Hey folks!
So sorry for the lack of posts once my European tour got underway. It became increasingly difficult to find the time to upload photos and provide commentary, and I soon decided that my time in Europe was better spent... out in Europe. Needless to say, my vacation was absolutely incredible. I covered twelve countries (France, Switzerland, Italy, the Vatican, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium) in just over three weeks and took over two thousand photos (all for your benefit, friends). I saw world-renowned works of art and architecture (e.g. the Mona Lisa, Brunelleschi's Dome, the Sistine Chapel), met the statues of three different composers (Mozart, Dvořák, and Smetana), ate the most unbelievably delicious pizza in Florence, and had countless experiences that took my breath away (ascending the Swiss Alps, exploring Venice by gondola, gazing upon Mozart's childhood violin in Salzburg, walking through the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau). I could wax poetic for ages about the wonderful time I had. But, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. So, here are roughly two million words...
Day 1: London >> Paris
Day 2: Paris
Day 3: Paris >> Lauterbrunnen, Swiss Alps
Day 4: Lauterbrunnen, Jungfrau
Day 5: The Swiss Alps >> Pisa, Florence
Day 6: Florence
Day 7: Florence >> Orvieto, Rome
Day 8: The Vatican, Rome
Day 9: Rome >> Verona, Venice
Day 10: Venice
Day 11: Venice >> Salzburg
Day 12: Salzburg
Day 13: Salzburg >> Vienna
Day 14: Vienna >> Budapest
Day 15: Budapest
Day 16: Budapest >> Slovakia >> Krakow
Day 17: Krakow
Day 18: Krakow >> Prague
Day 19: Prague
Day 20: Prague >> Dresden, Berlin
Day 21: Berlin
Day 22: Berlin >> Amsterdam
Day 23: Amsterdam
Day 24: Amsterdam >> Bruges >> London
I hope you enjoy! I certainly did.
But, now it's time to become a serious student, once again. I can't believe I am about to embark on my final term at Oxford! It has flown by so quickly. Of course, there are still eight weeks left to go, and they will be filled to the brim with reading, studying, and writing. However, Trinity Term will also have its fair share of fun activities, including odd Oxonian May Day traditions, a performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, and a day trip to Bath. So, be on the lookout for more posts and pictures.
Wishing the very best from across the pond,
Alyce
P.S. What's that, you say? Someone's getting married tomorrow? I don't care too much about that, unfortunately. But, if you're just dying for a commemorative plate, I can hook you up.
24 March, 2011
Day 1: London >> Paris
Bonjour, mon amis!
Once we reached the European mainland, it was still another four hours by bus before we'd reach Paris. We finally arrived at our hotel around 5:00pm, and had only a few minutes to drop off our bags and clean up before heading to dinner. We had a typically French meal at Restaurant l'Orange Bleue: slices of fresh baguette, escargot (which I skipped...), French onion soup, and (for me) a cheese omelet with a fresh salad on the side. I really meant to take a photo of the French onion soup, but in my hunger I gobbled it all up without a second thought. By far the best French onion soup I've ever had. As it should have been!
We ended our evening with a driving tour of Paris. The city is absolutely gorgeous at night. Especially the Eiffel Tower. The driver surreptitiously parked the bus so we could get out for five minutes and ogle at the tower. Before the bus had even come to a stop, a handful of what the tour guide called 'gypsies' had surrounded the bus' exit, peddling little souvenirs. We had to run past in order to see the tower. I was quite honestly overwhelmed with its beauty. Even though I have seen it a million times in print, on TV, in the movies... there's nothing like seeing it in person. Plus, every hour of darkness on the hour, it does this (apologies for the sideways view):
Tomorrow, I hope to explore some of the sites I saw tonight in more depth, including the Louvre, the Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Champs-Elysees. I will also be attending a cabaret show in the evening. There is so much to do in Paris, and it makes me feel a bit ill that I won't be able to see everything. But, I am getting a good taste.
You can check out today's photos here.
