3 Eves in A’dam

From Scandinavia we crossed through Germany and into the Netherlands. Our train ride into Amsterdam passed by beckoning spindly white arms of giant wind generators, less quaint and more spooky than what Holland’s tourist shops would’ve liked us to think. It seems that we missed tulip season and the milkmaid hotspots as well. Nevertheless, we got a chance to see many of the sites Amsterdam has to offer, including the Rijksmuseum and the Red Light District.

But the highlight of our stay was our time with three friends - locals who could show us around and offer us an insiders look into de Dutch life.

Wind generators dotted the Dutch countryside wherever we looked.

A tourist’s view of Amsterdam.

(We wanted to get the insider’s perspective.)

One of the stalls at the local market.

Matt looking lost.

Our friend Anouk the Dutchie-turned-Cali. Kewl.

The photographer-scholar Christina.

The debater-entrepreneur Daniel.

Lots of people in the middle of Dam square.

An impressive photo exhibit in one of the many museums of A’dam.

Linnea and her Pantalaimon.

A view of the Rijksmuseum, one of the more prestigious in Europe.

Bikes and canals!

3 comments August 5th, 2007

Journey to the continent

After Norway we spent a couple days traveling down the coast and into Denmark, finally making it into Germany. Our travels included a day in the port of Stavanger, in Norway, followed by an overnight ferry into northern Denmark, also known as Jutland. From there we spent a night in Odense, the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen, before entering Germany.

Linnea looks good, even in green.

An unfortunate choice of words.

A view off the back of the “flagrutten” - the ferry from Bergen to Stavanger.

A ghostly picture of some Norwegian engineering.

Matt being pomo in front of a statue in Stavanger - this one looks like the emperor’s new clothes.

A Blakean statue in the middle of Stavanger.

The strangest playground we ever saw in front of some old Norwegian ruins.

Linnea very happy to finally have a shower.

Add comment August 4th, 2007

Pining for the fjords

After we finished up our studies in Oxford on July 19, it was time for a flight across the North Sea to the beautiful city of Bergen, Norway. Bergen is known as one of the hottest spots for exploring the beautiful western coast of Norway, including those unforgettable fjords. What is a fjord you may ask? We wondered the same thing too, but one of our friends that we met at the hostel there told us: a fjord is simply a valley filled with water. In Norway, these valleys are hundreds of kilometers long, creating snaking inlets with mountains rising up dramatically on either side.

Although we didn’t spend too much time fjording, our stay in Bergen involved an afternoon at the local fishmarket, a trip up Floyen Mountain in the funicular, and walks along the harbour giving us a chance to appreciate some colourful Norwegian architecture.

A view off the wing of our plane upon the dusky shores of Norway.

The harbour of Bergen.

Linnea posing mightily on some Bergen artwork.

A statue and some more Norwegian buildings.

A perfect place to perch.

The harbour in black and white.

Even Norweigans like to party.

Even Norwegians like to go to church.

Linnea, Matt, and some ivy. HAWT!

The graffiti in Bergen was beautiful.

So was Matt.

Three Norwegian men walking into the sunset.

An old fishing village in Bergen.

When in Rome…

Dolls for sale at the fish market.

Fruit for sale at the fish market.

Lobsters for sale…

Santa for sale… (in July)

LOTS of shrimp

Want to buy a sweater or a flag?

or some trolls to remember Norway by?

After the market we decided to take a trip up Floyen, one of the mountains surrounding Bergen. This is a view from the funicular, the bus/train/gondola like thing that took us up to the top.

A view from Floyen Mountain.

Testing out the zoom lens on some bees.

Some more zoom lens on a Floyen flower.

Linnea with Bergen at her back.

Our American friends we met in the hostel, Katie, Ryan and Mary Ann.

Linnea sending love vibes to the mackerel we bought at the market.

Linnea sending love vibes to the troll on top of Floyen.

If Matt were a tree statue, he’d look like this…

If Linnea were a statue…

Matt excitedly emerging from the tunnel of a troll.

We’re on top of the world! Or at least, at the top of a mountain, overlooking beautiful Bergen.

These rocks were skillfully painted by local trolls. Self-portraits, I suppose.

