Tying loose ends

Spent the last two days sweeping, vacuuming, dusting, wiping, and scrubbing the castle. Its a pretty hefty task. And its now complete. All the other students have left the castle, as we have split our separate ways. Our ending banquet last night was our final meal as a group. Just four months ago, we were strangers to each other. Slowly, we became something of a family, without realizing it. The last night reflected this as cheesy but fitting awards were handed out, laden with the inside jokes we have created from our shared experiences together. 

What has come to a close can never be repeated again in my lifetime. Its been special and unique. Studying abroad has taught me so much about the world and myself. Travel is truly a catalyst for personal development. I have changed so much over the last four months that I believe I would hardly recognize the person I was. I am still me, but a different me. The me who has had my eyes opened to new places and ways of life, even new ways of thought. 

The world feels smaller. When I was back home, Europe seemed like a long, lost distant land. I know it is vast, but the more I see of it, the more I realize that its not some unknown, unending mystery. 

nature and naked women

This morning, Danielle and I picked up Rhubarb and Honey scones at Strawberry Lounge and headed out to Hulne Park to see Brizlee Tower and the gorgeous English countryside. I was a wonderful day, although a little chilly, to take in all the nature. 

This afternoon, I volunteered at the Playhouse with my host-mom and other students. We stewarded for the Calendar Girls play. The actresses sure were a brave bunch to be stripping on stage in front of all their friends and other town folk. This play is based on a true story about a women's society based in Yorkshire, England. The original calendar girls raised money for cancer research by raising eyebrows and the ladies of Alnwick did the same thing to benefit a local hospice. Not only did these Alnwick ladies put on the play, but they also made their own calendar. It was spectacular show, overflowing with comedy and lacking in clothes. There was a girl in the audience who came out a little stunned; I think she saw more of her school teacher than she wanted. Haha...  

Nearly forgot to share the story of what happened before the show. As an usher, we tell people where they are sitting and such. I don't think any of us were prepared for the frightening spectacle of old women falling trying to get to their seats. It wasn't that dark in the auditorium, but it was like they couldn't see the steps. There were four falls, two were very bad. One old lady fell twice. It was just horrible and a little surreal. The first incident, a lady tripped and fell and her friend fell, knocking over another woman. And then, once everyone was recovered, we moved them to a better location. And the old woman who tripped, took another more serious fall down a big step and nearly knocked me over while I was trying to help her friend walk to her seat. It was just wild, its like they couldn't stay standing. I can see why people die after falling at an old age. It was so scary. We treated everyone who had fell to complimentary tea and sweets. I hope that they don't have an injuries. It was awful, but besides that everything else ran smoothly. 

The landscaping of Lancelot Capability Brown. 

I think this was a 'ruin' added by the first Duchess. 

The Park is well stocked!

Pretty Cherry Blossoms, but they bloomed a week late. 

Cause the Cherry Blossom Festival at Alnwick Garden was last weekend. 

Summer Vacation Day One

I let myself sleep in this morning and at around 11:00 I had a breakfast/lunch of Guacamole! Num! Then, I went on the Lost Cellars tour in the tunnels of the castle. I got to see where all the 'spooky' noises come from that we can here in the library in the basement. Haha.  Then, I went to the Alnwick Garden. The last time I was there it was in January and nothing has changed. I was surprised that none of the flowers were blooming yet. It was fairly cold today, never getting above 50 degrees. I am glad I am going to Greece soon. I could use some nice weather. 

I spent the morning looking into hostel reservations and packing my bag for when I leave the castle. Its weird that we are all leaving so soon! I am feeling a little better so Mychaela, Erica, and I headed out to the pubs with some friends from Alnwick. I got a Southern Comfort at the Tanner's Arms, which was sure packed like a can of sardines. At the John Bull, there are over 100 whiskeys to chose from. I got a smooth Inchmurrin (from Loch Lomond in Scotland, I've been there!!) which had been aged for 20 years. It was older than I am!! Overall, not the most exciting day, but I needed a day to rest. Anyway, time for bed. 

Chilling in the Inner Bailey

My view :) its a beautiful day. 

My Room

The Pretty Daffodils from Chris' garden:) 

They add some color to my room.

Of course, my room doesn't look very neat or clean at the moment. 

This is what it actually looks like: messy!

My cough is improving slowly, but I sometimes have horrid coughing fits. 

