepers definitely know how to get their shops ready for Christmas. Every detail counts and the neatly arranged stock simply lures the passers by to go inside. I’m afraid the spell hasn’t worked on me – I was impressed, no doubt about that, but these days I’m glad to just seal all this up into an image and later on, when I’ve got time, to admire the creativeness and imagination that can make Christmas feel special again, just like it once was – in our childhood.

You could say that too much colours and glitter makes us forget what Christmas is all about. Well, if you’re only interested in stuffing your belly and getting some presents it certainly isn’t the right way, but if your festive ornaments are just the means to make this holiday the most special in the year, why not?

London Christmas Frenzy

Where have I been!? Everyone’s already counting days to Christmas and I’m still not in my panic mode – although to tell the truth it’s time I was… The snow’s falling on our land continuously; the neighbours have got their festive lights out, so how come I’m still sure I’ve got time to get everything ready?

I wish I had prepared earlier… Although it’s not time to wince now, is it? Anyway, it’s the 100th post on this blog (something to boost my self-esteem), so I promise there will be some changes – the photos are going to get a bigger, there’ll be more colour and hopefully more posts. I’d also like to take this whole blogging thing one step further, but for now I’ll keep it a secret, just in case God decides to laugh at my plans.

Meanwhile I’d like to share my London photos – oh, boy, it really felt Christmassy there!

The trip went really well – we avoided the snow, didn’t get stuck at the airports or train stations, missed the student riots by a day and even the tube workers’ strike was an advantage – we had to walk and of course this way saw a lot more! (My legs were aching, but I was so happy – I could snap snap snap…)

Westminster Central Hall, just opposite the Westmister Abbey, where next year on the 29th of April history will be made.

Old Ben and the fence round the Parlament, ornated with the royal symbol - little crowns.

The London Eye! A rather young construction, but can you imagine London without it?

Trust me, it's massive! You quickly realise that when you get right under it.

That's the real Christmas spirit! I never dreamt I'd still go on one of these in my lifetime. In London everything's possible!

London traffic - will they ever decide to drive on the "right" side of the road?

More colours, cars and people. The shops were full, the streets were full... I'm afraid after sometime it becomes tiring.

Impressive Christmas stars.

Just one of the many theaters - Victoria Theatre. (I hoped to see a musical this trip, but it looks like it's the thing I will have to come back for.)

----------------------------------------------------

The photos were taken without a tripod, so are a bit “shaky”; also it was very cold (excuses, excuses…) so I’m happy with the outcome quality and quantity wise.

Icons of England

As expected my long summer evenings have been devoted to reading. At 10 pm. my body starts craving for a soft bed, but it’s still light outside, so while the mind is alert, a good book keeps me company.

At the moment it’s “Icons of England” – a compilation of short stories written by “high profile and well respected commentators” portraying their feelings towards the English countryside. And I’d recommend it to anyone who’s been to the country and fell in love with it.

The English might seem a bit strange to the rest of the world (just think about the separate taps for cold and hot water, their habit to put milk into their tea, endless conversations about the weather), but I admire them for sticking to their way of doing things without worrying if it looks funny or weird. So if anyone can preserve the best things from the past it will be the English. Although it seems that even they might have to club together in order to achieve the goal.

This book was where I first heard about the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) - http://www.cpre.org.uk/ strangely enough led by a famous American writer Bill Bryson. (Even HRH The Prince of Wales starts his foreword with “There is perhaps a rich irony in the fact that it takes an American … to recognize, celebrate and fight to preserve so much of what is precious about our country.”) An initiative that I would welcome in any country, that wants to conserve what is unique and so dare to its nation.

So what’s so magical about England? What do we have to save that we wouldn’t ruin the spell? If you are intrigued, read about the icons of England – red post boxes, country churchyards, hares, estuaries, rural branch lines, ancient trees and many more.
--------------------------------------------------------------

I’ve been to England many times, but now I’m dead set to see Land’s End. “…Land’s End is magnificent. Even with the vast ocean on three sides, it still manages to make it’s mark – rather than engulfing it, the giant Atlantic has taken it in its lap. … When the summer sunshine beams down on the water and the mild wind blows inland from the ocean, there’s nowhere I’d rather be.” – Muhammad Abdul Bari

I’d also love to buy some fossils from Mary Anning’s shop in Lyme Regis. “Around ninety-nine per cent of all the species that ever lived are now extinct and only a very small fraction are preserved as fossils; and even smaller fraction are ever actually found. And at Mary Anning’s shop, you can get all this for just £2.50.” – Rosie Boycott

Oh, and plant an apple tree that would produce those special apples. “Old pearmain, recorded in the thirteenth century, is probably the only one of our contemporary English apples that Shakespeare would have recognized.” – Raymond Blanc

Oxburgh Hall

Before leaving for any foreign country I warn everyone that I would like to visit at least a few interesting places – it can be just a walk by a picturesque river, a little village and their local church, Sunday’s market or a museum of some sort… So I spend hours on my computer searching for anything that seems suitable.

This time I was prompted to have a look at a place called Oxburgh Hall. I had a look, liked it and said that we need to see it!