Grrrrr… I’s going to git you.

Ya, I’m pretty.

1 comment July 30th, 2007

Dubliners for a Day or Two

On our third weekend in Oxford, we took an Aer Lingus flight to Dublin to experience something of Ireland. We had perhaps been expecting to see rolling kelly-green hills and moss-topped huts - but Dublin offered neither. The city has a complex history and personality that two and a half days doesn’t allow time for figuring out. We hope to explore more of the country some day in the future.

Our first double-decker bus experience together! On our way from the Dublin airport to our hostel in Temple Bar.

We were lucky to meet these two - Becky and Jeremy - at our hostel. They had left their home in sunny California for work experience on sustainable farms throughout Europe - an experience offered to them by an international organization called WWOOF.

Anyone who visits Dublin has two necessary stops: the Book of Kells at Trinity College and the Guinness Brewery. We only made it to the first (sorry Matt!) The Book of Kells is an ancient celtic bible featuring brightly coloured illuminations. It was made by monks long long ago.

This is Dublin Castle. Matt called it an ‘ADD’ castle, for indeed, every section was a different style, from a different time period, right up to the sections that were painted red and blue and yellow. This is the expression that showed up on Matt’s face after Linnea told him that he could have the castle if he wanted.

The parliament house, where the prime minister lives. I believe the word for Prime Minister is Taosieach. Don’t ask me how to pronounce it!

1 comment July 30th, 2007

One last look at Oxford

Well, our laptop broke down halfway through our studies in Oxford, which made writing papers rather difficult and uploading pictures near impossible. However, that didn´t stop us from taking lots of pictures, and after finding a cheap place to burn our pictures to cd in Vienna, we finally have a chance to share our travels with all of you.

Here are the last batch of pictures from our time in Oxford, which include some time at King Henry VIII’s apartments, a day of punting on the river Cherwell (pronounced SHAW-well, remember) with our good friend Sarah and her cousin Dana, and some more Oxford sites. Stay tuned for many more pictures from Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands.

At Hampton Court, a palace type place, we made sure to test out the fine cuisine offered in the Tudor kitchens. Ok - well, this stew was perhaps a tad petrified. Five hundred years will do that to a place. Nonetheless, Hampton Court, a place that was once home to individuals like Henry VIII and Oliver Cromwell, was definitely worth a visit.

Matt had been craving meat after living off of iranian instant noodles for the last week.

This crazy clock featured not only numbers, but a whole bunch of intricate and intriguing symbols to measure the time of year, etc.

While at Oxford, we were graced by the presence of many familiar faces. Our friend Sarah ‘Vay-goom’ was one of them. She and her cousin Dana spent a day with us wandering the streets and punting on the river Cherwell.

Matt proved to be an excellent punt master. The river Cherwell proved to be an excellent workout.

Swans, we have learned, are less gracious beings than what their pure white outer would suggest. Whenever folks sitting on the banks of the Cherwell offer bread and bits to the ducks swimming about, these beasts are sure to make their way into the centre of the chaos. Britain’s Canadian Goose!

This beautiful church has connections to Lewis’s creation of Narnia, and is situated right across the cobbled path from the Radcliffe Camera (a reading room of the Bodleian library). At the end of our program, we all gathered in the front lawn of St Mary the Virgin’s and had tea and crumpets.

Matt proves that he could outshine any other college promo shot.

Another opportunity to visit with friends from the past - Madeleine was part of the administration of the first Oxford program that Matt participated in, several years ago, while Elisabeth (on the right) was one of his Shakespeare tutors. We met up with them for lunch at a delightful French cafe.

This is the chapel at Worcester College, where Elisabeth Dutton (pictured above), now works. She was also Linnea’s tutor this time ’round at Oxford for a Christianity and Literature class.

At the Ashmolean Museum, which houses a great collection of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian antiquities, as well as some more contemporary pieces (as in, you know, the 16th century). Linnea has always been convinced that Matt has a Roman face - this picture is just the proof she has been looking for.