I believe its getting better and I hope I will be restored to health soon. 

Finals are over and summer is here:) I am excited and ready for travel!

Study, Study, Study

That has been my main mission over the past few days! I have been highly productive and focused lately which has proven to be most useful during finals week. I seriously almost missed supper because I was so busy studying. I have one last exam tomorrow morning on the Stuart dynasty. I could probably write a good four pages on it if you asked me too, but I will spare you the reading.

To put it short, the main rules of England in the 1600s were: Thou shall not be Catholic and Thou shall not be absolute! The Crown and Parliament fell out resulting in two major revolutions. The bloody six year English Civil War, which ending with King Charles I being executed. The Glorious Revolution which was a bloodless coup which forced King James II to abdicate the throne. There was also an experiment in government without monarchy led by Oliver Cromwell, which eventually failed, but increased Parliamentary power. Well,  these few sentences hardly scrap the surface of it...But, it is really interesting. The more history I learn the more I see traces of it all around me.

Anyway, I am very confident that I will do well on all of my final projects and exams. Mainly, because they were not very challenging and I did study and work hard. I am really going to miss all of my professors this semester because I have really enjoyed all that they have been teaching me and they are all so passionate about what they do. I know that no other semester of college will ever be as easy as this one has been. But, its been a good thing, because it has given me the time to experience England and travel more.

Well...

Things have been a little crazy at the castle lately. Everyone is rushing about and trying to finish up all the assignments as well as study for our final exams this week. Just two more tests stand between me and summer. Even better, I will be on summer break and there will be snow on the ground in Minnesota!!! Hahahah.. Of course, most people don't find that funny at all, but to me its pretty hilarious. I must admit though, I am a little jealous I wasn't in Minnesota for this wild winter.

On a more mellow note, I have not been feeling very good lately. I got a cough way back in March while in Holland and it never really went away. Over the past few days, its been getting worse and has turned into a respiratory problem. Now, I should probably just go to the infirmary for medicine, but I am too stubborn for that. So, I have persisted to overcome it naturally through home remedies. I gargled warm salt water like a good girl (I can just see Grandma Kalthoff smiling about this!) and have been drinking lots of hot fluids. Today, I have actually seen improvement which is exciting, but if it persists to be as bad as yesterday was, I will go in because I don't want to spend my Greek holiday in bed when I could be on the beach:)

Everyone at the castle is in a mixed mood of 'I am sick of everyone' and 'I am really going to miss everyone' as our study abroad experience draws to a close. Nevertheless, we are all embracing every opportunity to have a blast. Last night, we had a big sleepover in one of the larger dorm rooms where we all watched Bridesmaids projected on to the wall. Thursday night, after our last class of the semester, we are all going out to the pubs to celebrate! It is sure to be a fun time for all. But for now, its time to get back to the books.

Goals Reflection

Before the semester started. I created three goals for myself to achieve during my stay in Alnwick. This post evaluates my progress and reflects on my experiences. This blog although was created for personal use, also provided the perfect final project for BRIT 201 as it reflects on my experience abroad. 

Academic: Learn about British culture, European culture, and traveling in Europe.

I have learned many aspects of British and European culture through observation. During my travels and time in Alnwick, I have noticed little and big similarities as well as differences between the English and Minnesotans back home. Northumberland is very rural and boasts many parks where people can experience the outdoors. I would say that in this way Minnesota and Northumberland are very similar with its attitudes toward embracing and enjoying nature. However, there are differences in other values of the people. For example, many Minnesotans hunt and fish and the state is well known for these outdoor activities. However, in Alnwick, these activities are not popular among the majority of the population and are even seen as an attack on wildlife. Another thing I wanted to accomplish before the end of the program was to learn about traveling in Europe since my sister and I will be doing that for over a month. I was able to gain a lot of knowledge and many recommendations about traveling through Wade, my homestay family, and friends in Alnwick.

Culture: Connect with Alnwick locals through the weekly market, service, or my homestay family.

