Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits

Goodbye, Hello!

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Sat, 17 Aug 2013 08:02:00 +0000

When I returned to Tonbridge after my Magical Mystery Tour, I only had 2 days before it was time to leave the country. I decided to use one day to go to London for the final time and one day to stay in Tonbridge to get everything packed and cleaned.

When I went to London I was surprised to find a new statue in Trafalgar Square--a blue rooster! I'm not really sure of the significance, but to tell you the truth, I prefer it to the golden kid on the rocking horse that used to be there.

Do you like the new statue?

Behind the cockerel, you can see the National Gallery. That's one of the places I'm going to miss. London has so many wonderful museums, and they are generally free to the public. I'll also miss the street artists in London.

Street Artist Reproducing Works from the National Gallery

Very Tall Guy with the Union Jack Painted on his Face

Very Still Bicyclist

But even more than that, I'll miss the London Theater!! It's so great to go into town any day of the week and know you can get a last minute ticket to some wonderful show. On my final visit, I saw a fabulous production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. I enjoyed reading the book a few years ago, and the play really took you into the mind of an autistic teenager. I highly recommend it!

Another thing I'm really going to miss is convenient mass transportation. I love the trains!! I can walk to the train station in about 5 minutes and know that within at least 15 minutes there will be a train to London. And once I get to London, there is a fabulous subway system, the Tube, to take me anywhere in the city. Brilliant!!

And like most Americans, I am enamored of the castles in the UK. I haven't stopped to count how many castles I have visited this year, but it's been a lot. Tonbridge Castle is less than a mile from my flat and I pass it twice a day. I had been saving it for a day when I wasn't busy, and that day never came, so I visited it on my final day in England.

Here's my local castle!

I think he made this arrow for my farewell present.

I climbed to the top of the castle and took these photos of Tonbridge:

Tonbridge also has a pretty waterway, the River Medway, running through it.

But of course what I will miss the most about living in Kent are the people. On my way to the airport I was surprised by a group of my pupils and their mums and siblings that came to see me off with singing and flag-waving.

Kids and Mums

Kids and Me

The children and staff at Stocks Green have been absolutely wonderful to me! I could not have asked for a better team in my Year 1 class than my amazing teacher's aides and student teacher. They went above and beyond to drive me to the airport and help me lug in my suitcases and wait for the plane with me, while enjoying a final cuppa tea and scones.

Julie, Jack and Yvonne at the Airport

It was hard to say "goodbye" but the time came to board my plane. The flight to San Francisco was smooth and the time flew by as I watched Hitchcock, The Big Chill and an episode of The Big Bang Theory. When I landed, I found that instead of a 2 1/2 hour layover until my flight to Sacramento, there would be a 4 1/2 hour layover. That was okay. Then after waiting the 4 1/2 hours, it was announced that our flight was cancelled, there were no other flights that day and no hotel rooms. That was not okay. I called Carl and told him what had happened, and he said he would drive to San Francisco. What a guy! It was a long day, but I finally got home at about 2 a.m. We were up for church the next morning, and it was great to see my Bethel friends again. I missed everyone while I was gone, but the hardest part was being away from my little granddaughter, Anna, as she was growing up so much in my absence. I had left 52 books wrapped up for her last August, and Levi and Erin helped her open one every week that I was gone. I got back in time to help her open the last one.

Me with Anna and Carl

I remember reading Curious George to Anna's daddy!

Daddy Levi and his Darling Daughter

Anna liked the mice I brought back from
my trip to Budapest.

Mommy Erin watching over Anna

I left a tiny baby and came home to a little
girl who is already cruising along!

And I need to be cruising along myself. There is so much to do when you've been gone for a year! School starts next week, so there's lots to prepare for my new group of students. There's loads to unpack and so much to catch up on. There's also just a lot to process after a year like this. It's been a very busy 12 months in which I've visited a dozen different countries and have had countless new experiences. Sometimes it was hard, sometimes it was amazing, and always it was a learning experience. I'm glad I did it, and I'm glad to be home. I look forward to seeing the rest of my family and friends soon. Since I've been back, many of you have told me that you've really liked reading my blog, which makes me happy, as it has been time consuming to write during a year in which time was always in short supply. Knowing that you have taken time to read it and have enjoyed it makes it all worthwhile. I intend this to be my last blog post since this is the blog of my Fulbright Year, and that year is complete. Now on to the adventure of being home. Blessings to you wherever your next adventure takes you! Thank you for traveling with me!

Inspirational Iona and a Magical Mystery Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Thu, 08 Aug 2013 10:33:00 +0000

At the end of of a very busy school year, I had time for one more trek in the UK before heading back to the US. Over the years, I have heard about the island of Iona as a spiritual retreat center and have read a number of publications by Wild Goose Publications, the Iona Community's publishing house, which focus on social justice, peace-building and engaging worship. The Iona Community seemed like my kind of people, so I decided to join them for a week. I live in the southeast of England, so it was quite a drive up to the west coast of Scotland.

I made a stop at Hadrian's Wall on the England/Scotland border...

...then along the shores of Loch Lomond...

...until I reached the lovely Scottish coast town of Oban.

I spent the night in Oban. My son, Levi, and his wife, Erin, had visited here and told me what a nice town it was, so I was happy to get to see it for myself. The next morning, I hopped on a ferry for the island of Mull. On Mull, I took a bus down a narrow road and about an hour later got another ferry on the other side of the island to take me to Iona.

View of Iona from the Ferry

Although I was pleased to have the opportunity to spend time with the Iona Community, it was a hard day to be away from home, as it was my dear granddaughter's first birthday. I love the photos I've received regularly and the few chances I've had to skype, but the biggest difficulty for me this year was missing out on so much of a year in which Anna has grown so much. I wrote a birthday wish in the Iona sand and sent it by email.

To get to the Abbey, you walk up a hill past the ruins of a Nunnery.

It was a beautiful day to arrive at Iona Abbey!

There are a number of Celtic crosses on the Island.

Over the centuries, Iona has been a place of pilgrimage where miracles have been said to have occurred. St. Columba founded a monastic community here in the year 563 and from here Christianity spread throughout Scotland. It's where the Book of Kells, which I had a chance to see when I was in Dublin earlier this year, was written and beautifully illustrated. Forty eight Scottish kings are buried in the Abbey graveyard, as well as kings from Norway and France, and other Scottish notables, such as MacBeth and some of the early MacLeod chiefs. George MacLeod, the founder of the Iona Community, describes Iona as "a thin place where only tissue paper separates the material from the spiritual." I think he was right.

The Abbey Cloisters

This is inside the Abbey Church where we had service
at 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.every day.

Joining with the Iona Community for a week meant just that, being part of a community. Each of us were assigned to a chore group, the "Otters" who helped with breakfast preparation, the "Puffins" which helped with lunch, or the "Seals" which assisted with dinner. We also had cleaning assignments. I was a Puffin, and helped set up, serve, and clean up at lunch time. I also mopped all the shower rooms each day following the morning worship service. We also had the opportunity to assist with worship. I joined the choir and had the chance to learn some new songs, some in languages I didn't even understand, but Jan, our lively choir director, somehow made us sound really good.

Special trips were offered during the week. Many of us went on the boat trip to Staffa Island.

We passed by some lazy seals on our way to Staffa.

Staffa Island

I took the hike on the rock formations to Fingal's Cave. When Felix Mendelssohn visited the cave he was inspired by the sounds made by the waves to write the Hebrides Overture. John Keats also visited Fingal's cave and wrote of it:

Not Aladdin magian/Ever such a work began, Not the wizard of the Dee, Ever such a dream could see; Not St John, in Patmos Isle,
In the passion of his toil, When he saw the churches seven, Golden Aisl'd, built up in heaven, Gazed at such a rugged wonder. --John Keats

Fingal's Cave

Inside Fingal's Cave

Okay, the cave was pretty cool, but for me, the best part of the Staffa was the puffins! One of our group from Iona, Alex, had been here before and led us out along the cliffs to a place on the other side of the island where we could see the puffins swimming in the water below. She assured us that if we waited, they would fly up to us. After a little while, this puffin flew up and landed right by us.

The Most Photographed Puffin

We were all so excited to see this little fellow! Alex assured us that there would be many more to follow, but I didn't know how she would know the mind of the puffins, so I took lots of photos of the first one. But Alex was right! Soon another puffin joined us!

Now we had Two!

They just kept coming and coming!!!

Soon, the cliffs were covered with puffins!!
They are so cute!!!

I could have watched the puffins forever, but there was only one boat off the island a day, so it was time to leave them behind. In about another week, the puffins would also be leaving the island as they continued on their migratory path. On our way back to Iona we saw lots of dolphins leaping out of Iona Bay, but I was never quick enough to catch one on camera.

One of the nights we were invited to a Scottish ceilidh. A ceilidh is kind of like a barn dance, with the sharing of musical talents, poetry, and stories. The Scots knew all the dances well, and with some direction, even I, as danced impaired as I am, could not refuse the invitation to join in. Most of dances were done in group or lines and were fairly easy to follow.

It was hard to catch the dancing in a photo.
I should have taken a video!

One day, I had the chance to join in a walking pilgrimage of the island. We met at St. Martin's Cross and continued to different places around the island, stopping for devotions at each one.

St. Martin's Cross

The Street of the Dead
This is the ancient road from the Abbey to the graveyard
that many Scottish kings and others were carried along on their way to burial.

This rock was also a traveler to Iona, being tossed over from
Mull is some geological upheaval.

The Crossroads
There are only 2 real roads on Iona, so this is the only crossroads on the island.

The Machair, which is a lovely grassy place, used as a golf course.

More pilgrims arriving at the Machair, where we met to have
flapjacks and tea. Here, flapjacks are a kind of oatcake, not
at all like American flapjacks.

The Bay at the Back of the Ocean
If you travel west from here, the next thing you come to is America.

One rainy morning I decided to take a guided tour of the Abbey, which was interesting. At each stop we heard readings from the writings of St. Columba, founder of the abbey.

Some of the tombstones in the Abbey Museum

Can you see where ferns are growing out of the abbey wall?
It's so damp, that they just grow right through!

When the abbey was restored, graves of monks were found beneath the floor.
On each monk, stones were placed representing the numbers of years they had lived with the community.
These stones are now set into the floor above the graves.

Inside the Shrine of St. Columba

The Abbey Cloisters

The rain cleared up by the end of the abbey tour, so I did a little wandering around the island.

Peeking through a Window at the Nunnery

Me at the Nunnery

A Sandcastle at Martyr's Bay, where the monks went out to greet
what they believed were friendly visitors in 806 AD, but the visitors
were Vikings who killed 68 monks and took treasure from the Abbey.

Sheep Lying down in Green Pastures

Heather-covered Hills

Beach at the North End of the Island

I really love to learn new skills, so I was excited to sign up for the labyrinth building workshop. This also happened on a rainy day, so we had to make our labyrinth on the floor of the MacLeod Center dining room. First, we learned a bit about labyrinths, then learned how to draw them (much easier than I thought it might be!) and finally drew one in chalk on the floor and decorated it with seashells. We each were invited to walk the labyrinth before we had to clear the floor and replace the tables for lunch.

All in all, a week with the Iona Community was just what I needed to reflect on this past year and plan for the transition back to my life in America. I hope I can take some of the peace of this place along with me!

Next, off on a Magical Mystery Tour!!

After a wonderful week on Iona, which is off the west coast of Scotland, I had 5 days to get back to my home in Tonbridge, which is in the southeast of England. I knew I wanted to see more of the UK, but I wasn't really sure what route to take and where I should go. My friend Catherine, always full of good ideas, had one of her all-time greatest. I would go on a "Magical Mystery Tour!" Every day she would email me a postcode (which are much more specific than US zipcodes and only apply to a few buildings each) and I would put the postcode into my GPS and drive to the mystery location. She would make all my reservations and do all the planning, all I had to do was drive and enjoy. This was perfect, as I had my fill of planning doing the involved UK lessons plans this year. Brilliant!

The first postcode was TD15 2SH, and it came with the cryptic message "you can only get there between 14:35 and 23:20". What kind of place is only open between 2:35 and 11:20 p.m.? Very strange! Along the way I passed a hairy coo, (a highland cow) that looked familiar, so I made a quick U-turn. It was my old friend, Hamish!

Hamish

I had visited Hamish 2 years ago when I was in Scotland the last time! I didn't realize that I was in the same area, as I really didn't know where I was, I was just following my GPS to my mystery location. It was fun to see my old friend. Not long after seeing Hamish, I saw something else familiar, signs to Castle Doune where I also visited 2 years ago. I couldn't pass up a quick return visit, so I took a slight detour off my course. Castle Doune was used in several scenes in Monty Python's Holy Grail. Of course I had to gallop around clicking my coconut shells once again. This is the place where the French taunt King Arthur and also where Sir Galahad was in great peril from Zoot at Castle Anthrax.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjio-F47IfM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V7zbWNznbs

After about 4 hours of driving, it became clear to me that the reason for the odd time frame for my destination was that it was on an island that was only accessible when it was low tide. How cool! My postcode took me across the causeway to Lindisfarne, on Holy Island. Catherine had no idea how perfect this was! I was traveling in the footsteps of St. Aidan, who was sent by King Oswald in 634 from the monastery on Iona (where I had been that very morning) to Lindisfarne where he established a monastery to revive Christianity in Northumbria. Aidan was very successful in doing this, and a thriving Christian community was born. In the early 700s, the famous Lindisfarne Gospels, a beautifully illustrated Latin copy of the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John was produced here. I wished I could see the original copy, but it now resides in the British Library in London, to the annoyance of some Northumbrians. The castle at Lindisfarne is striking on its hilltop perch.

