But Friday I was supposed to go through two other library tours, neither of which I was even considering not making. The first tour was for the library at King's Manor- the place across town that I will be taking all my classes. This library was really crowded and packed full of all kinds of neat books I cannot wait to get my hands on. Unlike the campus library this place is designed for Graduate Students- it is small and quiet with all kinds of nooks an cubby-holes to study in. Seeing as most of my day time will be spent on that side of town, I was very happy to see how comfortable this library was.
Later in the day after the King's Manor Library tour, I got a chance to go to the York Minster Library. This place was sooooooo AWESOME! It is crammed away behind the Minster in what used to be the Archbishops Residence. The guy who gave us the tour brought us into this room, and my nose was suddenly tickled with delight. This odor was grand- Ok, this comes from a guy who likes to smell his books whenever he gets a new one. The smell of old and musty books was overwhelming, but then to see HUNDREDS of these things all sitting on the shelves- books hundreds of years old!- it was increadible! Literally hundreds of books that were really OLD! I asked the guy if I could bring my bed and stay there- he laughed. This was awesome! Everyone on the tour was blown away- everyone examining the old redish brown book bindings for the names of the various works. It was a cool experience.
That wasn't it either, after he gave us the initial tour he brought us to the 'Archive' section and handed us over to this other guy. This guy broke out a huge bible that was made in the 1100's. I was blown away- this is why I came to England to study, here it was right in my face staring back at me. WOW! Then he breaks out a rolled parchment from the 1400's, and he said they had hundreds of medieval texts for us to go through. OH MY GOD! This was a special moment for me- I think it was for the whole tour of new graduate students too. The cool thing is we get to use these resources free because we are students, otherwise we would have to pay. Wow! After I left I was talking with this Canadian student, and I said, "Now THAT was pretty cool!" He is normally a quiet, stoic guy, but he turned when I said that and the biggest smile spread across his face and he said "Hell, yeah!" We both laughed like kids at Christmas after that.
So after spending many hours yesterday on tours and studying in the Manor Library, I finally came home exhausted and crashed out. Today I woke up early, as normal, and I got some more reading done. Then I decided to go into town to take pictures and try out my camera because it was sort of acting crazy earlier in the week (my camera is fine). So I took more pictures of the wall, and I finally made it to Clifford's Tower which is essentially the keep of the castle here at York. It was a blast climbing up inside this thing and walking the wall on top of the keep (links to pictures down below). It seemed so small to me, and walking into the stair case you realize how small the people were back then- or they walked around slouched all the time! The Tower was built (in 13c) on the site of a motte and bailly fort built by William the Conquerer in the 11c. It is right at the junction of the two rivers that flow through York, the River Ouse and the River Foss. In fact, the River Foss used to supply the moat of the castle proper, which has since dried up. The Tower itself is only two stories high with the second story having decayed because it was made of wood. But I can see making a last stand on this thing because you are raised up and have all the lay of the land around you. It was really a treat.
Next, I walked the River Ouse waterfront, and I visited a church which has become my new favorite (usurping Saint Wilfrids 18c) called All Saints North Street (13c). This Church is a real gem in York, and it is out of the way so no one was even there on a tourist filled Saturday. I took a ton of pictures. What is particularly beautiful is the wooden screen set up around the alter. The stain glass windows are beautiful too, but I have learned since being here that it is really hard to get good pictures of stained glass. After that, I went up to Saint Wilfrid's and got some pictures of the inside there. I usually don't take pictures if there are people meditating- I just think that is rude. I have actually been to Wilfrid's a number of times and spoken with the care taker there a number of times without having taken any pictures at all. I have actually visited a number of churches, but I have only been able to get pictures of the outside because someone is inside meditating. They say go ahead, but I don't feel right about disturbing someones private devotion. Anyway, so my compact schedule for the two days is done, my feet are soar, and I think it is time to take a break. Enjoy the pictures!
So this morning I decide I will use this to my advantage to get some laundry done. This is the first time I am doing laundry here in England, so I figure it is a lot like the machines in America. The machines are just like the ones back home, BUT it cost me over $5 to do one load- wash and dry. Just for comparison, I used the same kind of machine in Berkeley and would wash one load for under $2. Need I repeat myself- EVERYTHING is expensive here. I honestly don't know how I am going to make the year on the budget they force upon me- honestly.
Anyway- enough about finances, I will have the entire year to complain about that subject. So I spend the rest of the morning going to the on-campus library and orienting myself to the way they do things there. After that, I decide I will go into the city and try to meet with my Supervisor at King's Manor.
Note: This is where the good stuff starts.
So I am walking down the street, minding my own business, and I have my beenie cap on extra tight because it is a bit drizzly and kind of cold out. The sky is grey and is threatening to belch a glob of rain on me at any moment, but it never really did the entire day. So I am walking towards the city on the sidewalk, and I am approaching a bus stop. At the bus stop are three or four older women, and a mother with her two children. They are kind of in my walking path up ahead, so I am scanning for a path of least resistance. As I am doing so, I notice something buzzing about and blurring in the street up ahead. Here in the middle of the street was this little grey squirrel racing in and out of traffic on the street beyond the bus stop. Well, you all know how much I like squirrels. So I am watching this squirrel in effect playing chicken with the trafffic as the cars whiz by on the street- he is dodging in and out of traffic, sometimes sitting right in the middle of the car lane and having the car go over it but it is so small that it isn't hit, other times sitting dead in the middle of the two lanes in a panic. The squirrels here are not like the ones back home, these squirrels are really timid and if you look at them they run away. It also seems to me that they have the energy of a humming bird or something because they dart and scamper here and there with a great amount of zeal. I have tried in my time here to take a picture of one, but they always bolt when they see me stop and start pulling out my camera. They are not friendly or accustom to people like the one's in Berkeley.
So anyway, back to the story- So I watch as suddenly this crazed squirrel leaps up onto the sidewalk beyond the bus stop. I lose sight of him temporarily, but the next instant all the women at the bus stop, their voices and arms suddenly raise up as one, give out a collective, surprised "Oh!" as the squirrel crashes into their midst. I want to laugh out, but before I can I see that the squirrel has madly dashed through the women and is racing down the street right at me! I stop in my tracks, and all the women at the bus stop are intently watching the squirrel and giving out nervous laughs. I am kind of forzen in my tracks as this grey blur races at me in a tumbling kind of jumpy motion. Just as I decide I am going to lift my left foot back and out of the way- because he was heading right for it- the little bugger grabs onto my foot and holds on! I kid you not! So when I lift my foot back, he flies off of it, spining cartwheels in the air. The English women at the bus stop now narrow their eyes at me, and they give out a different kind of "Oh!"
Meanwhile, the squirrel pounces on the ground like a cat, on all fours, and dashes off beyond me. I look up at the women, who are all glaring at me like I just killed the little grey critter in front of them or something, and I offer up my excuse that I was trying to move my leg out of the way. From the looks on their faces, I don't think they believed me. Grey Squirrel=1 Simon=0