Throughout my stay, I have been very involved in Alnwick and as a result have formed several friendships with the locals. I put in service hours at the Space at St. James’ Church, Salvation Army Clothing Store, St. Paul’s Church, St. Michael’s Church, and the Playhouse. This broad range of community service activities helped me meet many people from town. However, because I spread my time over many different places and organizations, I never formed any deep relationships from these service activities. My closest friends, outside of my homestay family, are Richard and Carol Evans who I met through attending weekly church services at St. Michael’s. My homestay family has definitely enhanced my study abroad experience. They are so knowledgeable about history and I always learn so much during our time together. Because we are so close, we are able to talk about more serious and touchy subjects concerning the differences between America and England. These discussions are so valuable to me and they have helped us bond and understand one another’s culture better.

Personal: Broaden my intercultural horizons by traveling throughout the United Kingdom and Europe.

Traveling certainly broadens the mind and in my opinion acts as a catalyst for personal development. Traveling across the United Kingdom through our weekly field trips and personal travels during break opened my eyes to the British culture and way of life. During my breaks, I also traveled outside of the United Kingdom to other countries of Europe. I was fortunate enough to make it to Ireland, Holland, and Belgium. All of those countries, although relatively close to one another, were very different. Each one had its own distinct flavor and personality. I have the opportunity to continue achieving this goal as I will be seeing much more of Europe as I will be traveling on the mainland for over two months. I plan to visit a number of countries and I imagine that I will enjoy exploring and discovering all the things which make each country stand out amongst the others. My trips over the last few months have prepared me for the extensive amount traveling I will be doing this summer both alone and with my sister. 

Day 100 and 101

Yes, this weekend marks the 100th day I have been abroad and I celebrated it in Northumbrian Style and Alnwick town events. On Saturday morning, I woke up at 5:45 to Skype with my Beta of Clovia pledge class sisters. It was wonderful to see their smiling faces and hear their voices:) Then, instead of going back to bed, I took Nora for a nice morning walk and did some sketching. After that, I went shopping in town at Oxfam (second hand charity shop). I got some zippers and a nice wool vest. I used the zippers to sew secret pockets into my clothes which will come in handy when traveling.

At 11:00, Sara and I took out our homestay family to our favorite cafe in town: Strawberry Lounge. I got a Raspberry Chocolate scone:) Once we were done enjoying our treats, we went to tour the art galleries put together by the art majors on the program. One of the galleries was in town the other was outdoors at the Woodland Walk near Alnwick Garden. I liked the nature art better. We walked out to Duchess' Viewpoint, which is a spectacular spot to take in the landscape. Also, I got to see the Treehouse for the first time; I can't wait to come back when its lit up at night. While we were walking in the forest, I collected wild garlic, which Sara and I later used in our meal. We cooked up a buttery saute with the wild garlic, onions, mushrooms, and a sprinkling of mature cheddar. I had my portion over brown rice and Sara had hers over pasta noodles. It was delicious there was no need for any other spices, the wild garlic was wonderful.

During the later part of the afternoon, I took Nora for a nice slow, long walk in the pasture. At night, I volunteered with Mary Frater (homestay mom) and Felicia at the Playhouse as a steward. The Northumberland Ranter band (ages 8 to 18) was performing a concert of traditional happy tunes featuring the Northumberland pipes. It was marvelous. While we were listening to the great music, Chris Frater (homestay dad) was helping out at the Alnwick Garden for the Cherry Blossom Festival. I saw the magnificent display of colored lights from my window in the castle.

This morning I went to my usual 11:15 service at St. Michael's. I had lunch with my homestay family. The dessert featured rhubarb from Chris' garden. I also was given some nice daffodils from the garden to brighten up my room! Afterward, Chris and I took a five mile walk in Hulne Park. Now, I suppose its time for me to start studying for my two final tests. However, tonight, I might Skype my family:)

Rope bridges were good fun!

Treehouse

Biggest treehouse in Europe - right in my distant backyard

Castle from Duchess' Viewpoint

River Aln from Duchess' Viewpoint

Picnic Grounds

Horses by Hulne Park

The Last Field Trip

During our last trip, we toured castles along the coast and marine biologist, Maureen Fortune, helped us explore the tide pools. It was a gorgeous spring day, which I feel bad bragging about considering the weather back home. But, we sure enjoyed it:) 

Warkworth Castle

Dunstanburgh Castle

Standing on remains of the curtain wall. 

Hunting for sea creatures in the tide pools. 

Sea Gooseberry: sorta like a jellyfish, but not a jellyfish. 

A scene from our three mile coastal walk!