Lindisfarne Castle

I explored the castle for a while, then headed to the next postcode, TD15 1HJ, where I found my hostel bed for the night in a lovely seaside town, Berwick upon Tweed. In the morning I returned to Lindisfarne to explore Lindisfarne Priory.

In the courtyard is a lovely statue of St. Aiden who traveled here from Iona, just like I did. Although St. Aidan is an important figure in Lindisfarne, an even more well known saint, Saint Cuthbert, also lived here and served as bishop from 684-686. He was buried here, but his relics were carried by the monks who fled the island in 875. His coffin was moved several times over the years, but now it rests in the Cathedral in Durham.

This sculpture shows the Lindisfarne community carrying
the remains of St. Cuthbert as they journeyed to a new home.

The next postcode was NE69 7DF. This took me to the lovely village of Bamburgh, in the shadow of Bamburgh Castle. I ate lunch there, a delicious chowder of local seafood, and hit the road again.

Bamburgh Castle

NE66 1NQ took me to Alnwick. There was an international Music Festival going on there, so I stopped to listen.

But the music festival was not why Catherine had sent me here, she sent me to see Alnwick Castle. You may have seen it, too, if you've seen a little movie called Harry Potter.

Alnwick Castle

This is the castle where the Quidditch scenes were filmed, and there were kids with broomsticks all over the place!

Look closely and you might see a few Quidditch player on their broomsticks.

I don't seem to have a knack for Quidditch, but being
at Alnwick Castle did make me feel like a princess.

The day was not over yet, however, one more postcode to go, DH1 4PS. It was a good thing I was in my princess mode, because my accommodation for the night was Durham Castle!! The castle is part of Durham University, and they have dorm-style rooms for guests. Very cool!

Castle Entrance

Durham Castle, built in the 11th Century
My room was in the tower on the right and had a great view into the courtyard.

In the morning, I had breakfast here in the Great Hall.

After breakfast, I took a tour of the castle guided by one of the students, which was really interesting. Unfortunately, photos were not allowed. Durham Castle, along with Durham Cathedral is a World Heritage Site.

Inside Durham Cathedral

Durham Cathedral

Astronomical Clock

Those who committed great offenses could use
this Sanctuary Knocker and get 37 days of
sanctuary during which to make amends.

The cloisters of Durham Cathedral were one of the locations used
in the Harry Potter films, along with the chapter house.

There was one more treat in store for me here in Durham. Not only did St. Cuthbert's remains make the journey from Lindisfarne to Durham, so did the Lindisfarne Gospels!! They were on a rare display here for 3 months, on loan from the British Library, so I was able see them after all!

The next day's postcode was YO30 5XZ, which took me to York. York Minster is amazing!

York Minster

Newlyweds Taking a Ride

York Minster Interior

Screen of English Kings

Amazing Stained Glass Windows

Astronomical Clock

Not sure what it is, but I like it!

Thinking of becoming a Bishop

Constantine

Another View of York Minster

The Shambles, a Cute Shopping District in York

I'm going to keep my next postcode a secret, as it took me to Catherine's house in Leeds and I'm afraid you will all show up on her doorstep asking her to plan a Magical Mystery Tour for you!

Catherine, the brains behind my Magical Mystery Tour!

Catherine gave me a nice tour of Leeds, which is really a great city, but it was dark so I didn't take photos as my camera is worthless in the dark. By the way, aren't those cool painting behind Catherine? She's into architecture and has commissioned this artist to do several painting of her some of her favorite buildings. So fun and colorful!

In the morning, Catherine gave me a new postcode and I was off. I was so excited to arrive at my destination and find it was Liverpool!! Believe it or not, there was a bus tour of Beatles sights called the "Magical Mystery Tour"! Well, that was for me! I got my ♫ ticket to ride ♫ jumped on the bus and texted Catherine to tell her of my Magical Mystery Tour within a Magical Mystery Tour. She replied, "Double the Magic, Double the Mystery!" which sounded too good to be true!

The Magical Mystery Tour Bus

♫ "There beneath the blue suburban skies.." ♫

♫ "Behind the shelter in the middle of a roundabout...." ♫

George Harrison grew up here.

Mendips, where John Lennon Grew Up

2o Forthlin Road, childhood home of Paul McCartney

Ringo Starr lived here when he was a kid.

Okay, Liverpool isn't ALL about the Beatles. For instance, they have....

...the Three Graces...

...the mythical Liver Birds...

...Albert Dock...

....the Tate Museum...

...Chagall...

...Miro...

...Matisse...

...Picasso...

...the Museum of Slavery...

...Chinatown...

...Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, aka "Paddy's Wigwam"...

... the Ferry 'Cross the Mersey...

...Liverpool Cathedral, largest in the UK and
5th largest in the word...

... and let us not forget the Super Lamb Bananas!

What a great city!! My day wasn't over, however, one more postcode to get to my bed, SK17 0SU. I have to admit there were moments when I thought I had programmed something incorrectly into my GPS as I drove in the dark through very small, twisty country roads through the Peaks District seeming just getting deeper and deeper into the wooded hills. I was very relieved to come to a hostel sign, so I knew I was on the right track. In the morning I found that by daylight I was in a beautiful place!

Gradbach Mill Hostel used to be a flax mill years ago.

There were lots of nice hiking trails near the hostel.

The Pretty Peak District

The next postcode was SK12 2NR and came with the hint that it was a National Trust property and sounded kind of fruity. I had no clue what in the world that could mean, but I discovered it meant I was going to Lyme Park. You've seen it if you watched the BBC series Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth a few years back, as it was used as Mr. Darcy's home, Pemberley.

Lyme Hall

Why look! It's Mr. Darcy!

If you'd like to see Colin Firth and a little more of Lyme Park, click here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hasKmDr1yrA

Could this be the lady of the house?

Dressing up makes everything more fun!!

I had so much fun touring this grand estate in my lovely attire! It made me feel right at home! But I still had 2 postcodes for the day, so no time to linger. The next code was DE45 1PP and also came with the clue that it was used as the same property in the film version. I found out soon enough that it was Chatsworth, which served as Pemberley in the Pride and Prejudice movie that starred Kiera Knightley. Chatsworth, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, and is a huge estate with 105 acres of gardens, including a sculpture park and a maze.

You never know when Henry VIII will show up!

It's Mr. Darcy again!

If this link works, you can see Chatsworth in the movie version of P&P.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZqOhS2M-DU

I thoroughly enjoyed my Pride and Prejudice themed day. The final postcode took me to my bed for the night at CB2 3BU. Another excellent choice! All my hard work and study this year paid off and I made it to Cambridge! I had visited Oxford (which is referred to here as "the other place") earlier in the year, so it was only right that I should see the Cambridge before heading home. I spent the night in a Christ College dorm room.

My Dorm at Cambridge

Christ College

Cambridge Market

Inside King's College Chapel

King's College

Queens' College

Cloisters at Queens' College

Here in Cambridge, students' exam scores are posted for all to see.

After visiting some of the colleges here in Cambridge, I decided to see "The Backs" (the back view of the colleges) by punting down the river Cam.

We went under the Mathematical Bridge.

There were loads of punts on the river!

Punting is an excellent way to see "The Backs".

I ended my day at Cambridge with a visit to the Fitzwilliam Museum. Here's a couple of highlights.

Monet

Renoir

I knew the postcode to take me to my final destination, TN9 2LJ, that led me right to my flat in Tonbridge.

The Door to my Flat

Thanks to all the planning done by my Magical Mystery Tour Director, Catherine, I had a brilliant final trip around the UK! There was plenty of magic and loads of mystery; it's a trip I will never forget.

Think Global; Weekend Local

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Sun, 21 Jul 2013 21:15:00 +0000

Ightham Mote

Most of this weekend has been spent cleaning and packing. The only way to determine if I need to ship things home is to pack everything I own here into my 2 suitcases and weigh them to see if they are each under 50 pounds. It's a little tricky, since I'll be using things for a few more weeks, but since I'll be gone most of that time, I needed to get cracking. So this weekend, I decided to stay local.

The weekend did get off to a good start, however, with a Stocks Green Staff party with an ABBA sing-a-long at a curry place on Friday night. Brilliant combination! I do have photos, but I know that some of the school parents read my blog and I'd rather not lose my job with only 3 days left to teach. Suffice it to say, a good time was had by all.

A very good time.

I decided that if I met my packing goals over the weekend, I would visit a couple local places that I've been wanting to see, Ightham Mote and Knole. Both are National Trust Properties. The National Trust is a wonderful agency that protects historic homes, castles, gardens, pubs and even entire villages! I have definitely got my money's worth from my National Trust membership this year!

When I got my first suitcase packed, I headed off to Ightham Mote.

I'm a big fan of anything with a moat around it!

Ightham Mote is a 14th century moated manor house. It comes complete with a Great Hall, a crypt and a couple of knights in shining armour. (I'm so torn if I should spell that the British way or the American way..... well, it's their armour, so we'll go with the Brits.)

What do you think, "armor" or "armour"?

Can you believe that beautiful building is a horse stable?

I really liked the gardens!

I wish my blog had "smell-o-vision", Sweet Peas and Lavender,
it doesn't get much better that that!

The Courtyard

Thank you National Trust, for letting the public visit places like this!

Okay, I didn't exactly get the second suitcase packed, but I made good progress and did all the laundry and hung it out to dry, so that's worth something, right? So it was off to Knole. Knole was built as a palace for the Archbishops of Canterbury. Not a bad parsonage! Archbishop Tomas Bourchier liked to hunt deer, so in 1456, Knole became a deer park. There are still 400 descendents of those 15th century deer at Knole! In 1538 Knole was given to King Henry VIII (he always seemed to get what he wanted!) and it eventually ended up belonging to the Sackville family who have lived here for 400 years and still occupy part of the house. It's a "calendar house" with 365 rooms, 52 staircases, 12 entrances and 7 courtyards.

Descendants of the Original Knole Deer!

Knole

This guy really got around! It seems Henry VIII
has something to do with almost everyplace I visit!

This looks a lot like one of the rooms in my flat.

Clocktower: I think I read it came from Denmark.

Knole Courtyard

As I was leaving Knole, I noticed some fellows in white up on the top of a nearby hill. I had a sneaking suspicion that they might be playing this game that I still cannot figure out! I went to investigate, and indeed they were. No time to stick around and learn the rules of cricket, I had a shower back home to clean!

Today also marked my last day to attend church at St. John's in Hildenborough. My plan was to visit different churches during the year and not really get attached to one in particular, but I've really enjoyed St. John's so that plan went out the window. Unfortunately, I was out of town last weekend for the vicar's last Sunday before retirement, but I did get to say goodbye to him when he came to do an assembly at my school. I got one last photo with the Hamlyn family who have been so wonderful to me and took me into their home when I needed to move out of my first UK home.

With the Hamlyns: Sal and Richard and their sons, Josh and Isaac

My church home for the past year, St. John's Church in Hildenborough

So I did manage to squeeze in some good times this weekend.

I'd tell you more, but my floor isn't gong to mop itself!

Beautiful Bruges

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 21:55:00 +0000

I had a chance for one last weekend get-a-way, and after seeing photos posted by a fellow Fulbrighter, I decided Bruges was the place to go. On Friday night, my friend and travel partner, Catherine, met me at the train station in London, and off we went through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar train took us to Brussels, then we hopped on a Belgian train to Bruges. On Saturday we set off to explore the city. From our hotel it was just a few moments walk to these pretty sites:

This colorful square is in the heart of the city.

The Belfry

The Stadhuis (Town Hall)

The canals in Bruges are lovely, so one of our first missions of the weekend was to take a canal boat ride.

Here are some shots from the canal boat ride.

I love the reflections in the canal!

Fidel, the most famous dog in Bruges.
You may have seen him in the movie, In Bruges.

I'm still not sure what to call the stair-step facades of the buildings, but I love them!

Now, in case you haven't figured this out, Catherine is the brains behind our travels. I have enough of planning during the school week, so I'm just happy to traipse along wherever, but she's armed with maps and guidebooks and travel apps on her phone. I highly suggest traveling with someone like this! Her guide book mentioned the Basilica of the Holy Blood. At certain times of the day, a vial containing a cloth with the blood of Christ is taken out to be venerated by those who wish to do so. Legend has it that this blood-soaked cloth was collected by Joseph of Arimathea when Jesus' body was being prepared for burial. The cloth was then brought to Bruges during the Crusades. We just happened to get to the church 5 minutes before the vial was brought out for public view, so I had a chance to venerate as well as a Lutheran girl can manage. Who knows, maybe it really is the blood of Christ; I wouldn't want to miss my chance just in case!

Basilica of the Holy Blood

Disclaimer: Photos were not allowed in the Basilica,
so I got this image of the vial off the internet.

Veneration can build up an appetite! When in Belgium, the right thing to do is to have waffles, so we stopped at a sidewalk cafe to partake.

I am trying to show off my waffle, but it's hard to see in this shot.
Trust me, it was tasty!

We had admired the Stadhuis on the square from the outside, but according to Catherine's book the interior was "jaw dropping," so we didn't want to miss that! We had to wait for 3 weddings to take place, but when we got our chance to enter, it really was incredible. The Gothic Hall is absolutely covered with gilded paintings of scenes from the history of the city.

