1200 down, ~1800 to go

[icepixie]

Well, I had a thesis, but it decided to go play thesis-in-a-haystack, so now I have 1243 words of plot summary, essentially, with nary a point to make in sight.

I think I've forgotten how to write papers, y'all. Seriously. This is really, really bad, 'cause I still want to take at least one more essay-writing English class next year, the Jazz Age class with my advisor, second or third in line to the "hardest grader in the department" throne. Although more and more I'm leaning towards rowdycamels's plan of not taking any more lit. classes...since I've fulfilled all my requirements in the English department anyway, and actually need to take a few more classes outside my major to graduate...hmmm.

In other news, Phling is Saturday, and they're doing "A Night at Gatsby's" for the theme, and I'm missing it. My pet decade of the 20th century, and I'm not there. Argh. Kenyon/Exeter folks should have a mini-Phling here, or something. Yeah.

In other other news, my plan for the semester is to not spend the entirety of any weekend in Exeter unless I have a paper due the next week (so, three weekends out of the following twelve). Suggestions for day, overnight, and two-night trips would be welcome, although after making off with Ellen's guide to Great Britain, I'm going a little crazy with the choices. (There's apparently a small town in Wales that specializes in second-hand bookstores. We are so going there.)

Um...yeah. That's about it for my uberboring life at the moment. It should get more interesting soon, I hope...once this paper's over, anyway. At any rate, I have scenic Exeter and Nashville pictures to post that I haven't gotten around to for the past month.

Comments

[icepixie]

Oh, don't need a train. It's maybe half an hour by bus, tops.

Even better!

We took a tour out of Inverness that was more of a "here are the stops we'll make, the bus will be here every 45 minutes or whatever, last one goes through at 5 pm" kind of thing. I know that one went to Culloden, Cawdor Castle, and Nairn.

That sounds FABULOUS! That's exactly the kind of thing we need.

The one that went to Drumnadrochit & Urquhart (included a short boat trip on the lake) was the day trip from Edinburgh, but I'm totally sure they have organized tours out of Inverness. The tourist office there is really nifty and helpful. And Inverness is pretty, too. :)

Wheee! Okay, now I'm gonna go look up day tours.

Oxford was okay, but it was just like a bunch of college buildings in a small town. I was expecting something "special", I guess.

Hey, it's like Kenyon! Except Oxford is totally bigger than Gambier... ;) I still kind of want to go if only because of Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Hee.

Yeah. I didn't mind traveling on my own when there wasn't a tour to what I wanted (ie, Lillehammer), but it's so nice to not have to worry about whether or not you're actually heading in the right direction, having someone there to tell you what you're seeing without having to look it up, etc.

I actually like the organizational aspects of planning your own trips, but a lot of stuff we want to see now requires a car or bus to get to, really, and trying to combine train and bus schedules usually lands you with a lot of waiting-around-at-a-station time

Ooh yeah, you're really in a corner, eh? *g*

I could only be more in a corner if I were in Cornwall.

[nickless.livejournal.com]

That sounds FABULOUS! That's exactly the kind of thing we need.

It's a really cool setup.

Okay, now I'm gonna go look up day tours.

Definitely. I'm sure they have a ton of stuff going out of Inverness.

I still kind of want to go if only because of Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Hee.

*snerk* It's kinda cool to say you've been to Oxford. And the Pullman thing is a good point - I never really connected the two until you mentioned it!

I actually like the organizational aspects of planning your own trips,

Yeah, it's nice to be able to plan *exactly* what you want to see and how long you stay there. But taking a tour allows you to focus on the seeing more than the how-you're-getting-there (especially when you're dealing with a different language). And having one bus that takes care of all your transportation helps. There's pros and cons to both - just depends on which is more feasible for the situation! That's probably the appeal of the on-off type arrangement - you can spend longer at the places you want to, but other than being at the appointed pick-up spot on time, you don't have to worry about the transportation details.

Keep me updated on what you decide to do!

[icepixie]

I'm sure they have a ton of stuff going out of Inverness.

Woo-hoo!

And the Pullman thing is a good point - I never really connected the two until you mentioned it!

Hehe. I still haven't even finished the trilogy...the last half of Amber Spyglass is earmarked as train reading for next weekend. Another point for Oxford is that I love spires in all shapes and forms, and I hear they have quite a few.

Yeah, it's nice to be able to plan *exactly* what you want to see and how long you stay there. But taking a tour allows you to focus on the seeing more than the how-you're-getting-there (especially when you're dealing with a different language). And having one bus that takes care of all your transportation helps.