Oxburgh Hall is a moated country house in Oxborough, Norfolk, today in the hands of the National Trust. When you arrive to its car park (a green lawn in front of the brick fence) you can’t actually see it, so you are left to keep guessing how big it’s going to be… Before you enter you are asked to part with some money – I can’t remember how much we paid, but I think that the price wasn’t too steep. So they don’t actually ruin your mood on entering the premises – or maybe I remember things so just because the sun was shining and everything around looked really nice?

I fell in love with the view immediately after the first glance! - the house itself, the pretty lawns, the knot garden and the so unusual square moat.

Here’s some historical information that I found about Oxburgh Hall on the internet:

"Built around 1482 by Sir Edmund Bedingfeld, Oxburgh has always been a family home, not a fortress. The manor of Oxburgh came to the Bedingfeld family by marriage before 1446, and the house has been continuously inhabited by them since their construction of it in 1482, the date of Edward Bedingfeld's licence to crenellate.

A fine example of a late medieval, inward-facing great house, Oxburgh stands within a square moat about 75 metres on each side, and was originally enclosed; the hall range facing the gatehouse was pulled down in 1772 for Sir Richard Bedingfeld, providing a more open U-shaped house, with the open end of the U facing south.

The hall is well known for its priest hole. Due to the Catholic faith of the Bedingfeld family, a Catholic priest may have had to hide within the small disguised room in the event of a raid. The room is reached via a trapdoor, which when closed blends in with the tiled floor. Unlike many similar priest holes, the one at Oxburgh is open to visitors."

I must admit the priest hole was an interesting room, but I really wouldn’t recommend it for someone who suffers from claustrophobia. (And NO, I didn’t go there – it seemed to me that I would get stuck!) But as I wasn’t allowed to take photos inside the house, sadly I can’t really show you what it looks like… Instead here are some more photos of the façade.

That's the "...grand fortified gatehouse, evoking the owner's power and prestige, though as fortification its value is largely symbolic...". This is what it looks like from the inner yard. By the way, I really liked the square sun dial at the top. Well, as you can see while it was sunny, you could actually tell the time!

The whole house is very ornate – there are lots of sculptures, interesting shapes and even the chimneys are like little pieces of art! I guess these must be the Victorian additions that are mentioned on the internet “…Victorian additions include the Flemish-style stepped gables, the massive southeast tower, the oriel windows overhanging the moat and terracotta chimneys”.

And once we climbed one of the towers, looking around the estate I remembered a song sung by a Lithuanian singer called Jurga. The song is named “Nebijok” (“Don’t be afraid”) and the refrain goes like this: Mes su Tavim turim naktį drąsos/ Įsiklausyt į kalbą tamsos/ Lipt stogais ir žiūrėt žemyn/ Kas brangu – nebijok apkabint.

It could be translated to something like that: „at night we have enough courage to climb the roofs, listen to the language of the darkness, to climb the roofs and look down, don‘t be afraid to hug the things that are precious to you“.

Anyway, to me these roofs looked like the one‘s that would be perfect for a romantic date while watching a sunset! And here's a link for the song, if you're curious:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VynheEdHe0w

Pretty gravel walkways that take you round the country house and down to the small Catholic church... Which I think it isn‘t that common in England?

The church itself is rather small, yet quite cosy and not as ornate as it usually is popular in the Catholic tradition. But the thing that stuck in my memory the most was in the church yard - a little grave of a stillborn girl, who was born in 2003 and a very meaningful sentence on the grave stone – „home without a journey”. I found it very comforting – we keep saying “life’s journey”, but to my mind we never see the end of this journey as a return home…


Have I mentioned the gardens? They are really nice – you could find there lots of vegetables and flowers. And if you haven’t got a garden and would like to show your children how tomatoes, cucumbers or pumpkins grow, come to Oxburgh Hall in Autumn!

And if you are looking for a special treat – come to Oxburgh Hall before Christmas. We were told that then the staff dresses up in old medieval clothes and you can see what this country house looked like several ages ago.

Catching up... What's happened in September

It's been almost a month since I last posted anything on my blog - and I must admit I really missed searching for the best photos and writing about things that I like...

Well, there's been a good reason for my silence - September has been FULL of nice events, but in order to take part in them I had to get on a plane, which is a real torture for me! Don’t get me wrong - I like travelling, I love seeing new and interesting places, but I can only calm down once I've landed safely or maybe even only once I’ve left the airport…

One of those scary flying things... Stanstead Aiport, the 9th of September, 2009

Whenever we get plane tickets I get anxious and I'm sure I annoy everyone else by not being able to get excited! About a week before my journey at nights I have problems sleeping and during the days I quite often lift my eyes into the sky in order to judge the flying conditions... I know it’s not very normal, but I think that I can still cope with my fear. When would I say that I can’t? Probably the time when I would kiss the ground after getting out of a plane (a bit of turbulence, a few bumps and one day that might happen – no, no, it won’t… everything will always be fine – positive thinking!).