The Gothic Hall

After picking our jaws up off the floor, we headed to another part of town to take a look at some of the famous Belgian lace being made. I've seen the process of lace tatting before, but I'd never seen the technique that they use here, which involves lots of bobbins that the women briskly manipulate around little pins to create with threads a copy of the pattern they have beneath their work. I'm kind of a crafty girl, but I can't even imagine the patience and eye-strain it would take to do this intricate work!

Lace Maker at Work

Right next door to the lace makers is the entrance to a chapel in the Jeruzalemkerk, which is a privately owned church patterned after the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. I really didn't see the resemblance, but I did like the cool skull motif above the altar.

Detail of the Skull Altar

A stroll along the canal took us by 4 windmills. I climbed up one of them, which wasn't all that high but was really steep and rather scary.

The windmill that I climbed.

Inner Workings of the Windmill

View of another windmill from the window
of the windmill that I climbed.

The Steep Climb Down

Another Windmill

If your name isn't Kim, skip this next photo. It's a personal shout-out to the friend who introduced me to Catherine. (If it's too small to read, the name on the bottle is Kimberly. Although you weren't able to be with us this month as planned, we were still thinking of you.)

Thanks, Kim!

Okay, the rest of you can come back now.

We love Bruges!

Bruges is as stunning at night as it is during the day. Here's a shot of the Belfry lit up in the evening. Catherine had the crazy idea that we should climb the 366 steps to the top in the morning.

Lovely, and Very Tall, Belfry

So, first thing the next morning we started the long climb to the top. Luckily there were periodic landings with information to read about the tower where I could pretend I was really interested in the history of the building and not just catching my breath before the next set of stairs. I liked the fact that at each landing it indicated how many stairs you had climbed and how many there were left to go; it gave me hope. We were rewarded with a fabulous view of the city when we reached the top! I was really glad I made the climb!

View from Part-way up the Belfry

View from the Top

Another View from the Top

Rooftops of Bruges

Another perk of climbing the Belfry was that we happened to be there when the bells of the carillon were being played! Charming!

Some of the Bells of the Carillon

This is the best photo I could get through a small window
along the winding staircase of the man playing
the bells of the carillon.

After surviving the climb up and down the tower, we decided to dedicate the remainder of our time in Bruges to some of the foods for which Belgium is most well-known. We started off with a tour through Choco-Story, Bruges' museum of chocolate. After learning all about the history of chocolate, we ended up in the demonstration room where we learned how they make this delicious treat. And of course, we enjoyed a few samples!

The Chocolatier

One of the teachers at my school had mentioned to me that Bruges was famous for it's fries. It wouldn't be right to leave out the Frietmuseum, dedicated to the history of French Fries!

I was skeptical, but the fries really were the best I've ever tasted.
Well, not these giant ones, but the smaller version was fantastic!

It was time to leave Bruges, so we walked back to our hotel through the square for the last time.

The train to Brussels only took about an hour, so we had a little time there before we had to catch the Eurostar. Now this will come as a shock to my husband, who has tried for over 26 years to find a beer that I like, (whenever he offers me sips of one he thinks is wonderful, I give it a try and reply "it tastes like beer") but as you know, it's not only lace, waffles, chocolate and fries that put Belgium on the map. A few times during our trip, Catherine had offered me a sip of beer, and I had the same reaction as always, until she had this pretty red beverage with pink foam called Kriek. I was still skeptical, but gave it a try. It was actually tasty! Cherry beer, who knew! For the first time in my life I actually ordered a beer for myself. This year has indeed been a learning experience!

Cheers!

Surprise!

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 23:51:00 +0000

I thought I was headed to a regular weekly staff meeting after school today, but when I got to the music room, I found that in addition to our staff, the parents of my class were there. Hmm... that's strange. Then all the kids from my class came filing in. Okay, something is up, this is far more interesting than the usual meetings. A video appeared on the screen, showing all the children in my class and some of the highlights of our year, set to John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane". When the still shots are complete, the video continued with my class performing "So Long, Farewell" which was so adorable!! Some of the parents were in cahoots with my student teacher and teachers aides and spent the 3 days I was in Belfast having the kids make the video and some other special gifts. No wonder none of the work I had left for them to do was completed when I got back! I thought my usually wonderful student teacher had just slacked off for a few days!

As if this was not enough, I was then given an invitation to a farewell tea party, beginning that very moment out on the playground! The area was festooned with the Union Jack and set up with tables full of goodies; sandwiches, pizza, strawberries, all kinds of snacks, Pimms and these adorable Pete the Cat cupcakes.

Our class loves Pete the Cat!

After enjoying all the special treats, I got to open the wonderful parting gifts!

A Bunting with each Child's Handprint!

A Book of Highlights from our Year!

Must be Pretty Funny!

There you are, kiddos!

Did you all know about this?

There was also a fabulous "word cloud" of phrases the parents associated with me, which was really cool!

One of the mums made this adorable Winnie the Pooh cake!

Winnie the Pooh holds a special place in my heart, and the
mums had remembered me mentioning this.
Have you ever seen anything so cute?

I wish you could read the words, but it's a story called Ms. Tuisku the Teacher
in the style of the Pete the Cat book. So clever!!

I am still in shock and awe over all the work that was done to pull off this wonderful surprise!
It was an afternoon I will never forget! I am so blessed to have spent my UK year with such awesome kids, staff and parents! At the end of the party, one of the mastermind mums asked me if I liked surprises. Well, I liked this one!!

Lovely London!

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 21:18:00 +0000

It's really starting to hit me that my year living near London is coming to an end. There are still so many things I want to see and do here! One place I've been wanting to visit is Greenwich, which I finally got to a week ago. My first stop in Greenwich was the British clipper ship, the Cutty Sark.

The Cutty Sark was built for the tea trade and took part in
races from China to London.

Me on the Cutty Sark

The Hull of the Cutty Sark

One of the most well known places in Greenwich is the Prime Meridian so I had to check that out!

Here I am at 0° Longitude.

The Prime Meridian

This is a really cool sundial;
the time is found where the shadow of the dolphin tails meet.

Another place that I've been wanting to visit is Kew Gardens, so I took the tube across town and was there in a jiffy.

Kew Gardens

Right now there is a special exhibit at Kew about incrEDIBLES.
Here is a tabletop display of edible plants.

Japanese Gardens

Pagoda

In the Palm House

It's hard to believe I've been in the UK for almost a year and this past Saturday was my first visit to Kensington Palace.

Palace Gates

Queen Victoria Statue

Gardens at Kensington

Diana Memorial Playground

Diana Memorial Fountain
This is a loop of varying depths for kids
(and others, including me)
to wade in.

Isis Statue

Peter Pan Statue

I spent so much time in the gardens at Kensington, I had to go pretty quickly through the palace. There were lots of displays about monarchs who had called Kensington home, including Queen Victoria, William and Mary and Queen Anne. One display I found particularly poignant is called "Queen Anne's 18 Little Hopes" Queen Anne had 18 babies, but only 1 lived past infancy, and he died at the age of 11 from exhaustion brought on by dancing at his own birthday party.

Chairs representing Queen Anne's 18 Little Hopes

Of course in our time, the palace is most strongly associated Princess Diana. Some of her dresses are on display at Kensington.

Diana's Dresses

I couldn't spend too much time at Kensington, because I had tickets to the West End production of Mamma Mia. Personally, the theatre is my very favorite thing about London. The show was really entertaining!

Momma Mia!

The final thing I wanted to accomplish that day was to ride the London Eye.

View of the London Eye.....

... and view from the London Eye.

Last night I zipped back into town after school for one more theatre production, The Cripple of Inishmaan, starring Daniel Radcliffe. I have to say, Mr. Radcliffe has come a long way since that wizard movie. It has been absolutely great being a short train ride away from the wonderful plays in London!

The Cripple of Inishmaan

Sports Day and Fourth of July

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Sat, 06 Jul 2013 08:35:00 +0000

This was a pretty exciting week at Stocks Green Primary School. On Tuesday we had "Sports Day," which meant the entire afternoon was spent outdoors with the children competing in various races. Lots of parents came to watch the events.

Some of my Speedy Year 1 Kids!

Look at that Concentration!!

They are almost flying!!

And We have a Winner!!

All classes participated in running races, then each class had a specialty race. Ours was a sack race.

High Hoppers!

In England, the children are divided into "houses," just like in the Harry Potter books. The houses at my school are King, Jenner, Nightingale and Frank, all named for famous people we should emulate. Children earn house points for good behaviour and each week the points are tallied and announced on Friday at our celebration assembly. The house that earns the most points each term is given the right to wear their own clothes to school one at the end of term. It's a big deal, and you can get kids to do almost anything if they think they might earn a point for it. On sports day, the children wore shirts in the color of their house and ran and hopped for the glory of their team.

See the house posters at the end of the lanes?

Nightingale House had the most wins overall, so here they are taking a victory lap led by their house captain.

The next fun event this week was American Independence Day. For obvious reasons, this holiday isn't normally celebrated here in Britain, but it was the first time I have ever taught in July, so I thought I'd take advantage of it and share a bit of American culture. On the morning of the Fourth, I brought American candies wrapped in flag wrappers and American flag earrings to leave for all the staff in the staff room, surrounded by a display of American flags. I was feeling pretty satisfied when I left my offerings on the staff room table and headed to my classroom. When I got there, I was shocked and pleased when I saw....

...my classroom door...

...and inside my classroom!!

In this very American environment, we spent the morning brainstorming and writing everything we knew about America, which included facts like they have a Golden Gate Bridge, Disneyland is there, they have lots of states including New York and California, they have wooden houses, Pete the Cat lives there, cactus grows there, lots of comments about the heat (I guess I've said that a lot recently when the kids tell me they are "boiling" when it's about 62 degrees out), they have geysers, they have tornados (I have one student who LOVES tornados and tells me frequently that one is heading our way--he can outrun it but I should find a steel room with an iron door to hide in), they have really big mountains, Ms. Tuisku comes from there and Scooby Doo was created in America. Obviously, I have hit the high points this year.

Not only was my classroom all decked out for the holiday, but one of the wonderful mums in my class made each class member a cupcake decorated with the American flag. Not only were they beautiful, but delicious as well!

Here we are with our flag cupcakes!!

With all these flags everywhere, we had to learn the song, "You're a Grand Old Flag" and we went to each class in the school to serenade them and give each pupil a little American flag. After that, we returned to our classroom for some fireworks. I learned this little trick at Holden Village, where I have celebrated the past 2 Fourth of Julys. We watched a fireworks slideshow and popped bubble wrap as sound effects every time a new burst came on the screen, as we all went "ooohhhh....... aaahhhhhh" in admiration. It was almost like home.

Year 1 Fireworks

Field Trip Fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 00:06:00 +0000

Just like in the US, field trip days in the UK are greatly anticipated and lots of fun. At home, our field trips include the pumpkin patch and the nature center. Here, both of our trips this year were to the gardens of stately homes. Our trip this week was to Groombridge Place, and our mission was to study and sketch sculptures as inspiration for our design technology unit where the kids plan and build their own sculpture. I tried to choose photos in which the kids' faces were either too small to be recognizable or where they aren't photographed from the front. I hope I did okay!

My Year 1 Class
including Student Teacher, Mr. Vaughn
and TAs, Mrs. Hissy and Mrs. Twort

Searching for Inspiration

Lots of fun Sculptures to Look At!

Kids Hard at Work Sketching

We liked the giant chess set!

More Sketching

It wasn't all work, however. We had a great time exploring Crusoe's World!

At the Raptor Center, we had a chance to see birds of prey in action, swooping right over our heads, almost knocking our hats off!

Raptor Show

Busily Sketching Raptors

Admiring the Peacock

Singing and dancing to the Crawdad Song

Another really fun part of Groombridge Place is the Enchanted Forest. You never know what you might see there!

Hey, look up there, it's a giant spider web!

Listening to "Where the Wild Things Are"
beside the Gypsy Caravan

I just loved the Zedonk!
It really is half donkey and half zebra!
Don't you love his striped socks?

We surely have to sketch this creature!

Sing-a-long in a Boat

It was a fabulous field trip: the kids had fun and were well behaved, the parents were helpful and best of all, I got to see a Zedonk! Doesn't get much better than this!

Brilliant Belfast

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 16:50:00 +0000

Belfast's Leaning Clocktower

All the US Fulbright exchange teachers in the UK were given the opportunity to come together one last time for an "endcap" meeting in Belfast. I've never been to Northern Ireland before, so I was really excited to see the area and connect with my Fulbright friends. We all had an opportunity to share what we have experienced this year and to prepare for the transition back to our lives in the US. We were also given a bus tour of Belfast.

The Big Fish is located at the confluence of the
River Farset and the River Lagan

Thanksgiving Sculpture by the River

I'm not really sure what this bit of public
art is all about.

The Speaker celebrates the tradition of public
speaking at the Custom House Square

Fulbrighters at the Peace Wall that separates Catholic and Protestant Belfasat

Adding my message to the Peace Wall

Fulbright also treated us to a tour of the Titanic Museum

At our Endcap meeting, all the Fulbrighters gave presentations about their year. It was so interesting to see what we had all accomplished! Almost everyone else presented their year in lovely powerpoint form, but since I'm clueless about this technology, I presented my year in song.

Ballad of a Fulbright Year (Tune: It's a Small, Small World)

It was a year of wonders, a year of tears, it fulfilled all my hopes and confirmed all my fears,
I just wasn't aware I'd spend most of the year,
Writing lesson plans.

Chorus:
Always writing lesson plans, never-ending lesson plans,
Detailed, leveled lesson plans,
For small, small kids

The National Curriculum is really intense, none of the acronyms make any sense,
But persevere, I did, because I really loved the kids,
For whom I was writing lesson plans.