My apologies for the short post lacking in details, but as I said, it was an exhausting day filled to the brim with traveling. I am pooped! Hopefully, the pictures will make up for that to some extent. :D
Au revoir,
Alyce
P.S. I forgot to mention that the roundabout around the Arc de Triomphe is INSANE. Twelve lanes, absolutely no markings on the road, complete and utter chaos. It's amazing anyone gets out of that thing alive!
23 March, 2011
Day 0: Clink Hostel
THE EURO TRIP HAS BEGUN!
I have arrived at the Clink Hostel in London, whence my magnificent tour of Europe will depart tomorrow morning. I am incredibly excited about my upcoming adventure, which will take me from London to Paris, the Swiss Alps, Florence, Rome, Venice, Salzburg, Vienna, Budapest, Krakow, Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam and other stops in between. Jealous, right? Well, through this blog I am hoping you will be able to enjoy part of the experience with me. Throughout my trip, I will post (hopefully) every day with a few words on my experiences that day and links to the oodles and oodles of pictures I'll be taking.
You will also be able to follow my travel journal here: http://www.statraveluk.ekit.com/ekit/tj/TJM/alyce.decarteret
You will need a password to login. If you want the password, just send me an e-mail at alyce[dot]decarteret[at]gmail[dot]com. My travel journal posts will also automatically update my Twitter and Facebook friends, so you may also be able to view them that way. The journal is a service provided by my roaming SIM card, and the posts are automatically updated to mark my location (I believe) once a day. The posts may be a bit wonky because of the automatic setting, but it will cost me less money this way so you will just have to deal with it. :) Long live frugality!
Tonight, I am staying in the Clink Hostel, which was once a courthouse, evidently. I was a bit perplexed as to why the internet cafe was called the "Internet Courtroom" until I walked in and discovered it was a courtroom. They have done little to modify it other than to paint the walls and reupholster the benches (to make it feel more hip, you know). This is my first time staying in a hostel, and I've got to say it is pretty much exactly what I expected: young adults running all over the place, funky music blasting over the stereo, and cramped quarters. But, I like it! And I'd better get used to it, non?
You can check out my photos of the day here.
Hope all is well! Take care,
Alyce
15 March, 2011
The Road Ahead
It's been a while since my last post, and for that I apologize. I've had quite a bit of work, and not a lot of time to go off and do the sorts of interesting things you might want to read about in a blog. But, I will more than make up for it with my upcoming EURO TRIP! Later this month, I'll be embarking on an insane twelve-countries-in-twenty-four-days tour around the European continent, and I hope to post to the blog frequently during this time. I probably won't be able to write the most descriptive accounts of each day of my journey (I do want to spend more time exploring Europe than sitting in an internet cafe writing lengthy blog posts, right?), but at the very least I will be sharing the wealth of photos I take. There will also be a travel map for you to check out, and I will give more details on the many ways you'll be able to follow me throughout my trip as the date gets closer.
Hilary Term finished up last week, and I am now on six weeks' worth of Easter Vacation (which is why I can take twenty-four days to travel through Europe in the first place). Although I don't have any classes, there is plenty of work to be done. Part of the requirements for my master's degree is four 5,000-word essays due in the sixth week of Trinity Term, so I am hoping to get solid drafts of those finished before I leave for Europe. This will require me to use my time efficiently... wish me luck.
In more exciting news, I took a trip to Providence last weekend to visit Brown University's campus, and I had a fantastic time. I, along with the rest of this year's admitted students, had the opportunity to meet the faculty and the current graduate students in the Anthropology Department, and tour around the various institutions and buildings relevant to our own interests (in my case, the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World). This visit marked the end of the very long and difficult decision-making process of picking where I would go for graduate school. I am now thrilled to say that I have officially accepted Brown's offer of admission, and will be heading to Providence next fall. :D
I hope everything is going well back home!
Alyce
Hilary Term finished up last week, and I am now on six weeks' worth of Easter Vacation (which is why I can take twenty-four days to travel through Europe in the first place). Although I don't have any classes, there is plenty of work to be done. Part of the requirements for my master's degree is four 5,000-word essays due in the sixth week of Trinity Term, so I am hoping to get solid drafts of those finished before I leave for Europe. This will require me to use my time efficiently... wish me luck.