Yet another visit from one of our favourite people - Hannah! Matt’s sister had made a trek out to England to meet up with one of her best friends. During her time there, she made sure to take a train out to Oxford. She and Linnea spent the afternoon visiting the Natural Science Museum and the Pitt Rivers Museum, where they saw dinosaurs and shrunken heads! They then headed over to the infamous Eagle and Child and Hannah treated the two of them to a pitcher of Limonade and Pimms… MMMMmmm…

The Colyers were also involved in Matt’s first Oxford experience - they let him live with them for the semester in a small town outside of Oxford called Charlesbury. Mr Colyer has just recently become Dr Colyer, after defending a thesis concerning Christianity and Science. They treated us to a delicious meal, and also brought along their son and daughter-in-law, who have just moved back to Oxford.

Our walk home, as many of you have heard, was long and often arduous, but provided great training for all the walking about we’ve done since! We grew to love bits and pieces of the journey, especially when they offered views like this one.

Add comment July 29th, 2007

A Little Further Down the Road

Our second day of classes is nearly at its close. We at The Vines are beginning to remember one anothers’ names, and are beginning to acknowledge the weighty fate that awaits us - each of us will be writing somewhere between 8000 - 15000 words in the next three and a half weeks. Fortunately, the sun has decided to make its re-entry into the skies above Oxford, reminding us that a beautiful city lurks just beyond our dim laptop screens, just a chin-rise from the books we’ll seemingly be endlessly pouring through day and night. (The wind has also decided to stick around for some time, it seems).

In the meantime, I (Linnea) received my much awaited camera cord from my gracious parents back home, and so here are some flashback shots to remind you (and us) of our time in London.

A blackened, old monument dedicated to a saint or someone quite as grand, reminding passerbys the depthless history of this nation’s capital.

A not so black, not so old monument to Alison Lapper in nearby Trafalgar Square, reminding passerbys that England still produces individuals capable of great things. I first learned about Ms. Lapper this past year while watching a documentary on her life. Lapper was born without limbs, and yet has successfully earned a Fine Arts degree and has established herself a career as a studio artist. She has also carried (as shown in this controversial sculpture by Marc Quinn) a child to full term and raised him in England where she still resides. Quinn’s sculpture will be replaced later this year.

A worm’s eyeview of the cables on the footbridge we crossed in order to get from one side of the Thames to the other.

Couldn’t help but include a little tribute to the homeland.

A picture of the prayer pillows in the guards’ chapel previously featured on our blog.

Little Matthew in front of big Westminster.

This one deserved to be in colour: for all of you who are expecting a postcard from London (please send me some money to cover the costs - calculate by multiplying whatever your estimation is by a multiple greater than ten…

I have always been fascinated by the graveyards around Vancouver, being that they bear the names of some of my ancestors. In Oxford, I now understand how the fascination might grow ten-fold for me. And yet, the locals seem to find these places just another pebbled place for chowing down a burger or lighting a smoke.

That’s all for now!

3 comments June 26th, 2007

Oxford at first glance

We’ve now begun to settle into our new home for the next month, located 45 minutes outside of Oxford. The walk to The Vines, as it’s called, is simply amazing: a sudden turn-off from the main road leads you down a lane lined with old cottages and red-brick walls, all over-run with green. And the smell is so fresh, especially after a rainfall (which happens, strangely enough, about as often as it does in Vancouver).

We spent our first full day here on a walking tour led by Jonathan Kirkpatrick, a student at Oxford for over 10 years. School begins bright and early on Monday.

Though small, our road, Pullens Lane, is continually dotted by students from our program, the nearby Oxford Brookes University, and an international language school.

Linnea arriving at The Vines.

A room with a view.

The full class, almost 40 strong, on our walking tour of Oxford.

Some of the more experienced punters on the Cherwell (prounounced “SHAW-well”). (Just like Magdalen College is pronounced MAUD-lin, Gloucester Green is pronounced GLAU-ster, and bus is pronounced LORRY.)

Linnea taking one last look Christ Church (which is also a college, but don’t ever call it that) before we pass out of the courtyard.

Various Oxford myths describe these heads (there are a dozen of them) as the emperors of Rome or the Grecian philosophers. The best thing about Oxford is that parts of it are so old that its origins often lie shrouded in mystery, meaning that any story that sounds good will fly.