The shadow of OFSTED loomed over all, we were scheduled for the summer but prepared for it since fall.
Assessment here is crazy, it isn't for the lazy,
And it informs our lesson plans.

I taught my class about Thanksgiving, for every lesson learned we'd find a song to sing,
About Washington and Lincoln and Martin Luther King,
It's all in my lesson plans.

I came to a decision very early on, that over holidays and weekends, I'd always be gone,
So I traveled far and wide, when I finally hit my stride,
Writing lesson plans.

Budapest, Bratislava, Turkey, Greece and Prague; Israel and Jordan (you'd know if you read my blog)
Paris and Rome, and London's close to home,
Where I write my lesson plans.

This year's been really brilliant even when I'm missing home, you can surely grow when you're outside your comfort zone,
I've learned lessons about life, I'll even be a better wife,
When I complete my lesson plans.

So I'd like to give Fulbright a big "Thank You" and to those at British Council, thanks to you, too!
To all my Fulbright friends, may your adventures never end,
Between writing lesson plans.

On our second day in Belfast, the Fulbright teachers had an opportunity to visit some of the local schools. I really enjoyed seeing other primary classes in action and the chance to talk to the teachers.

Irish and American Teachers and One Little Boy

Fulbright Class of 2012-2013

We ended our day by visiting some of the local pubs for a chance to hear some traditional music.

This band was really fun!

Fulbrighters at the Pub

Most of us were able to stay over the weekend for some additional sightseeing. We rented a couple of cars and hit the road to the rocky islands of Carrrick-a-Rede, which are connected by a rope bridge.

Rugged Carrick-a-Rede Coast

Fearless Fulbrighters!

Me on the Bridge

The Rope Bridge

Tessa wasn't sure she could make it across, but she brilliantly
faced her fears and traversed the bridge in fine style!

We all made it to the other side!

The coast of Ireland is so beautiful!!

Our next destination was the Giant's Causeway. I was so excited to see this area, as every year around St. Patrick's Day I read stories of the giants Finn McCool and Cuchulainn who are legendary here.

The shape of the rocks is amazing!

Fulbrighters reaching new heights!

I'm walking in the footsteps of giants!

In the "Wishing Seat"

Amazing formations on the Giant's Causeway

Rebecca, Jessica and Niki in the Old Lady's Shoe

Natural Columns of the Giant's Causeway

Near the Giant's Causeway we made a quick stop at the ruins of
Dunluce Castle.

Another view of Dunluce Castle

Fulbrighters are always on a quest for knowledge, so we took
a tour of the Bushmills Distillery, Ireland's oldest whiskey distillery.

It was really wonderful to connect with the amazing teachers with whom I began my Fulbright journey. We have all learned so much and have had so many incredible experiences this year.

None of us will ever forget our "Year of Yes"!

Vive la France!

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:55:00 +0000

My friend, Cindi has ancestors from France, so when she made her first trip to Europe to visit me, we decided to take the Eurostar Train to visit the country of her people. After exploring London and Kent for a few days, Cindi went ahead of me to Paris while I was teaching school. By the time I joined her on Saturday morning, Cindi was a pro at getting around the city, so we were able to dive right in to see as much as we could in a short time. We met at Musee d'Orsay. I loved their collection of Impressionist paintings, but I'm sorry to say photos were not allowed.

Looking out from behind the clock in Musee d'Orsay

Inside Musee d'Orsay

Next up was Notre Dame. I haven't been here for 26 years, so it was wonderful to be back!

Notre Dame

Dazzling Notre Dame Window

Parisian Street Performer

I have to admit I didn't really know what the Conciergerie was, but we stopped by on our way to Sainte-Chapelle and found that it was a former royal palace that became a prison during the French Revolution. It was here that Marie Antoinette was imprisoned before her execution. I'd read a novel about her, including her time here, so it was really interesting to see.

Marie Antoinette's Cell in the Conciergerie

Sainte-Chapelle

Cindi and I take a break at a sidewalk café.

We were able to get booked on the last boat to travel down the Seine that night. We began our trip in daylight, but by the time we returned to the dock, it was dark.

The Seine

Eiffel Tower

On the Boat Ride

So Pretty at Night!

The Eiffel Tower by Night!

Then they added twinkle lights!

Our main focus on Sunday was a visit to the Louvre. It's been remodeled since I was last here in 1987, so I was really looking forward to returning.

Outside the Louvre

Cindi and Winged Victory

Of course, Mona Lisa, behind her bullet-proof glass was a highlight.

I always love seeing paintings that are used in our art docent program
at Sierra Hills, so I was excited to see this Portrait of an Old Man with a Young Boy.

Venus de Milo

Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss

The Code of Hammurabi, 1772 B.C!

From the Louvre, Cindi went back to the hotel to get her suitcase. Since I was traveling light with only a daypack, I continued on through the Tuileries to the Place de la Concorde and the Arch de Triomphe which she had seen before I arrived in Paris.

The Tuileries Garden

Obelisk at the Place de le Concorde

Arc de Triomphe

Our last stop was Sacre Coeur. I took the funicular up to the highest point in Paris and took in the views from the top of Montmartre while Cindi did some last minute shopping in the lanes below. It was a treat to hear a choir of nuns inside the basilica during the Sunday worship service. The Eurostar station was only 2 metro stops away, and from there we took the 2 hour train trip back to the UK through the undersea"Chunnel" through the English Channel. I think Cindi enjoyed her first trip abroad, and I certainly enjoyed having company from home to join me on a quick trip to Paris.

Irish Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 01:51:00 +0000

Carl left this morning, it's past midnight and I've already written school reports for 10 hours today. I need to get this written tonight since I have more company coming from the US tomorrow, so I imagine this blog will be lots of pretty pictures with very few words. But who knows, I can get carried away. Let's get started.

The week before my midterm break, Carl joined me at my home in Tonbridge. While I was teaching school, he went off to Paris Disneyland, but if you want to know about that, you'll have to get him to write his own blog. When we discussed where to go for the school break, Carl said he would like an Irish Spring, so that's what we did. We focused on the southern part of the country, particularly counties Kerry, Cork and Clare. We drove to Wales and caught the ferry to Ireland at Holyhead. We ended up in Dublin, but since I'd been there for St. Patrick's Day, we drove on to Galway. First stop, the Crane Pub for some cheerful Irish music.

Sampling the Local Beverages

Musicians at the Crane Pub in Galway

We got up early the next morning to head to the Cliffs of Moher. Since I'm used to driving on the left, I did all the driving in Ireland, which gave me the freedom to jerk to the side of the road when I'd see a pretty castle and hop out to take a photo. I'd never heard of Dunguaire Castle, but when I ran over to take a photo (with the car engine still running; I really thought it would be a quick snap) I noticed a sign that said 2 things I couldn't resist: Traditional Crafts and Medieval Banquet Tonight. Needless to say, I fetched Carl from the car to make a closer inspection. While Carl was purchasing banquet tickets for later that night, I bought my mom a birthday present from a man who had been making jewelry in the same little castle room for 22 years. He said he liked it there; he could watch the swallows from the window.

Dunguaire Castle

Now I wasn't really sure why Carl was all hyped up to go see some cliffs, but I got it once we were there. The Cliffs of Moher are pretty spectacular.

Cliffs of Moher

Another one of the Cliffs

We returned to the castle for the banquet where there were 60
Swedes from a tour bus and us. There was entertainment including
storytelling and harp playing and
singing of Swedish songs; all was fun.

The next day we took a ferry out to one of the Aran Islands. When I got off the boat I was greeted by Patrick who asked me if I'd like a tour of the island by horse cart. I said I'd need to see if my husband would like to do that, and Patrick patiently waited while a couple hundred other potential customers got off the boat. I was beginning to think Carl had jumped overboard (we couldn't sit together, as we were about the last people on the ferry and there weren't seats together anywhere) but finally Carl, who had fallen asleep somehow on the bumpy ride, emerged. Much to my relief, and Patrick's too, I'm sure, Carl agreed that this was the way to see the island. As we were trotting around Inishmore Island, I asked Patrick how long he had lived there, and he replied that his family had lived on the island for over 400 years. He definitely knew his way around!

Carl, Me, Patrick and Brownie

Leprechaun House on Inishmore Island

Dun Aengus Fort

Thatched Cottage

Having a Wonderful Day in Ireland!

Aran Island Sheep

The next day we drove the Dingle Ring Road around the Dingle Peninsula. Here are a few of the sights we saw along the way.

Famine Cottages

Famine Cottage Interior

Dunbeg Fort, Built in the Iron Age

More of Dunbeg

12th Century Beehive Huts

Beautiful Seaside!

Both Carl and I like old churches, so we set off to find Kilmalkedar Church, built in the 12th century. One of the features mentioned in our Rick Steves guide to Ireland was the Ogham Stone located in the churchyard. Evidently it's a holy spot where sacred promises are made and couples touch their thumbs together through the hole in the stone to renew their marriage vows. Carl knows I'm a sucker for a good photo opp, so I went ahead and renewed!

Ogham Stone

Sealing the Deal

Klimalkedar Church
I hope Mary is praying for me if I just signed up for more years of marriage!

First this way....

We noticed a sign near Kilmalkedar Church that told about a "Monks Walk" pilgrimage path that passed nearby. In a state of newly remarried bliss, we decided to follow the monks.

....then that way....

....through the sheep pasture.....

....and back this way....

....past the mossy rocks....

....through another field.....

...and back again.

We never did find the carved rocks that were supposed to be along the Monks Walk, but we did have a fun time romping through the fields with the sheep, so it was all good.

The next day we drove around the Ring of Kerry, beginning at Killarney National Park where we toured the castle there. It was pretty nice, but being a farm girl myself, what I really enjoyed in the park was the Muckross Traditional Farm.

Killarney Castle

At Muckross Traditional Farm

Bread Baking over the Fire

Farmhouse Bedroom

Main Room in one of the Farm Houses

Farmhouse

I drove very carefully as we continued on our way, as you never know when the wee folk might be crossing the twisty roads...

...luckily, no Leprechauns were hit while I was driving.

Ring of Kerry Views

More of the Beautiful Coast along the Ring of Kerry

Cahergal Ring Fort

This Stone Ring Fort Dates from 600 AD

From the Ring Fort we could see this castle, so we decided to go investigate.

We got closer....

....and closer....

...and since no one was around, we climbed right up and made ourselves at home!

Can you find Carl in the Castle Ruins?'

Okay, we've driven the Dingle Peninsula and the Ring of Kerry, so there was just one more peninsula to go, Beara Peninsula.

Beautiful Beara Peninsula

Despite the fabulous views, I was a little tired of doing a lot of driving on the curvey roads, so when we saw a sign advertising a boat trip out to a "Garden Island," I was all for it.

The boat passed by some of the locals.

This fellow seemed very interested in the visitors.

I liked the view standing on the outside ledge on
boat as we zipped across the water.

Garinish Island

Gardens on Garinish

Carl and me on the Garden Island

After the welcome break from driving, we continued around the Beara Peninsula and ended up in Kinsale, which Rick Steves described as the "Sausalito" if Ireland. We had to agree that this was a very apt description, and felt quite almost like we were back in California. We had a lovely meal then headed to a local pub for some more traditional Irish music.

Kinsale Harbor

The next day was the day I had been waiting for and Carl had been dreading: Blarney Castle. I could hardly wait to kiss the famous stone, which Carl thought was disgusting and unsanitary.

Blarney Castle

Carl was afraid that there would be long lines of people waiting to kiss the stone, but I really wanted him to go with me to take my picture even if he didn't want to risk any deadly diseases. Since he had just promised undying love a few days ago, reluctantly, he came along to the top of the castle. It was our lucky day, and there was hardly anyone there as they closed off the entry to the Blarney Stone right after us because a film crew was setting up to do some kind of travel show. It was perfect!

Kissing the Blarney Stone!

View from the top of Blarney Castle

Gardens at Blarney Castle

Carl and Me at Blarney

Since I got to go to Blarney, Carl got to choose the next stop, the Rock of Cashel. I'd never heard of it, and it's 2:00 a.m., so I'm just going to cut and paste a bit from the tourist information site:

It's huge, it's complex, it's iconic, there is nothing like it anywhere else in the world and it's right here in Cashel at the heart of Tipperary. The Rock of Cashel (Carraig Phádraig), more formally St. Patrick's Rock, is reputedly the site of the conversion of Aenghus the King of Munster by St. Patrick in the 5th century AD. Long before the Norman invasion The Rock of Cashel was the seat of the High Kings of Munster. Most of the buildings on the current site date from the 12th and 13th centuries when the rock was gifted to the Church. The buildings represent both Hiberno-Romanseque and Germanic influences in their architecture.

So there you have it, the Rock of Cashel.

I liked the heads adorning the ceiling...

..and the carvings on the tombs.

View from the Rock of Cashel

Graveyard at the Rock of Cashel

Another night of Trad Music. Sorry, the pub lighting wasn't good for photos.

The next day was the final day of our Irish Spring. We had spent the night in Kilkenny, so in the morning, of course, we toured Kilkenny Castle.

Kilkenny Castle

Kilkenny Castle Fountain

We couldn't leave Ireland without visiting one more church, so we went to St. Canice's Cathedral. The Round Tower at St. Canice's is one of only 2 Round Towers that visitors can climb in Ireland, and is the oldest structure in Kilkenny, so of course, we had to climb up!

St. Canice's Cathedral and Round Tower

At the Top of the Tower.

It was a long, steep climb and our last night in Ireland, so it was a 2 band night.