Good flying conditions a few days before leaving for England

Well, this time I just couldn’t stay at home – my boyfriend’s granddad was celebrating his 100th Birthday! (What’s the secret of longevity? In his case we think it is cod liver oil – so from now on boys and girls, please don’t forget to swallow a spoon or two a day!) It was really exciting as I don’t think that many people reach this age, oh, and if they live in the UK they even get a Birthday card from the Queen!

How old would you say is this guy? 100! (the one who's acctually blowing the candles)

I like England – it’s so different to any other country, but somehow it’s very appealing. I’m glad that people there stick to their ways of doing things and maintain their heritage. Lots of stuff in England is very ‘country livingish’ – it’s fun to go hiking on a Saturday or Sunday, there are so many Manor Houses and Castles that are packed with goods from middle ages, it’s not surprising if someone owns a horse, gardens are kept well and cooking can be turned into a ritual that unites the whole family…

Anyway… this time in England I got lots of lovely magazines, for eg. ‘Country Living’, ‘Homes & Antiques’, '25 Beautiful Homes' etc. (10 out of 10 in the scale of pleasure!) and went to see a country house in Oxborough, Norfolk (9 out of 10 in the scale of pleasure – as the only things that are left are my memories and a few photos…) –I’ll tell you some more about the house later on this week!

Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk - worth a visit!

The United Kingdom

(Virtual Tour 2009 - Around Europe without Leaving Your House)
From Sweden I’m hopping to… England! That beautiful island inhabited by people who have a very distinct sense of humor and tend to stick to their old traditions no matter what the rest of the world thinks.

At first I was going to choose a book written by a contemporary writer whose work would reflect the latest British style of living. In most likelihood this would have been something by Alexander McCall Smith – a very productive author, who is capable of telling his endless stories in a very attractive manner. But in the end I decided that it wouldn’t be fair – Alexander McCall Smith was born in Zimbabwe and at the moment lives in Scotland - from what I’ve heard Scottish people would like to be independent, so probably they haven’t got anything to do with the rest of the UK?

Anyway, in one of the local bookshops I found a book that was written in 1900 and to my mind it was ideal. It is called ‘Three Men on the Bummel’ (aka Three Men on Wheels) and actually is the sequel to the famous Jerome K. Jerome's book called ‘Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)’. I’ve never read the latter, but after enjoying the humor I’ll certainly give it a go.

It’s really amazing how following three Englishmen on bikes in the German Black Forest you can find out so many interesting facts or opinions about both nations. For example I never knew why English people don’t speak any other languages (well, if you ask them if they do, they’ll say they speak a bit of French, but from my own experience it’s just some ‘catchy’ phrase that they can remember from school times – one can say ‘can you check my tires please’, another ‘what’s the time’). Jerome K. Jerome seems to agree with me – in his opinion a young Englishmen, who has just left school, could talk to a Frenchmen slowly and hardly, about gardeners or aunts. A brighter child might even be able to say something about the time or the weather; of course they could repeat several numbers or irregular verbs that they’ve learnt by heart, but we must admit that not many people would like to listen to their own irregular verbs repeated by a young Englishmen. I never thought I’d find so much support for my own theory in a 1900s book! I won’t tell you why the situation with languages is like that – if you’re really interested, read the book.

One more thing that slightly shocked me – this book was used for a long time as a school book in Germany. Why would they want to? Jerome K. Jerome’s story is full of commentary on German culture from the point of view of a British tourist – as you might imagine it’s not flattering! Here’s a short abstract that should give you an idea:

'In Germany one breathes in love of order with the air, in Germany the babies beat time with their rattles, and the German bird has come to prefer the box, and to regard with contempt the few uncivilised outcasts who continue to build their nests in trees and hedges. In course of time every German bird, one is confident, will have his proper place in a full chorus. This promiscuous and desultory warbling of his must, one feels, be irritating to the precise German mind; there is no method in it. The music-loving German will organise him.'

I laughed out loud. Trust me this book can help you overcome your winter depression!

Seeing Betty – Probably the Only One Experience in My Life

Just came back from my short trip to the UK and I can’t believe I managed to squeeze so much in! Everyone is waiting for Christmas and I feel that I’ve already received all of my presents… Don’t get me wrong, I’m not disappointed; it’s just weird that one month can bring so much excitement – huge museums and galleries, ice skating rinks, colourful flowers in December and hot chocolate… weird personalities, Indian food, little markets and her Majesty Elizabeth II! It’s so different to what we get living in Lithuania, that I just need more time for getting back to my normal life…

Meanwhile I’m presenting a few photos that I was lucky to take on the 3rd of December 2008.

A short explanation: before going to the UK I did some research on the internet and gathered lots of information of what it would be interesting to see in London. One of the things on the list was changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace; I even found a website where you can check their schedule - http://www.changing-the-guard.com/sched.htm and decided that we’d do this on the 3rd of December. But I never dreamt I’d see Betty! Anyway, it turned out that everyone was getting ready for the annual event – State Opening of Parliament*. There was no way I was going to miss that! So I joined the crowd and got my camera ready.

Believe it or not, but that's Her Majesty's husband Philip and the Queen herself, hiding behind him!

State Opening of Parliament - please click on the link for more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Opening_of_Parliament