winchester

Saturday I took a short little trip south to Winchester. I tried to be sparing with photos, but couldn't resist a few quintessential shots of this quaint but buzzing little English town.

Cathedral? Check.
University? Check.
A river runs through it? Check.
High-profile public boys' school? Check.
Major historical significance? Check.

It's not really a huge list by any account, but somehow it feels like there's lots going on in this little corner of England...

I put a few pictures here, and a little history lesson below.

The history lesson:

• The very large statue in the pictures is of King Alfred. He was all about justice and order, and took a lot of direction from Exodus. Much of the current legal system is based on his foundations.
  
  
• The 'high profile boys' school' (Winchester College) is on par with the likes of Eton (which, interestingly, is modeled after Winchester).
  
  
• Turns out the founder of Winchester College, William Wykeham, also founded New College at Oxford in 1379. Funny name for one of the oldest colleges in Oxford, eh? Apparently, New College's original remit was to receive the boys who passed through Winchester and to support them during their university studies. Handy.
  

Don't feel guilty if you couldn't care less about the history. It's hard to care if you don't experience it...but since I have a friend who went to New College, I had an extra little bit of "oh, that's very interesting" sort of thing going on.

it's all about marketing: example #219

"The Husband Creche"
I'm sure the beer in this pub isn't markedly different or better than the pub 2 doors down, but I'd stop here - even though I don't have a husband to drop off - just because of the sense of humor demonstrated with their sidewalk sign.

And I know plenty of people who would do the same.

Brilliant.

happy birthday daniel jacob!

How can you NOT totally fall in love with this little man?! I can't wait to see him in August! I hope he saved me some cake.

it's a small world after all

This morning, an American in London (yes, that would be me) had Welsh cakes for breakfast with Canadian maple syrup, eaten off a plate made in China (and with a fork made in China).

The weird thing is that I don't actually think this marriage of at least 5 cultures is really all that noteworthy...which is the part that feels noteworthy.

i might need to go to confession

I can't deny it. I'm jealous. A co-worker is marrying a rugby player next year, and because of her fiance's connections with the rugby world, she ends up at events where she often manages to get pictures like this one:

This my friend Clodagh and her "friend" Mike Catt. Mike was on the 2003 Rugby World Cup winning England squad...WORLD CUP, people! And he still plays for the London Irish squad.

I know I have recently pointed people to my friend Tara Leigh's blog, and I really don't want to negate the stuff she's writing there...and I know you're not going to believe me, but honestly it's not that he's beautiful. I mean, I'm not gonna deny that he's not hard on the eyes, but it really isn't about that.

It's that I actually really love the game. It's the only English sport I really fancy at all...and love it (don't panic people) more than baseball, perhaps. And what I wouldn't give to be all buddy-buddy with people in the rugby world, especially when I hear that guys like Mike are actually really nice and down to earth.

Seriously, why am I NEVER the girl who has these kinds of connections? I think it's God's way of reminding me that I care just a little too much. GRR!