Here's the first band from the Kyteler's Inn, one of the oldest pubs
in Ireland established in 13th century by the notorious Dame Alice deKyteler
who was accused of witchcraft and sentenced to be burned.
Luckily for Alice, she escaped execution, but her maid was not so fortunate.

The next band we saw ended up being one of the highlights of our trip. We thought we would have a quiet dinner at our hotel and make it an early night, since we had to get up at 4:30 a.m. to get to our ferry in the morning. During our meal, the waiter asked us if we would mind moving to another table so the band could set up. "What kind of band?" I asked. "Reggae" was the reply. Intriguing. So we stuck around. Well, it certainly was not reggae, but it definitely was entertaining!! When the delightful sounds of Zydeco music filled the air, I was hooked and Carl just knew there was no leaving now. I love Zydeco!! It makes me think of gators, swamps, gumbo and all things Cajun. It seemed ironically out of place, but the band members were having such a great time and were absolutely hilarious, particularly the fellow below with the washboard vest, who also played other percussion instruments and the accordion. He was a crack-up. We learned that the band members were all teachers from the UK cutting loose on their midterm holiday just like me! We all had to enjoy the end of our break before heading back to work, so we ended up staying up until 1 in the morning. One of my mottos this year has been, "I can sleep next year."

There you have it. Now it's almost 3 a.m., so I'm not going to edit this before I publish it. Yes, I know, I can sleep next year, but I am responsible for people's children in the morning, so I do need a bit of a nap before heading to work. If you managed to get through this blog, I hope you enjoyed this taste of Ireland as much as Carl and I did!
Slán!

Year 1 Class Assembly and Buddha's Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Wed, 22 May 2013 02:11:00 +0000

My "Teaching and Travel" blog has ended up being skewed toward the travel end of things, but I honestly do teach much more than travel! Today was a big day for my Year 1 Class, the day of our class assembly. Here at Stocks Green, each class has one day a year to show the rest of the school what they've been learning. For our class assembly, it just made sense to do what we do every day, sing our way through the school year. I love to sing with my Year 1 kids, and I do have a song for just about everything, so we narrowed it down to just 20 songs, including songs about some of our science topics, religious education, literacy, math and songs about some of the American holidays that we've celebrated. We also tossed in a few little ditties that we sing every day to help us transition from one activity to another, like our lunchtime, clean up and time-to-go-home songs and some refrains from our favorite books about our class mascot, Pete the Cat. Four of the children were the narrators of the story of our school year and beautifully read their parts, setting up each song in turn. As we sang, different members of the class stepped out front to share some of the art projects we've done this year to support the topics we've covered. It all went very well, and we got great reviews from the audience. We had LOTS of parents show up, which was kind of amazing since the assembly was at 9:00 in the morning. It was also pretty incredible that we actually did get the show on the road by 9:00, as school starts at ten minutes to nine. I was really proud of my class for the fine job they did at the assembly, but I think my favorite part really was after it was all over. Typically after a class assembly, the kids go back to work and the parents gather for tea and biscuits (that's cookies to you and me, if you're American) but somehow it just didn't seem right for the kids and parents not to get a chance to connect on this rare occasion that the parents are allowed in the school. So I decided to buck tradition and get them together for a bit of a hoedown. For the past few weeks, the most-requested song in my class has been the "Crawdad Song", an old camp favorite. The kids love it because it gives them a chance to get up and dance. I thought it would be nice for them to get to dance with their parents, so after the rest of the school had gone back to work and the parents were heading toward the tea, I had my kids invite their mums and dads to join us skipping around and swinging our partners as we belted out the song about the crawdads. It was fun, and just really sweet to see the parents enjoy this time with their kids. Then it was right back to work as usual. Later that day, our head teacher (principal) said to me that she wished OFSTD (the dreaded school inspectors that supposedly are supposed to descend upon us at any moment) had come while we were dancing, as that's what she'd like them to see, a school filled with spirit of fun and partnership.

And speaking of assemblies, yesterday it was my turn again to lead a Key Stage 1 assembly (90 kids, ages 4-7) on the topic of Wesak Day, which is Buddha's Birthday. That's not something I'm really an expert on (to tell you the truth, I'd never heard of it before) but we all learned a lot about Buddha, did some yoga, and of course, sang a song, a catchy little tune that has been stuck in my head for 2 days, even now at 3:00 in the morning. Once again, I'm learning more than the kids, but I think that's what this exchange is all about. Okay, time to catch a few hours of sleep before heading back to school for more fun!

P.S. Sorry no photos, but I was too busy playing the guitar at the assembly to take any. If I can get any from the parents who were at the assembly, I'll try to add some later.

Roman Roamin'

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Sun, 19 May 2013 22:02:00 +0000

A while back my friend, Catherine, asked me to list the places I wanted to travel to while I'm living here. One I mentioned was Rome, and she said Rome would be do-able over a bank holiday (that's what they call their rare 3 day weekends here) and she'd make all the plans for us to go. I know I'm not going to get a lot of sympathy when I say this, but I'm so busy traveling whenever I'm not teaching or lesson planning, that it's really hard to find time to actually plan my travels. Poor me, right?

Anyway, Catherine's goal is to visit 40 countries before she turns 40 (which she is going to do easily, as she's already visited almost 40 countries and is not so near that number in age) and she hadn't been to Italy yet, so she got right to work doing one of the things she does best, making reservations.

Catherine arrived in Rome a day ahead of me, but when I got there on Saturday morning, we headed off to Vatican City the first thing.

Me and Catherine in St. Peter's Square

We joined in the throngs of tourists and queued up for a tour of the Vatican.

The Pinecone
Don't ask me why, just google it.

Courtyard of the Pinecone

I really had no idea how vast the Vatican Museums are! I'll just show you a few of the highlights.

Giant Granite Bowl from the Home of Nero

One of the Statues in the Hall of Muses

Mars of Todi
or as I like to call him,
"Crazy Eyes"

One of the Many Maps in the Hall of Maps

Even the ceilings were amazing!

We went to the Sistine Chapel, which was super crowded and the guards kept loudly shushing people. It was beautiful, however, and a delight to stand below Michelangelo's famous artwork.

Photos were not allowed in the Sistine Chapel, so I had to
get this image off the internet.

After dealing with the crowds in the museums, we ended up inside St. Peter's Basilica. It is huge inside, and even with lots of people felt wonderfully spacious. St. Peter's is filled with almost countless pieces of art, but I was on a mission to find what I really wanted to see here, the Pieta. I'd seen a copy of it before and really loved that, so I wanted to see the real thing.

Interior of St. Peter's

The Pieta was even more beautiful that I had hoped.
That Michelangelo was pretty darn good.

One of the Swiss Guards
Now that's my kind of uniform!

As unlikely as this might seem, friends of mine from California just happened to be in Rome while I was there. Rick and Karen Neal, who are some of the wonderful parents at my school in Meadow Vista, invited Catherine and me to join them for dinner in the Jewish Ghetto. If you think Ghetto Food sounds anything but delightful, you would be wrong. We ate at a lovely place at an outdoor table so we could enjoy the sights as we sipped our wine, ate our meal, and chatted. I'm a seafood girl, and that might have been the best tuna I have ever tasted! And getting a chance to talk about what's been happening back home was a fabulous treat!

To get to the Jewish Ghetto from the Vatican, we walked across
the scenic Ponte Sant'Angelo lined with angel statues.

A Delightful Dinner with US and UK Friends!

On our way back to our hotel we walked by the Roman Colosseum
all light up for the night!

We did get a sneak peek that night, but the next day was the day we were really focused on Ancient Rome. So bright and early we got up and walked across town to one of the world's most iconic buildings and largest amphitheatre, the Roman Colosseum. It's incredible to me that this gigantic ancient site is right in the midst of modern Rome! The Colosseum was built between 70 and 80 AD, and could seat up to 50,000 spectators who gathered there to watch gladiators or other public spectacles.

Outside the Roman Colosseum, also known as
the Flavian Amphitheatre

We learned that below the level of the floor, which would have rested
on the supports you can see in this photo, was the space that the
gladiators and animals occupied before the contests began.

We also learned that the lower tier seats with the best view
were for the Emperor, Senators and Vestal Virgins.
The next tier up was reserved for nobles and knights,
the next for ordinary Roman citizens
and the top tier, furthest from the action was for slaves and women.

These two women seemed to have infiltrated the good seats!

There is a small museum within the Colosseum
walls. We thought this ancient Roman looked
a lot like Sylvester Stallone. Maybe his great, great,
great, great granddaddy?

Another view of the Colosseum

Flight Risk

"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum"

Maybe not, but I couldn't help but use that line. Those of you who have traveled with me before know I am a bit of a flight risk. I have a bad habit of wandering off to see what's around the corner and snap a few photos. Well, we entered the Colosseum with one guide and were supposed to meet a different guide upon our exit, but I didn't spot the new guide, so I went to take a few exterior shots. In the meantime, the new guide left with the group. Oops! That meant that Catherine and I were on our own at our next stop, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. We might have learned more with a guide, but it was nice to be away from the crowds and wander a bit at our own pace. (Here's where I would apologize to Catherine, but she doesn't like me to apologize, so I will refrain.)

Now I don't really understand where the Roman Forum leaves off and Palatine Hill begins (I suppose I would if I hadn't lost the tour guide) but I'll do my best to identify the photos below.

The Roman Forum

Site of the Stadium

This is where the Vestal Virgins lived near the
Temple of Vesta.

Statues of some of the Vestal Virgins
The Vestal Virgins were priestesses of the
Goddess, Vesta, and committed 30 years of their lives to her service.
They had the task of making sure the sacred fire did not go out.

Arch of Titus

Temple of Venus and Rome

Temple of Antoninus and Faustina

Temple of Castor and Pollux and Column of Phocas

Empress Wannabe?

Emperor Augustus

After leaving the Forum, there were still more places to see that day, like the Bocca della Verita, the "Mouth of Truth". No one really knows if this was part of a fountain or just an ancient manhole cover, but is is supposedly the world's first lie detector. It is believed that if you put your hand in the mouth of the sculpture and tell the truth, your hand will remain attached to your arm. If you lie, however, your hand will be bitten off at the wrist. I decided to play dangerously and said that I would rather be at a baseball game than touring Rome, the most blatant lie I could come up with at the moment. I still have two hands. I think that whoever said this man of marble can detect a lie should have a hand bitten off. Maybe both.

Telling a Lie to the Bocca della Verita.

Here's a street performer holding up a meditating man
with one hand. No, I don't mean the meditator lost his
hand in a manhole cover, I mean he is being held up
on a pole with one hand. No, the pole doesn't have one hand!
You know what I mean!
It's getting late.

So next we went off in search of the Trevi Fountain. I'd heard of the fountain before, most likely from a movie or a book, but I really had no idea what was in store. It was nothing like I imagined!!! I pictured your basic roundish fountain in the middle of a plaza or something, but oh no, this is much, much more! This is 86 feet high and 161 feet wide and dominates the Piazza de Trevi. It's humongous, people. And not only is it huge, it's amazingly beautiful!

Beautiful Trevi Fountain

Me and Catherine at Trevi Fountain

I'm tossing a coin in the fountain to assure my return. This photo was taken at the same time as the other photos, but Catherine's camera that has a better flash.

From Trevi Fountain we headed to another of Rome's most celebrated locations, the Spanish Steps. Like Trevi Fountain, they were swarming with people, but we found a spot to stop and sit for a while amid the many flower pots on one of the 135 steps. It's really a fun place to be at night; lots going on. I I had wondered what was Spanish about the steps, and learned that the name comes from the fact that they are a link to the Spanish Embassy which is located nearby. Adjacent to the steps (on the right side of the photo on the left) is the house where the poet John Keats lived when he moved to Rome in hopes that the climate would improve this health. It didn't. Keats died of tuberculosis at the age of 25 in this house. The house is now a museum with memorabilia related to not only Keats, but also other Romantic poets.

The Portico of the Pantheon

We had tried earlier in the day to go to the Pantheon, but it closed before we got there. We still enjoyed looking at it from the outside and taking a few photos by the fountain. This was a site that Catherine really wanted to see, and she had to leave early the next day, so we decided to call it a night after our time on the steps so we could get up at daybreak and head back to the Pantheon in the morning for a look inside. It's a good thing we did, it's pretty impressive. Built almost 2000 years ago as a temple to all gods, it is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. It is in incredibly good condition for such an old structure! Most of the light enters the building through the oculus, the opening at the top of the dome. The height of the dome to the oculus is the same as the measurement of the interior circle, 142 feet.

Inside the Pantheon--it's huge.

My head kept blocking the oculus when I tried to get a shot
of us below the dome by putting my camera on the floor.
You can see a bit of it behind me.

After our visit to the Pantheon, Catherine had to rush to the catch the train to the airport. Since she was the only one of us with any sense of direction, she handed me a map with a few places circled on it that looked like they might possibly be close enough for me to manage to get to without getting desperately lost. I knew I would miss my friend and navigator terribly, but I still had a few hours left before I had to catch my train, so map in hand, I set off. Not too far from the Pantheon is San Luigi dei Francesi, a church which is home to many beautiful paintings and frescos. I really liked the Caravaggios, especially "The Calling of St. Matthew". I think I identify with the "Who me?" look on Matthew's face.

Another nearby church known for it's artwork is Sant'Ignazio Church. The ceiling of this church is really cool. The church really does not have a dome or an arched ceiling, but Andrea Pozzo, a Jesuit brother, painted it too look like it does. It is very convincing, in fact if I hadn't read about this, I would have assumed that the windows, arches and domes were real.

A Small Portion of the Ceiling of Sant'Ignazio Church.