In more exciting news, I took a trip to Providence last weekend to visit Brown University's campus, and I had a fantastic time. I, along with the rest of this year's admitted students, had the opportunity to meet the faculty and the current graduate students in the Anthropology Department, and tour around the various institutions and buildings relevant to our own interests (in my case, the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World). This visit marked the end of the very long and difficult decision-making process of picking where I would go for graduate school. I am now thrilled to say that I have officially accepted Brown's offer of admission, and will be heading to Providence next fall. :D
I hope everything is going well back home!
Alyce
28 February, 2011
Tom Tower of Christ Church
The college of Christ Church here at Oxford is world-famous for many reasons. Its cathedral, home to the diocese of Oxford, is absolutely stunning. Its grounds serve as the setting for Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Harry Potter and his wizarding friends ate magically-delicious meals in its dining hall. However, one of Christ Church's most striking features is the one you can see (and hear) from miles away: Tom Tower.
Can you see the resemblance? The tower at Dunster is obviously much smaller and the details have been 'Georgianized,' but the similarities are there. (Also, some stones from Christ Church were incorporated into Dunster's architecture during its construction, although I'm not sure exactly where. I have a vague memory of them being in J entryway, near the dining hall. Does anyone know?)
Not much storytelling or deep insight for today. I just wanted to contribute a brief post to remind you all that I'm still in England. But, to conclude, Dunster is the best house. And Oxford is awesome, too.
Hope all is well!
Alyce
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| Tom Tower |
The tower, named after its bell 'Great Tom,' was built in the late 17th century and serves as the main entrance to Christ Church off of St. Aldate's. Tom Tower has quite an interesting history, and, as you might expect, it comes with a rich Oxonian tradition.
"Okay, great," you say. "But, why are devoting a whole post to this one tower?"
I am glad you asked, my friend. Tom Tower has special significance to me, and I suspect to a good number of my college friends, because it inspired the tower of our beloved Dunster House at Harvard.
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| Dunster House |
Can you see the resemblance? The tower at Dunster is obviously much smaller and the details have been 'Georgianized,' but the similarities are there. (Also, some stones from Christ Church were incorporated into Dunster's architecture during its construction, although I'm not sure exactly where. I have a vague memory of them being in J entryway, near the dining hall. Does anyone know?)
Not much storytelling or deep insight for today. I just wanted to contribute a brief post to remind you all that I'm still in England. But, to conclude, Dunster is the best house. And Oxford is awesome, too.
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| My beautiful former home. |
Hope all is well!
Alyce
19 February, 2011
The British Museum and the Book of the Dead
Well, I finally got out to see the British Museum this past Thursday, courtesy of an excursion organized by the Clarendon folks.
The museum was holding a late programme that evening in honor of their special exhibition on the Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead (an exhibition supported by BP... but we'll ignore that). The event included live performances, demonstrations, and various workshops focusing on different aspects of Egyptian burial and the journey through the underworld.
But the main attraction was, of course, the exhibition on the Book of the Dead. The Book of the Dead is not a single book. In fact, it's not a book at all, but a long scroll of papyrus inscribed with multiple spells meant to protect the dead on their journey in the afterlife. And, boy, what a journey! The ultimate goal was to attain eternal life with the god Osiris in his land of the dead, but only the worthy would be admitted. And so, the soul had to embark on a treacherous adventure, fighting off evil beasts and facing various challenges.
The most important challenge was the weighing of the heart. On one side of the scale would be placed the departed's heart. On the other, a feather. If that person had led a righteous life, his heart would weigh the same as the feather, and he would gain entrance to Osiris' paradisal kingdom, the Field of Reeds. If, however, the departed had led a life of sin, his heart would be heavy and he would fail the test. And what happened to the poor schmucks who were deemed unworthy of eternal paradise? Their souls were devoured by a terrible beast with the head of a crocodile, the torso of a lion, and the bottom of a hippopotamus, and they would be forced to wander aimlessly in perpetuity. Because the Ancient Egyptians believed the dead would face this test in the afterlife, the heart was the one organ not removed in the mummification process.
The spells included in the Book of the Dead could be instructions for how to vanquish the snakes and the beetles, mnemonic devices to ensure the tests would be passed, or simple prayers to ensure the body would remain in tact along the way. Thus, this text had great importance as a funerary object (if you could afford it, that is).