Musing and Music

Today, I decided to give myself a break from my studies and spent the afternoon doing research on family history. I found some really neat things. I have always learned a lot about my mother's side of the family, however the Katlhoff side has remained quite a mystery to me. So, it was out of this curiosity that I went searching to find out more about the Kalthoffs in Europe. As it turns out, there were some pretty influential Kalthoffs throughout the course of history who worked as gunsmiths. I am not sure if I could trace my family line to these Kalthoffs, but I sure am going to do more research to see if I can. To save me the time, I have inserted the wikipedia information on the Kalthoff gunsmiths below:

This family was founded by Herman Kolthoff from Kultenhof Estate, Danish Duchy of Slesvig (now Kaltenhof, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany), who had several sons that went on to fame across Europe. They are best known for the Kalthoff repeater - a rapid fire repeating rifle that could deliver 20-30 rounds/minute in the 1650s.
Peder Hermansen Kalthoff - Served Frederik III of Denmark as Head of Armory, 1600-1672
Matthias Kalthoff - Gunsmith Denmark, 1608-1681
Caspar Kalthoff Elder -- Served Charles I of England, 1606-1664
Caspar Kalthoff Younger -- Served Tsar Alexis I of Russia and Charles II of England
Henrick Hermansen Kolthoff -- Founded Foundries in Sweden and Norway, 1610-1661
William Hermansen Kalthoff -- Patented repeating gun in France

Of these men, I found Caspar Kalthoff the most interesting:

The maker, Caspar Kalthoff, was a Dutch gunsmith and inventor who worked in England from 1628. From 1634 he had a forge and lodgings in the Tower of London and an experimental firing range at Vauxhall. He returned to Holland in 1655, having invented a catapult for the purpose of killing the Lord Protector. Kalthoff returned to London in 1663 and demonstrated a seven-shot gun to the Royal Society (Blackmore 1986, p.125). There is a similar gun with the engraved inscription 'C.Kalthof' in the Royal Collection, Windsor Castle. (http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1260820/seven-shot-magazine-caspar-kalthoff/)

I spent a good portion of my afternoon gathering knowledge. Yet, I don't have a clue whether or not I am any kind of descendant of this Kalthoff line. Nevertheless, it was most interesting to learn about.

This evening I attended the Duchess Elizabeth Memorial Concert, which featured the pianist Martin Roscoe. My favorite piece was one from the ballet Coppelia. I missed the opening because I was still in class and I was informed at the intermission by my biology professor's family that His Grace the Duke and Duchess were there, as well as other members of the family to pay tribute to their mother. Sure enough, there they were. I must say, Her Grace is very beautiful for her years. At the end of the event, Roy Todd (the former Contemporary Britain professor for St. Cloud students) announced that Martin Roscoe had accepted the position as president of the Alnwick Music Society. This was big news for the locals who were quite pleased. Overall, it was a great way to spend the evening.

Productivity and Ping Pong

The last two days I have really focused on completing the rest of my homework. Not much stands between me and summer any more. But, it doesn't really feel like summer because I am not going to be home and this whole semester hasn't really felt like school. On top of that, besides the last two days, its been fairly cold although nothing compared to how Minnesota has been this spring or should I say extended winter. Yesterday, I started helping take care of Wade's dog: Nora, while he is in a wedding in Shoreview, Minnesota of all places. So close to my home. Nora is a huge black bear of a dog, being a Newfoundland. I get to feed her some mornings and take her out for walks. Big news I completed my big research paper on polo. All I have to do is read it one last time to polish any errors, but the proofing I finished tonight. I will perfect it tomorrow and then I want to turn it in a week early tomorrow night. Now, I just have to study for my history test and my biology test, write a journal about our last field trip on Friday, and write a short essay reflecting on my community service. The end is so close, but I don't really want the end to come. Its weird to think that most of the students are packing their bags to go home right now and I just passed the half way point of my trip. I cannot imagine going home yet. There is so much I need to see and do. 

Tonight, Mike and I battled it out playing ping pong in the pottery room. I think we played at least ten games. We both lost count. I am not even sure who won more games. I think either I won or we tied. All the games were really intense and most times were very close in score. Its been a lot of fun having someone almost exactly at my skill level to play with. I think I just might be able to beat Grandpa Kalthoff now. I have never beat him. Not many of the grandchildren have. So, Grandpa its on!! :) 

Coffee:)

Here is one of my pieces for my final photography project! 