I loved Trevi Fountain so much the night before, and it was pretty close by, so I decided to go back for a daytime look. Still as fabulous.

Trevi by Day

Oceanus in his Shell Chariot

The coin I tossed in last night worked!
I'm back already!

Numerous times over the past two days we had passed by this very big, very white building and kept trying to figure out what it was. Eventually we found it was the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument, built to honor the first king of a unified Italy. It houses a museum that wasn't open on a Monday, but that was okay with me, as what I wanted to do there was to go to the top, up where you see those winged statues. There is a glass elevator that takes you up for a fabulous 360 degree view of Rome. So up I went!

This building is not popular with Romans, who find it a bit garish...

....but the view from the top is great!

I had time for one more stop before leaving Rome. What to do? I decided to have a final pizza in the Piazza Navona.

Piazza Navona

View of One of the Fountains from my Cafe Table

My Farewell Pizza

After what might have been the best Margherita Pizza of all time, my "Roman (Bank) Holiday" had come to an end; time to catch the train to the airport. It's been crazy-crowded and often rainy, but I've loved every minute. Arrivederci, Roma!

Over Hill, Over Dale

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Mon, 13 May 2013 21:09:00 +0000

In the interest of catching up on my blog (which I have fallen woefully behind on) I'm going to let the pictures tell the story of my day in the Yorkshire Dales. My friend and fellow Fulbrighter, Tessa, lives between the Lakes District and the Dales, so on Saturday Susan and I joined Tessa for a trip to the Lakes and on Sunday we toured through the Dales. I hope you enjoy the views, I know I did!

Ribblehead Viaduct

Trail to Hardraw Force

Hardraw Force,the Highest Single Drop Falls in the UK

You get here by passing through the Green Dragon Pub
where you pay 2 pounds and walk out the back door to the trail.
If you've seen Robin Hood Prince of Thieves,
you may recognize this as the spot Kevin Costner
was caught taking a naked swim.

Tessa on the Trail

Tessa and Susan at the Falls

Sheep along the Trail to the Falls

Red Letterbox Bricked into the Wall

Falls with Beautiful Church in the Background

Lovely Woodland Covered in Wood Anemone

Susan and Me have a Time Out on the Bench

Susan, Me and Tessa at Aysgarth Falls

Aysgarth Falls

Where Kevin Costner had his Big Sword Fight in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves

Yore Mill

James Herriot Country!

I don't remember the significance of this rock, but it was there....

...so I climbed it.

Despite the wind, Susan Made it to the Top, Too!

On the Windswept Heath

Over hill, over dale,

Through bush, through briar,

Over park, over pale,

Through blood, through fire,

I do wander everywhere,

Swifter than the moone’s sphere;

And I serve the fairy queen,

To dew her orbs upon the green.

The cowslips tall her pensioners be:

In their gold coats spots you see;

Those be rubies, fairy favours,

In those freckles live their savours:

I must go seek some dewdrops here,

And hang a pearl in every cowslip’s ear.

Farewell, thou lob of spirits; I’ll be gone:

Our queen and all her elves come here anon.

-William Shakespeare, Midsummer's Night Dream

The Lakes District

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Mon, 13 May 2013 19:38:00 +0000

I'd been wanting to travel up to the Lakes District for a long time now, and a couple weeks ago, I finally got my chance. Tessa, one of the US Fulbrighters, lives in the north of England not far from the Lakes District, so another Fulbrighter, Susan, and I took the train to Tessa's home in Bentham for the weekend.

Tessa had told me there were more sheep than people in her town,
and she was telling the truth.

Our first stop on the way to the Lakes was Castlerigg Stone Circle, which was built 4,500 years ago in the

Neolithic Period.

Castlerigg Stone Circle

Dancing among the stones

Susan, Tessa and Me

Next stop, The World of Beatrix Potter in Bowness. I'm a kindergarten teacher through and through, and love the Beatrix Potter books filled with darling illustrations of the woodland creatures, so I was really excited about visiting here.

Tessa and I enjoying High Tea at the World of Beatrix Potter.

The most Famous of Beatrix Potter's Characters, Peter Rabbit,
with his Mother, Mrs. Josephine Rabbit

Jemimah Puddle Duck soars over the Woodland Glade

Statue at the World of Beatrix Potter

Mr. MacGregor's Garden
Can you see Peter's little blue coat in the background?

I joined in the scene with my personal favorite of the Potter characters,
Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, the Hedgehog Washerwoman.

This was our lucky day! When we left the World of Beatrix Potter and walked to the shores of Lake Windermere, we found that the last tour boat of the day was about to leave, so we hopped on. There were only 2 other people on the boat, so we had front row seats right up on top. Here are some photos taken from the boat.

My friend, Geri, from California, had sent me two Beatrix Potter-related books which were a major part of my inspiration to travel to this part of the country. One of the books was a book of hikes in the Lakes District, so I really wanted to take one of the trails while I was here. Below are some photos of hike near the shores of Lake Windermere.

A Wishing Stump with Coins Hammered into It

The Lakes District was just as beautiful as I always hoped it would be.

Thank you , Tessa and Susan, for a lovely day!

Mum's the Word

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Thu, 09 May 2013 20:01:00 +0000

When I returned to the UK after my trip to the Holy Land, my Spring Break fun was not yet over. My mum had flown into Heathrow from California about an hour before I arrived, so after a bit of a challenge finding her in the airport, we took the train together to my home in Tonbridge. When I asked her what she wanted to see here in England, she said, "Churches, Graveyards and Castles". No problem, England has those! We hit two at once with a stop at the church I have been attending in Hildenborough, St. John's.

Mum at St. John's Church

I'd been waiting for a good opportunity to go to Chartwell, the home of Winston Churchill, and mum was interested in seeing it, so despite the rainy weather, off we went. We wandered through the house and looked at all the memorabilia of the Churchill years. The thing that interested me the most were the many paintings that the Prime Minister had painted. He really was quite a talented artist. Who knew?

Mum at Chartwell

Fishpond where Sir Winston used to Feed his Fish

The goal for the weekend was to not only fulfill mum's desire to visit a castle, but to actually spend the night in one. My friend and fellow Fulbrighter, Rachel Williams, made the trip to the Wales border with mum and me. On the way, Rachel noticed a sign to Tintern Abbey, which meant nothing to me, but she knew if from a Wordsworth poem. So we stopped at this lovely abbey ruins. I'm so glad Rachel knows her poetry!

Tintern Abbey

Me and Rachel at Tintern

Cream Tea Next Door to Tintern Abbey

Built in 1089, St Briavels Castle has been a Norman fortress, a royal castle and hunting lodge of King John of England and also visited by Henry II, who made the castle the judicial center for the Forest of Dean. Other uses of the castle have included being a prison, a school and a private house, but today it's a fun location for a hostel.

St. Briavels Castle

Me, Mum and Rachel at St. Briavels

That evening at St. Briavels there was a Medieval banquet complete with a jester! We ate dinner with our hands and engaged in the merriment. The meal ended with the participants playing a live Cluedo game (Clue, in America) where we ran around the castle looking for suspects and weapons in the rooms where a dastardly deed may have occurred. We were beaten by a team of little kids in costume, but we had fun playing.

At the Medieval Banquet

Waking up in the Castle, just like a Real Princess

In the morning we took a tour of St. Briavels to learn more about it's history, then we set off to another country, Wales, which was just a few miles away. It was quite rainy, but that didn't dampen our spirits.

Pierhead Building on Cardiff Bay

My mum loves a carousel!

The following day mum came with me to Stocks Green School where she had a fun day with my pupils. That night I drove her to Goring-by-Sea where her friend, Penny lives. Mum had a great week with her good friend, then I picked her up on Friday night for some more weekend amusement. It's kind of hard to top sleeping in a castle, but we were off again to experience more of England. What could be more British than an encounter with St. George and the Dragon? St. George is the Patron Saint of England, and I had to do a cultural presentation for the Key Stage 1 classes the following Monday morning, so I was very happy to come across a St. George Festival going on in Trafalgar Square.

This has got to be my all-time favorite photo of my mum!

While at Trafalgar Square we visited the National Gallery. Now my mum is in no way a museum person, but she did want to see a few of the more famous paintings in the gallery, so she thought she'd just run in and run out. As it turns out, she LOVED the National Gallery and has a whole new appreciation for museums. This is very good news for me and many of her friends who have tried over the years to drag her through art galleries, as now she's willing to visit other museums. You're never too old to learn something new! Next mum wanted to visit Westminster Cathedral and of course, Buckingham Palace.

Mum at Westminster Cathedral

At the Buckingham Palace Gates

We had tickets to the fabulous musical, Billy Elliot (which I'd had a chance to see when Carl visited, but my mum had never seen before) and we both enjoyed it very much. That is one thing I think I did learn from my mum, a love of live theatre, as she took my sister and me to all the local playhouse productions when we were growing up.

Mum made friends in the Theatre District

Mum and Big Ben

The following day was the day we had a big adventure planned! We went to Hartfield and the Ashdown Forest in search of one of mum's favorite characters, Winnie-the-Pooh. For my mum's 70th birthday my sister and I took her to Saltspring Island in Canada to sleep in Winnie-the-Pooh's treehouse (quite an adventure in itself) and the following Thanksgiving, when in Disneyland, mum found Winnie and had quite a conversation about how much she loved it. Well, she talked, Winnie just nodded and listened. That's the nice thing about bears, they let mum talk on and on and don't feel a need to say a word. Mum loves the Disney version of Pooh, while I love A.A. Milne's original books with the lovely E.H. Shepard illustrations, but we both agreed that cream tea at Pooh Corner was a must.

Tea at Pooh Corner

After fortifying ourselves with Strengthening Medicine and a few Smackerals, we headed off on the first of our 2 hikes for the day, a stroll to the Poohstick Bridge. We brushed up on the official rules of Poohsticks as we walked along the scenic trail through the woods.

Rules for Playing PoohSticks

First, you each select a stick and show it to your fellow competitors. You must agree which stick is which - or whose, as it were.
Check which way the stream is flowing. Competitors need to face the stream on the side where it runs in, under the bridge (upstream). Note: If the stream runs out, from under the bridge you are standing on the wrong side! (downstream).
Choose someone to be a Starter. This can be either the oldest or the youngest competitor.
All the competitors stand side by side facing upstream.
Each competitor holds their stick at arms length over the stream. The tall competitors should lower their arms to bring all the sticks to the same height over the stream as the shortest competitor's stick.
The starter calls, 'Ready - Steady - Go!" and all the competitors drop their sticks. Note: the stick must not be thrown into the water.
At this point in the game all the players must cross to the downstream side of the bridge. Please take care - young players like to race across. Remember, other people use bridges and some of them have vehicles or horses.
Look over the edge of the bridge for the sticks to emerge. The owner of the first Stick to float from under the bridge, is the winner.

Remember: Falling into the water is SAD (Silly And Daft)!

When we got to the bridge I attempted to take some photos with the self-timer on my camera:

Ready....

....... steady.....

... go!

As you can see, it was a close race!

I wonder what lives here? A Woozle, perhaps?

After several rounds of stick racing, we walked back to the car and drove to Gill's Lap to begin our second hike of the day, through the 100 Acre Wood. In the Pooh Stories, Gill's Lap is known as Galleon's Lap and is one of the Enchanted Places, as no one has ever been able to count if there are sixty three or sixty four pine trees there.

" Being Enchanted, its floor was not like the floor of the Forest, gorse and bracken and heather but close-set grass, quiet and smooth and green. It was the only place in the Forest where you could sit down carelessly without getting up again almost at once and looking for somewhere else. Sitting there they could see the whole world spread out until it reached the sky, and whatever there was all the world over was with them in Galleons Lap"

At Galleon''s Lap Viewpoint

View From Galleon's Lap
These must be the gorse bushes that Pooh and Friends chased
3 Woozles and a Wizzle around!

Trail to the Heffalump Trap

Pooh Watching over the Heffalump Trap

In Pooh's Cunning Trap to Catch a Heffalump

Roo's Sandy Pit

In case you can't read the memorial, it says:

"and by and by they came to an enchanted place

on the very top of the Forest called Galleon's Lap"

HERE AT GILLS LAP ARE COMMEMORATED

A. A. MILNE 1882 - 1956

AND

E. H. SHEPARD 1879-1976

WHO COLLABORATED IN THE CREATION OF

"WINNIE-THE-POOH"

AND SO CAPTURED THE MAGIC

OF ASHDOWN FOREST

AND GAVE IT TO THE WORLD.

After visiting the memorial, we were ready for an "Expotition to the North Pole".

Much like Christopher Robin, we weren't quite sure what the North Pole was, but we knew it was a thing you discover.

Mum and Pooh are Ready for the "Expotition"

Where Roo Learned to Swim

The Gloomy Place where Eeyore Lost a Tail and Pooh Found One

I found it!! The North Pole!! Maybe not.

NorTH PoL E
DICSovERED By
PooH
PooH FouND IT

North Pole or not, it was a nice day for a hike with my mum and a fun way to end her adventure in England.