Oh my, yes. Annie and I are definitely doing a Sound of Music tour in Salzburg. I'm not quite up to dealing with German just yet.

There's pros and cons to both - just depends on which is more feasible for the situation! That's probably the appeal of the on-off type arrangement - you can spend longer at the places you want to, but other than being at the appointed pick-up spot on time, you don't have to worry about the transportation details.

Yep. That's sort of how we're getting to Leeds Castle next weekend...there's a regular train+bus combo that runs basically every hour, so we're going to come and go as we like. Well, sort of; we do have to be back at Paddington to catch a 6:30 train back to Exeter, but anyway.

Keep me updated on what you decide to do!

I will! Thanks for all the fab info! :)

[nickless.livejournal.com]

Another point for Oxford is that I love spires in all shapes and forms, and I hear they have quite a few.

I'd confirm or deny, but I honestly can't remember at all. *g*

Oh my, yes. Annie and I are definitely doing a Sound of Music tour in Salzburg. I'm not quite up to dealing with German just yet.

Loooved Salzburg. I'll probably ask you to pick me up one of those cheesy tour books that compares the movie to everything in the town (and out and around it - a lot of it was actually filmed here and there in the surrounding countryside). I didn't get one while we were there, and after catching part of the movie a few weeks ago and trying to remember all the details from the trip, I'm really regretting it.

And as soon as I can, I'll get Salzburg stuff out/up. There are soooo many cool places down there...

That's sort of how we're getting to Leeds Castle next weekend...

I know I went there... My brain has quit.

[icepixie]

I'd confirm or deny, but I honestly can't remember at all. *g*

Well, I assume the Guide to Britain I've borrowed wouldn't lie to me... ;) They also have a recreation of the Ventian Bridge of Sighs going over a cobblestone road that looks totally neat.

Loooved Salzburg. I'll probably ask you to pick me up one of those cheesy tour books that compares the movie to everything in the town (and out and around it - a lot of it was actually filmed here and there in the surrounding countryside).

Ooooh. I'll be getting one of those for myself, too. ;)

And as soon as I can, I'll get Salzburg stuff out/up. There are soooo many cool places down there...

Woot! Yeah, I think I might end up wanting to spend more time in the area...maybe go somewhere in Germany. Hmmm. I know I wanna go see Neuschwanstein Castle, but that may wait until June as well.

[nickless.livejournal.com]

I think I might end up wanting to spend more time in the area...maybe go somewhere in Germany. Hmmm. I know I wanna go see Neuschwanstein Castle, but that may wait until June as well.

*sob*

We "saw" Neuschwanstein, which translated to "here, we'll stop in a field where you can see it in the distance and you can get out of the bus and take pictures." We didn't actually go - went to one of his other castles, and since Neuschwanstein has been somewhere I wanted to go since I was like, TWO, I was quite bummed. As in, sobbing. Which was partly due to the 103-degree temperature, I'm guessing...

That area of Germany... I'd say Munich-Vienna would be where I'd want to go back to. Munich was nifty - a decent public transportation system, huge open-air market, spiffy tourist-y stuff. We also went to Dachau, which was amazing. We actually went to Salzburg on a day trip from Munich - on the way we also went to the salt mines, which were really cool (it was like a log ride underground). So yeah, we were really only in Salzburg for an afternoon. :(

On the way to Vienna we stopped at Melk, which is gorgeous. It's really just the Abbey - used to be a monastery - which is really neat (especially with the museum part that they added), but the library was absolutely stunning. Huge room, floor to ceiling shelves of old books, cathedral-like ceiling with fresco, and the spiral staircase to a second story that rings around the outside of the room like you only see in movies. I could have stayed there for HOURS.

Vienna is pretty darn spiffy, too. Danube River, music, opera house, old stuff - pretty cool. :)

I think I'm going to just start scanning ALL of my scrapbook... which I'd planned on doing when I first got back, so hey! About time! *g*

[icepixie]

We "saw" Neuschwanstein, which translated to "here, we'll stop in a field where you can see it in the distance and you can get out of the bus and take pictures."

That seriously bites.

*writes down Munich-Vienna on list of June possibilities*

And now I have to go to Melk. Oh, yes.

[nickless.livejournal.com]

That seriously bites.

God, I was so pissed...

And now I have to go to Melk. Oh, yes.

Sooooooo awesome. *drools at the very memory of it*