Another Oxford myth: C.S. Lewis came out of St. Mary the Virgin (the church out of the picture, to the right) one snowy day, pondering the things he pondered, when he looked to his right and beheld a lamp-post. Straight ahead of him (in the upper left of the picture) was a faun on a door-post, and on the door he saw a lion. Thus, Narnia was born.

Another picture of the inspiration for Tumnus the Faun and Aslan, the Lion-king of Narnia. (The fauns are the golden creatures on the door posts, while the lion is the creature in the centre of the door.)

6 comments June 23rd, 2007

More London

The rest of our time in London was spent mainly in the Westminster area, which includes the parliament buildings, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace. Besides these landmarks, we also had a chance to visit Trafalgar Square and stop by Canada House (the Canadian Embassy), stroll through St. James Park, watch the guards parade around in the Wellington Barracks, and spent a moment in contemplation at both the Guard’s Chapel and St. Margaret’s Church. The church was beautiful, but Matt got a stern talking to the moment he brought out his camera, so no pictures from there…

We got a chance to sit in the House of Commons and hear some vigorous debate about the government’s 5 million pound cut in military medical aid. This is Matt outside the parliament buildings.

Union Jacks and London cabs everywhere!

Big Ben through the trees.

This Chapel was partially destroyed by a bomb during WWII and rebuilt as a memorial to both soldiers and the workers who were restoring it at the time. Linnea managed to track down some McNallys in the memorial listings on the walls. More pictures to come when we get her camera cord mailed from home.

Matt and Linnea outside Buckingham Palace being tourists.

When life gives you lemons, sell them for 30 pence apiece!

The National Gallery in Trafalgar Square.

They looked hot. Erm… temperature-wise.

Linnea poses for the Tank Girl Calendar 2007.

Built for the millenium celebrations in Britain, this gigantic structure allows tourists (for about $35 apiece) to get a birds-eye view of London.

Some more Trafalgar Square. Rawr.

Next up, the city of Dreaming Spires. Stay tuned for our stay in Oxford.

4 comments June 22nd, 2007

Our First Day

We finally made it across the pond. After nine hours in transit, we touched down at Heathrow and made our way into the city of Westminster. Strangely enough, most of London is not actually London: the name refers to a very small part of the city which is still the financial centre.

Our first evening involved mostly recovering from jet lag and a short walk along the Thames. Here are some of our pictures from our first adventure in Europe.

Mind the Gap!

Unusual or redundant?

Who knew that in the garden outside our hotel there was such prestigious pedigree?

Linnea looking sultry beside a fishy looking lampstand with Big Ben in the background.

Lots to see in London.

7 comments June 20th, 2007

European Honeymoon

Thank you to everyone who helped make our big day an incredible success. As promised, we will be posting updates about our trip to Europe on this blog. To start with, here is our itinerary for the next two months. We start tomorrow, so check back soon for pictures and updates.

London, England: June 19-22

Two days in the second most expensive city to live in. Highlights will include a night in the West End and, hopefully, a dinner with Drs. Pell at their favourite pub.

Oxford, England: June 22-July 19

After London we will be going up to Oxford (you always go up to Oxford) to begin the Oxford Summer Programme. Topics include the Oxford Fantastists (Tolkien, Lewis, Wilde and Carroll), Science and the Christian Tradition and Christianity and Literature.

Dublin, Ireland: July 13-15

Before we begin our whirlwind tour of the continent we will be spending a weekend in Temple Bar near the heart of Dublin.

Bergen & Kristiansand, Norway: July 19-22

Straight after completing the last vestiges of our respective undergraduate degrees, we will fly out to the Norwegian Fjords for a weekend of backpacking, and make our way down the west coast of Norway to prepare for our entrance into western Europe.

Odense, Denmark: July 22-23

A stopover in Hans Christian Andersen’s hometown will mark our final destination in Scandinavia.

Hamburg, Germany: July 23-24

Amsterdam, Netherlands: July 25-27

Munich, Germany: July 27-28

Vienna, Austria: July 28-30

Budapest, Hungary: July 30-August 3

Medullin, Croatia: August 3-7

Barcelona, Spain: August 7-9

Strasbourg, France & Kehl, Germany: August 9-16

Paris, France: August 16-20

Add comment June 18th, 2007