Last Day in the Holy Land

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Fri, 03 May 2013 18:21:00 +0000

I began my last day in the Holy Land by trekking through the insane border crossing from Jordan back into Israel. There is no way they could make it any more complicated! For instance, after standing in line at window number 1, where they take your passport, you then queue up at window number 2, and all they do when you finally make it to the window is tell you to pay an exit tax at window number 3 and to return to window number 2 with the receipt. Why you don't go to window 3 directly from 1 is totally beyond me. Then there are numerous lines to give up your baggage, get it back again, get on a bus that takes you across the bridge getting your passport back on the bus (they tried to give me someone else's passport on the bus, not a good system) then give up your passport on the Israeli side, get in line to have your baggage x-rayed, (where anyone who has paid an extra $100 can go ahead of you in line), get in another line to be questioned about your reasons to go to Israel and any connections you might have there, then try to find your luggage in a big pile in a huge room, stand in line to get an Israeli visa, then in another line where all they do is punch a hole in the visa you just got. I mentioned to one of the fellows working at the x-ray machine that it seemed like a really busy day and he said it was actually one of the quieter days! Three hours after beginning the process I was across and looking for a shuttle back to Jerusalem.

There were still a few things I wanted to do before I left. I hadn't had time to explore Mount Zion yet, so that was first on my agenda for the day. I visited the Room of the Last Supper, King David's Tomb, Dormition Abbey (where some believe Mary lived and "fell asleep" after Jesus' death), and Mary's Tomb (where others believe she was buried after she died).

Room of the Last Supper

In the Crypt of Dormition Abbey

If Mary opened her eyes, this is what she would see above her head.

All around the crypt are chapels donated
by different countries. This one is from Ivory Coast.

From Mount Zion I circled around the walled city back to the Mount of Olives. Despite the fact that I slept on the Mount of Olives every night while I was in Jerusalem, I really hadn't spent much time there during the daylight. I made a stop at the Garden of Gethsemane then went to the Church of the Pater Noster, which is a church built on the spot where tradition has it Jesus taught his disciples the Lord's Prayer. The walls of this church and courtyard are tiled with this prayer in 62 different languages. Next stop was the Chapel of the Ascension. This small chapel is built around the rock where Jesus ascended into heaven. I waited until a big tour group from Poland left and I had the place to myself so I could stand on the very spot and take a photo of my feet.

Garden of Gethsemane

Courtyard at Church of the Pater Noster

Standing on the Ascension Rock

Chapel of the Ascension

One of the vicars at my church in the UK had traveled to Israel with his wife last year and gave an evening presentation of photos from their trip. One picture that I really liked was taken from Dominus Flevit, which I had never heard of before, so my final quest in Jerusalem was to find this church and the view. Dominus Flevit means "The Lord Wept" and this marks the spot recorded in Luke 19:41-42 where Jesus weeps over Jerusalem.

"As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes."

View from Dominus Flevit Window

View of Jerusalem from Outside Dominus Flevit

Visiting the Holy Land has been an extraordinary experience. It's almost incomprehensible to walk in the same places Jesus walked when he was here on earth. Having a mental picture of these locations now that I have visited them brings a whole new dimension to reading the Bible. Experiencing just a bit of the Palestinian/Israeli struggle and talking with people who deal with the challenges every day was very eye-opening. You've heard the expression, "wearing your religion on your sleeve," well I have no idea what that means, but in the Holy Land, especially in the Old City of Jerusalem, almost everyone wears their religion on their head. Within just a few paces you can see Orthodox priests in their tall hats (which I've learned are called kalimavkion), nuns in their habits, Jewish men wearing either kippah or the furry shtreimel, Jewish women wearing snoods or wigs, Palestinian men wearing turbans or kufiya (the white or red-checked) , and Islamic women wearing anything from a simple headscarf to a full burqa. I like that--I like knowing I'm surrounded by believers, even if they might believe something different than I believe. And I like delving deeper into my own beliefs. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to visit this very special spot on the globe.

Jeep Ride through Wadi Rum, Snorkeling in Aqaba, and Baptism Site of Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Thu, 02 May 2013 06:31:00 +0000

I had a lot to fit into my final day in Jordan. First, I took a jeep ride through the desert at Wadi Rum.

Desert

Wadi Rum

I made it to the top of the sand dune!

My shadow came along, too.

Tea at a Bedouin Camp

Fellow Tea Drinkers.
The tea is really good, it's mostly sage,.

Petroglyphs in the Desert

Lawrence of Arabia

This was where Lawrence of Arabia camped.

More Tea at Lawrence's Camp

Me at Lawrence's Camp--the rock I'm standing by is where his
picture is carved into the stone.

After wandering through the desert all morning, it's time for a dip in the Red Sea! I was the only person on this glass bottomed boat (other than the young pervert boat captain).

The view through the glass bottom was not that great.

The water was really clear, but with the ripples, it was still a bit hard to see anything, so....

...I jumped in and went snorkeling!

It took me a while to get the hang of breathing through the snorkel, but when I did, it was great!! There were so many colorful fish and coral to enjoy as I swam along. I wish I had an underwater camera to share them with you! Since it was my first time to snorkel (and I really didn't know I was going to do this until I heard about it a couple of days before) I didn't come prepared.

Gulf of Aqaba

Next I went to one of the places I had really been looking forward to, the Baptism Site of Jesus.

There are lots of different churches at the Baptism Site.

Me at John the Baptist's Spring

This is the actual site of Jesus' Baptism. The Jordan River has changed
it's course over the years and now runs a little to the right of this photo.

This is where the Jordan runs today.

Seeing the doves there reminded me of Matthew 3:16

"And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him."

Church of John the Baptist Interior

Church of John the Baptist Exterior

My last stop in Jordan was for a swim in the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea. I did the mud thing again, but this time had no one to take photos, so you'll just have to trust me on this.

Goodbye, Jordan! It's been great!

Petra

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Wed, 01 May 2013 01:51:00 +0000

I had heard so much about Petra and had so thoroughly enjoyed “Little Petra” the previous day, that I thought that I might be disappointed after all the build-up. Let me assure any doubters among you, Petra does not disappoint! Although I had read about President Obama's visit to Petra the previous week, nothing I had read or heard or seen prepared me for the grandeur of The Rose City! The Petra Guesthouse where I stayed was located right outside the entrance to the site, and was built into the sandstone mountains.

Since I was so close, I got up early and was one of the first people inside the gates in the morning. The admission price includes a horse ride from the site entrance to the passageway into the main part of Petra. I knew it was going to be a long day of walking, so I saddled up. Little did I know that horse would be only the first of 3 different animals I would ride that day.

As I plodded along, Bedouin Horsemen would zip by leaving me in the dust.

After dismounting, I entered the narrow passageway, called the Siq, which is only about 3 meters wide in some places with walls that soar up to 80 meters high. Carved into the stone along the way are niches for lanterns and the remains of pictures of caravans. You can still see the ancient pottery pipes that carried water into the city running alongside the walls. It was incredible to think about the Nabataeans who designed and built their capital city over 2000 years ago as a trading center for silk and spices coming from China and India heading for Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.

The Siq

Is it a whale.......

......or an elephant?

Niches for Lanterns Carved in the Walls

More of the Siq

After walking through the Siq for about a kilometer, all of a sudden, between the narrow walls comes the first glimpse of the Treasury! I was as excited to see it as Indiana Jones was in the Last Crusade! The Treasury, or Al Khazneh, was originally built as a mausoleum in the 1^st century. It’s called the Treasury because legend has it that pirates hid their loot in a stone urn high on the second level. You can see bullet holes in the urn where Bedouins shot at it in hopes of treasure spilling out, but as the urn is solid sandstone they had no such luck. Another theory about the name is that this building served as a treasury for the Egyptian Pharaoh at the time of Moses. But “A Rose is a Rose” so no matter what the name, this massive rose-colored building sculpted from the sandstone is really a wonder.

After walking for about a kilometer through
the Siq you come to a very narrow passageway and...

....you get your first view....

...of the Treasury!!

Ta-da!!

In front of the Treasury were some camels, and I couldn’t resist going for another ride in this amazing spot.

I think I'm getting the hang of this!

Now, a lot of people turn back at this point after seeing the Treasury, but I wanted to see as much of Petra as I possibly could in a day, so I continued on. I reached the Colonnade Street and decided to climb up into the hills above to get the view down, knowing that I could return by the low road on my way back. Along the high path I walked by the Tombs of the Kings. The minerals in the sandstone, such as silver and copper, give the walls of the tombs dazzling colors.

The colors look almost too good to be true!

The caves even have windows to look in...

.... and look out of.

Can you believe these are the natural colors?

Looking Down on the Great Temple

Mosaics in the Petra Church from about 450 AD.

Pillars of the Blue Chapel from the Byzantine Era

Another View of the Great Temple

The Urn Tomb

Camels along the High Path

The Corinthian Tomb

At the end of the hillside pathway, I returned to the Colonnade Street and followed it to the end where I started my 800 step climb up the ancient rock-cut path to see the largest monument in Petra, the Monastery, Ad-Deir. Although much larger, the Monastery isn’t as well known as the Treasury, most likely because it’s so much harder to get to, but it is worth the climb. Standing in the courtyard of this massive façade carved out of the dusky pink rock-face is an awe-inspiring experience. It dwarfs absolutely everything. The monument was carved as a tomb for one of the Nabataean kings and represents the engineering genius of these ancient people. Christianity found its way to Petra in the 4^th century AD and this building may have been used as a monastery at that time. At least one of the tombs was also used as a church until the Islamic conquest in 620 AD.

The Monastery

Monastery View from the Mint-Lemonade Shop

I hadn’t planned on going further than the Monastery, but like the previous day, I saw a sign that promised the “Best View” so not being one to want to miss anything, I plowed ahead. Personally, I think the views down below were better, but it was fun to find this woman with her herd of goats along the way. After a quick look at the view, I returned to the Monastery and down the 800 steps.

I am helpless to resist the tempation!

Bedouin Woman with Cute Kid

Apparently the Best View

I was pretty beat by then, so I opted to ride a donkey along the Colonnade Road back to the Treasury. By the time I got there I was revived enough to walk through the Siq, although sometimes regretted my decision not to take one of the donkey carts back to the entrance. I did snap photos of some of them, though.

Donkey Riding Past the Roman-Style Amphitheater which
Seats 3000 People

Donkey Cart in the Sig

After a short rest and a Turkish Bath to get rid of the horse/camel/donkey smells, it was time to go to a Jordanian cooking class at Petra Kitchen. My taxi driver had told me about this place, and I thought it sounded too good to pass up. There were about 20 of us in the class, and as we went around the room introducing ourselves it kind of became a joke that no one actually lived in the place they were “from”. In my group was an American living in Germany, an Austrian living in Jordan, a Scottish man married to an English woman living in Oman, and me, and American living in the UK. There were 5 groups, each making different dishes that we shared for our supper. It was the perfect way to end an incredible day.

Here's the menu. I have recipes for all these dishes now
so you may want to come over for a Jordanian dinner.

Chopping garlic for the Mag Loubah, which means "Upside-down Chicken".

The unveiling of our efforts!

This was truly an amazing day! Although John Burgon never actually visited Petra, I think he summed it up well in this poem written in 1845.

Petra

It seems no work of Man's creative hand,
By labor wrought as wavering fancy planned;
But from the rock as if by magic grown,
Eternal, silent, beautiful, alone!
Not virgin-white like that old Doric shrine,
Where erst Athena held her rites divine;
Not saintly-grey, like many a minster fane,
That crowns the hill and consecrates the plain;
But rose-red as if the blush of dawn,
That first beheld them were not yet withdrawn;
The hues of youth upon a brow of woe,
Which Man deemed old two thousand years ago.
Match me such marvel save in Eastern clime,
A rose-red city half as old as time.

Madaba, Mt. Nebo and Little Petra

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 06:24:00 +0000

My time in Jordan was off to a great start! My next destination was Madaba, the “City of Mosaics." Madaba has been inhabited for at least 4,500 years and is mentioned in the Bible as the Moabite town of Medeba. It is best known as the home of the famous 6^th century Mosaic Map of the Holy Land. With two million pieces of vividly colored local stone, the map depicts hills and valleys, villages and towns as far as the Nile Delta. The Madaba Mosaic Map is found on the floor of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, which also houses many beautiful mosaics on the walls. The tradition of mosaic making continues in Madaba and I was able to see some mosaic makers at work in one of the local studios. It was really intersting to see them snip the stone into tiny pieces and arrange them into intricate patterns. I decided to give it a go myself and added about a dozen little pieces to what is on it's way to becoming the world's largest mosaic. It's probably my chance to be part of something that will be in the Guiness Record Book. Unless I start practicing my hoola hooping. Unlikely.

Part of the Madaba Mosaic Map

One of the Mosaics hanging in the Church of St. George

Trying my Hand at Mosaic Making

From Madaba I went just a few miles to the west to Mount Nebo. This is the place where God showed Moses the Promised Land before he died here.

View of the Promised Land from Mount Nebo;
Hopefully the Day was not so Hazy when Moses took a Look from Here.

Distances from the Viewpoint

Me on Mount Nebo

Serpentine Cross Representing the Bronze Serpent
Moses took into the Desert and the Cross of Christ

Mosaic in Basilica on Mount Nebo

Madaba and Mount Nebo were great, but there was still more to see this day! I decided to go to Little Petra next. Here the caravans from the Negev, Gaza, Jerusalem, Egypt and the Mediterranean arrived, had a rest and engaged in trade. The buildings carved from sandstone were used as residences, tombs and storages. Just past the sandstone buildings is a Neolithic village, dating back to 7000 BC where about sixty dwellings have been excavated. I even begin to get my mind around how old that is!

Evidently they knew I was coming and rolled out the red carpet.

Sandstone Building

Bedouin Woman Spinning

I have the whole place to myself!

Tiles on a Church Ceiling in one of the Caves

What are you going to do if you see a sign like this?
Climb up, of course!

View from the top, where some of the ancient caves are.

And this woman was up at the top selling things.