I always seem to work coffee into my schoolwork:) 

Plans for May

Our program is finishing up with a Banquet in a fortnight, so then I am off to see the rest of Europe where I will be traveling until July 10. Planning travel is a strenuous task, although rewarding in the end. Today, I spent all afternoon working on booking and buying tickets for going to Portugal. I have made all my hostel reservations as well. For the first half of May I will be in Greece, then I am off to Portugal. These are both solo trips, but I am not concerned about being alone, but nevertheless will take precautions for my safety. After that, I will be back at the Castle for a little while resting up and preparing for when Kari flies into Newcastle. So, things are looking great and I am looking forward to the second half of my trip abroad!

Almost forgot to mention my morning walk in the pasture this morning:) Hope all the Minnesota snow melts soon so the Spring can come for you too!

Cragside: round two!

The beautiful Cheviot hills!

I love hiking!:)

A tangy treat!

Gorgeous grounds for exploring! 

It was a lovely day, reaching 60 degrees. We got to spend all afternoon at Cragside touring the house and hiking around the estate. Overall, a good day of fun!! 

Hadrian's Wall and Lake District

First stop was Housesteads Roman Fort along Hadrians wall where a number of Romans lived during their occupation of Britannia from 73 to 410 AD. This picture shows the underfloor heating in the hospital building. 

Hadrian's Wall built from 122 to 128 AD as the northern most border of the Roman Empire under Emperor Hadrian. The wall was meant to keep out the barbarians of the North and stretched 73 modern miles, all the way across England. Forts or Milecastles were placed at each Roman mile. 

Over half of the group decided to go on the three mile trek through Northumberland National Park along Hadrian's Wall. There were so many fantastic views. We were all very hungry after finishing. Luckily, we had our packed lunches. The Chicken Tikka sandwich was delicious, a flavor cross between southwest mayonnaise and curry. 

Next stop, the Lake District or Lakeland. This picture shows the hedge Castlerigg Stone Circle which is nestled among the northern most fells. Just after everyone was done taking pictures the downpour of rain began, drenching us all. 

Derwent Water. This is the lake where we got to go on a nice boat ride to tour the area. Fun facts about the Lake District: Lakes are called waters or meres. Streams are ghylls and mountains are fells. 

Keswick is the town on the northern shore of the lake. Most students went out for coffee or tea at the cafe before heading out on the boat. It was a beautiful sight while enjoying a afternoon treat of highland cookies. 

This was just after the rain and hail which came pouring down while we were on the boat. Most people were inside but me and several others toughed it out. Needless to say, we were completely soaked the rest of the day. 

Last stop, Bowderstone. Many wanted to skip this last site because everyone was so wet and cold. I was one of the four students who still wanted to see it. So, they decided to let us look around it for a bit. Most of the students ended up trekking out to see it as well. 

Overall, the day was very wet, but most breathtaking. The pictures really don't do it justice. This trip was originally supposed to be two days long, with an overnight stay in a hostel. I am a little sad that this was no longer was possible due to the hostel being under construction, however, they made it up to us by taking us to Cragside on Sunday. I already went to Cragside with my homestay family, but I am so excited to see it again! Tomorrow, I am helping my homestay mother with a coffee and tea morning and riding out at Townfoot Stables. This weekend is sure filled with plenty of time taking in the beautiful outdoors:)

Changes at the Castle:

This room was entirely transformed. 

Before: Hotspur Restaurant

 After: the new Courtyard Cafe

Our new area for Lunch: the Guest Hall

This hall hasn't changed since we have been here, but it was recently redone. 

Its beautiful and nice and open. I love the old-fashioned music they play, great hits from Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. It really adds to the atmosphere! Recently, I was sorta bashing the new dining style, but we are getting used to things. Its really growing on me now! Lately, I have been working on completing all of my final projects. They are all going very well. I am glad that I got a lot of work done during the break, because I am not stressed or worried, but rather enjoying the final weeks of the semester. Actually, I don't want the end to come. Living at the castle is so easy to get used to and I've fallen in love with the way of life. The incredible views, excellent food at the restaurant, and close knit community of students and faculty. I really wouldn't mind spending another couple semesters here. I only wish it would actually be done. I know a part of my heart will always long to be here. Everything is so bittersweet at the moment.