Here are a few shots taken after I left Little Petra:

This is Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt.

See the crack in the rock? That's where
Moses smacked it with his staff. There is a
spring that comes out here, but it's all enclosed
in a this building and not too picturesque.

Aljloun Castle and Jerash

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:04:00 +0000

My friend and travel mentor, Catherine, had persuaded me to include a trip to Jordan when I planned to travel to the Holy Land. So now was the time to see what it was about this country that had captivated her so. My first Jordanian adventure was going to Ajloun Castle. Built in 1184, Ajloun is a huge fortress that was built to protect against Crusader attacks.

Ajloun Castle

Me in the Castle

From Ajloun, I continued on to Jerash, which was known as Gerasa in ancient times. This city was inhabited as far back as the Bronze age (3200-1200 B.C.) In the Bible this town is mentioned as the place where Jesus drove demons from a possessed man. The ruins here are fabulous!

The Arch of Hadrian built to honor the Emperor when he visited in 130 AD.

The Temple of Artimes

This was a signpost for a shop

The Cardo Maximus

The South Ampitheater

Bagpipes and Drum; Not Sure Why

Jerash is amazingly well preserved for a site as old as it is. I just loved my time here!

The Dome of the Rock, the Garden Tomb and Crossing into Jordan

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:22:00 +0000

Before I headed to the Allenby Bridge to cross into Jordan for second half of my Spring Break, there were a couple last sites I wanted to visit in Jerusalem. I had tried a few times to go to the Temple Mount to see the Dome of the Rock, but but had been refused entrance as only Muslims could enter during the times I was there. So on this day, I made sure to get there early during the time Christians could enter the site. The gold-capped Dome of the Rock really is beautiful shining in the sunlight. The site itself is very controversial. It's on the site of the original temple, and for that reason sacred to the Jews, but they are not permitted access. Entry is controlled by Muslims, but Jews are also forbidden entry to the compound because it is a violation of Jewish law. The precise location of the Holy of Holies, (from the time of first and second temples) which was only entered by the high priest, is not known, so the entire compound is off limits. Also, prayer is not allowed at the site unless it is Muslim prayer, and many little prayer groups, segregated by gender, were scattered around the area. There were people going into the Dome of the Rock, so I asked if I could go in. The guard asked if I was Muslim, and I replied that I was not. He asked me why not and asked me how old I was. I told him I was 55. He said that would be a good age to convert and that I could come back after I did. Hmm... not likely. I've been in lots of other mosques, following the custom to cover my head and take off my shoes, but for some reason this one is not open to Christians. It was nice to see from the outside, however.

There was one more place I wanted to see before heading to Jordan. The "Garden Tomb" is believed by some to be the location of the sepulchre of Joseph of Arimathea where Jesus was buried, rather than the site at the Holy Sepulchre, which is generally accepted to be the actual site. Here's what the Garden Tomb website has to say on the matter:

The Garden Tomb is an alternative site to the famous Holy Sepulchre for you to consider the Crucifixion and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Garden is a beautiful place in which you will discover several things that were all here on the night Jesus died and which match the accounts in the four Gospels. We never claim to be in the right place as we could never prove that; but where Jesus died is of little importance compared with why. So here we ask you to open the Bible and see what it says about these vital Christian truths.

One way or the other, it is a nice garden and was very near the place I was catching my ride to Jordan.

Some people think this is the actual
"Place of the Skull", Golgotha.

Lovely Garden

Entrance to the Garden Tomb

This one is empty, too!

I'm inclined to believe that the actual site of Jesus' crucifixion burial and resurrection are the sites at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre inside the Old City, but it was also interesting to visit this place. There were no bones in either tomb, so I'm happy with that.

Near the Garden Tomb I caught a ride to the Allenby Bridge border crossing into Jordan. It's a little tricky. You have to get out on the Israeli side and enter a building where they check your passport and your entry visa for Israel and pay an exit fee then take a shuttle bus across the bridge into Jordan where you get out and they again check your passport and your Jordanian visa. Getting a visa to Jordan ahead of time was a very long process which I was really nervous about, as I didn't get it until just 2 days before I left the UK. When I finally got the message that my visa had been approved I had to miss a half day of school to go to the Jordanian Embassy in London. For some reason, visas are not available at the land crossings into Jordan, only at the airport if you fly into the country. Anyway, I had my precious visa, so they let me in the country and I found my ride into the capital city, Amman.

My week in Israel was amazing, and now I'm ready to see what the second half of my spring break, a week in Jordan, has in store!

Western Wall Tunnels, Yad Vashem, and Tower of David

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:17:00 +0000

There is so much to see in Israel, it's impossible to do it all in a week, so I had to whittle down the list of sites as best I could. One thing that I had hoped to do was to take an underground tour of Jerusalem through the tunnels running along the buried portion of the Western Wall, but when I arrived I discovered that this requires booking tickets 2-3 months in advance. I didn't even know I was going to Jerusalem 2-3 months earlier, so this had to be crossed off my list. One day, when passing the tunnel entrance, I thought I'd just ask if there was any chance they had tickets available. The man at the window laughed and rolled his eyes and said he would check. When he came back, he was astonished to say there happened to be one ticket for a tour starting in 20 minutes. I took it. I zipped out to the 60 meter exposed portion of the wall for a quick prayer of thanksgiving, then returned for my tour of the 485 meters of the wall that has become buried over the years. My tour guide, an Israeli settler from America, was very enthusiastic about the history of underground Jerusalem and gave a wonderful, informative tour through the tunnels, dating back to the time of the first temple.

At the Exposed Western Wall

Prayers Stuck into the Cracks in the Stones

This is part of the underground portion of the wall.
These broken columns are from the time of the Second Temple.

This niche is the place closest to the Holy of Holies.

An ancient reservoir, the Struthion Pool,that collects rainwater
from the rooftops to be used in the dry summer months.

Pleased to have been able to go under the Old City, I decided next to climb to one of the highest points inside the city walls and get a view from there. I headed to the Tower of David, located right inside Jaffa Gate.

Archeological Garden at the Tower of David

Statue of Young David with the Head of Goliath

This is the view from the Tower of David. The tower you see in the distance
at the top left is at Augusta Victoria on the Mount of Olives where I
stayed at the Lutheran World Federation Guesthouse.

One place I knew I wanted to spend time at in Jerusalem was Yad Vashem, the museum of the Holocaust. Inside the museum, you follow a jagged path that takes you through a chronological display of artifacts and stories of this tragic time in the not-too-distant past. There are many videotaped interviews with survivors playing along the way, which were particularly interesting. I think photography was allowed, but it just didn't seem appropriate to me, so I didn't take photos inside the museum. I did take a few outside, however.

This child was killed at Auschwitz at age 2 1/2.
His parents established the children's memorial at Yad Vashem,
which honors the 1.5 million children killed during the Holocaust.

After 5 hours immersed in unthinkable history at Yad Vashem, I headed back up to the guesthouse on the Mount of Olives, and snapped this view of Jerusalem on the way:

I had started the day with the pleasant surprise of being able to tour underground Jerusalem, and had one more nice surprise in the evening. I had really wanted to go into Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Ascension, located right next to the guesthouse, but it wasn't open before the time I had to leave

in the mornings and was closed long before I got back in the evenings. This evening, however, I noticed the door to the church gift shop was open, so I went in. I asked what was going on, and was told there was a concert in the sanctuary, so I asked if it was too late to get a ticket. They replied that I didn't need a ticket, but could go in if I was quiet. So of course, I did. Oh my goodness, I had just hoped to see the splendid interior of the church (which was really amazing, but I couldn't really get a good photo with the dim concert lighting), but I was treated to so much more! The stone church has fabulous acoustics, so hearing a choir of about 100 members was amazing! And more amazing yet, is that this particular choir had traveled to the Holy Land from Berlin, where they know a lot about walls that separate people. They came to encourage the people of Jerusalem with the message that walls can, and do, come down, and not to give up hope of peace for all who call Israel/Palestine their home. The choir members stayed on after singing to talk about their experiences of conflict transformation and reunification. What a wonderful way to end the day!

Masada and the Dead Sea

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 23:11:00 +0000

T.V. mini-series became popular in my late teens and early 20s, and I remember loving them and waiting for the weekly installments: Roots, Rich Man/Poor Man, The Thorn Birds, and last but not least, Masada. The dramatic story of the band of Jewish rebels who resisted Roman invasion from 66-72 CE on a huge rock in the middle of the desert was very appealing to me, so I decided to take a day trip to visit the site. Since pretty much everything I knew about this landmark was gleaned from the Peter Strauss and Peter O'Toole's portrayals, I had a lot to learn. First of all, I didn't know that Masada had been built on this naturally fortified plateau by Herod the Great between 37 and 31 BCE. Herod was rather a paranoid person, and built lots of palaces that he could escape to in case of invasion from Egypt. Herod filled huge storerooms with food and built an elaborate water system including several water cisterns filled to the brim just in case he needed to hold out there for a long period of time. He didn't end up needing these, but they served the Zealots well, as these stored provisions were how they survived as long as they did on Masada.

It was a long ride out to Masada!!
(well, I didn't really ride the camel ALL the way!)

Masada

Remains of buildings on Masada

Herod's storage rooms that were filled with food

The people of Masada kept doves here as a source of fertilizer and meat.

Of course, if you've seen the movie, you know that when it became evident that the Romans would breach the wall and take the fortress, the Jewish rebels decided that it was better to die than to be taken as slaves, so almost 1000 people committed mass suicide here. Only 2 women and 5 children survived, hiding in a cistern, and from these people Josephus learned of the story and wrote the history.

View from Masada: you can see the ramp the Romans built
to take siege of the rebels here.

The accounts of the historian, Josephus, say that the men of
Masada had their names written of pieces of pottery and they
drew lots to see who would kill the others and at last, kill themselves.
Finding these pottery shards with names written on them here at
Masada was an incredible discovery, confirming the story.

" A victory? What have we won? We've won a rock in the middle of a wasteland, on the shores of a poisoned sea."

Well, after a rather sobering morning on Masada, it was time to beat the heat and take a trip to that poisoned sea, the beautiful, but lifeless, Dead Sea.

The proper process here is to smear yourself with
mud from the sea........

......then go for a float. You really don't have to try to float at all,
just tip back and enjoy. You can even float standing
straight up, with your arms above your head, which I did. To move about,
I just kind of pedaled my legs as if I were riding a unicycle.
A fun way to end the day!

Bethlehem, Hebron and Walls

noreply@blogger.com (Tuisku's Teaching and Travel Tidbits) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 22:44:00 +0000

This is what it might look like if Jesus were born today,
a wall separating the shepherds from the manger.

On my third day in the Holy Land I took a Green Olive Tour which is an alternative tour group that works with the Palestinian Lutheran Church. We took a bus through the checkpoints to Bethlehem where our first stop was the wall that divides Palestine from Israel. We walked along the wall and looked at the images (some by the famed graffiti artist, Banksy) and tried to understand how complicated these walls make life in this region. We were told that when outsiders come for a day, they feel they can write a book about the situation, after a week, they can write an article, after a month, they can maybe write a sentence, and after longer than that they realize there is really no way to explain it. Walls, checkpoints, armed guards, that's what the Little Town of Bethlehem has to deal with today.

I'm no Banksy, but I left my mark on the Wall

This is in a Palestinian Refugee Camp where
a second generation of children are
growing up as refugees in their own country.

We continued from the wall to Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity. This church was originally commissioned in 327 AD by Constantine and his mother, Helena and built over the birthplace of Jesus.

Inside the Church of the Nativity

The Door of Humility is the Main Entrance
to the Church of the Nativity

This is believed to be over the place the manger was located.

Icon of Mary and Jesus

I got to touch the place under the altar that is believed
to be over the spot Jesus was born.

Another view of the inside the Church of the Nativity

We went down into the Grotto of the Nativity to the location of Jesus' birth and the location of the manger where he was laid. Entering into the cave and placing my hands on these holy sites was very moving experience. I've always known these were real places, but it still seemed like stepping into a beloved storybook, but in this case the book was the Bible.

Our next stop was the city of Hebron. Hebron is especially confusing, as there are Israeli settlements around and even above the Palestinian city. Our guide was a Christian Palestinian, and he wasn't allowed to walk down many of the streets we could walk down as tourists. The Palestinian areas are pretty depressing. There was one area where the wall cut 3 families off from the rest of the town. There is almost no way for these families to make money, but one thing they can do is cook for tourists. We had a very nice lunch in one of the homes there while talking to family members about their experiences living inside the wall. They told us how their children had been attacked on the way to school and how there is little hope for the future as things are now. They are cut off from their relatives and their family farms and ancestral homes. I asked one young man if Israelis and Palestinians ever married one another and he said he had been in love with an Israeli girl, but her father was a rabbi who would not allow her to marry him. They explained to us how they are prisoners in their own homes and told us that there are more soldiers than settlers that the soldiers are guarding. It was interesting to get this side of the story--so interesting that I forgot to take photos, unfortunately.

There is an Israeli settlement above this Palestinian street,
so nets are strung across the top of the road to prevent the
settlers from throwing things into the street.

Guards at Checkpoint

All in all, this was such a day of contradictions--visiting the birthplace of the Prince of Peace in an area that hasn't known peace in such a long time. Or perhaps it's not a contradiction at all, as Jesus and His family left Bethlehem as refugees too when they heard from the Wise Men that King Herod wanted to find the newborn king.

♪ ♪ Oh little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie,
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep,
The silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth,
The everlasting Light,
The hopes and fears of all the years,
Are met in thee tonight. ♪ ♪