The exhibit, as you might expect, was fantastic. It was a great introduction to Egyptian burial practice and mythology, and had a good variety of material (e.g. pages from various Books of the Dead; amulets; figurines; sarcophagi; and, yes, mummies) on display. We also had a couple of people in the group with us who can read the hieroglyphs, so I had a good time listening to them make sense of the different spells. I probably spent a good hour and a half in that exhibit alone, and I enjoyed every second of it!
By the time I resurfaced, I had just over an hour before the group had to make its way back to Oxford. Fortunately, there were only two other objects in the museum that I just had to see.
The world-famous Rosetta Stone, inscribed with three different scripts (Egyptian hieroglyphs, Egyptian hieratic script, and Greek script) and two languages (Ancient Egyptian and Greek), allowed Jean-François Champollion to decipher the hieroglyphs in the early 19th century. How surreal to have finally seen it in person!
But, no visit to the British Museum would have been complete (for me) without this guy: my main maize man! I almost missed him tucked away in this bookshelf, but I spied him out of the corner of my eye and my heart filled with joy. Not even the London soot could take away from his beauty.
And that was it, mes amis. A brief, but wonderful, introduction to the British Museum. I cannot wait to go back and see what else this amazing museum has to offer!
I hope all is well back home!
Alyce
UPDATE: I forgot to mention that the museum didn't allow photography in the Book of the Dead exhibit (because it would raise mummies from the dead, or something like that), hence the lack of photos.
 |
| The British Museum |
The museum was holding a late programme that evening in honor of their special exhibition on the Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead (an exhibition supported by BP... but we'll ignore that). The event included live performances, demonstrations, and various workshops focusing on different aspects of Egyptian burial and the journey through the underworld.
 |
| The British Museum |
The most important challenge was the weighing of the heart. On one side of the scale would be placed the departed's heart. On the other, a feather. If that person had led a righteous life, his heart would weigh the same as the feather, and he would gain entrance to Osiris' paradisal kingdom, the Field of Reeds. If, however, the departed had led a life of sin, his heart would be heavy and he would fail the test. And what happened to the poor schmucks who were deemed unworthy of eternal paradise? Their souls were devoured by a terrible beast with the head of a crocodile, the torso of a lion, and the bottom of a hippopotamus, and they would be forced to wander aimlessly in perpetuity. Because the Ancient Egyptians believed the dead would face this test in the afterlife, the heart was the one organ not removed in the mummification process.
The spells included in the Book of the Dead could be instructions for how to vanquish the snakes and the beetles, mnemonic devices to ensure the tests would be passed, or simple prayers to ensure the body would remain in tact along the way. Thus, this text had great importance as a funerary object (if you could afford it, that is).
The exhibit, as you might expect, was fantastic. It was a great introduction to Egyptian burial practice and mythology, and had a good variety of material (e.g. pages from various Books of the Dead; amulets; figurines; sarcophagi; and, yes, mummies) on display. We also had a couple of people in the group with us who can read the hieroglyphs, so I had a good time listening to them make sense of the different spells. I probably spent a good hour and a half in that exhibit alone, and I enjoyed every second of it!
By the time I resurfaced, I had just over an hour before the group had to make its way back to Oxford. Fortunately, there were only two other objects in the museum that I just had to see.
 |
| The Rosetta Stone |
The world-famous Rosetta Stone, inscribed with three different scripts (Egyptian hieroglyphs, Egyptian hieratic script, and Greek script) and two languages (Ancient Egyptian and Greek), allowed Jean-François Champollion to decipher the hieroglyphs in the early 19th century. How surreal to have finally seen it in person!
 |
| The Copan Maize God |
And that was it, mes amis. A brief, but wonderful, introduction to the British Museum. I cannot wait to go back and see what else this amazing museum has to offer!
I hope all is well back home!
Alyce
UPDATE: I forgot to mention that the museum didn't allow photography in the Book of the Dead exhibit (because it would raise mummies from the dead, or something like that), hence the lack of photos.
09 February, 2011
Salisbury, Stonehenge, and Avebury
This past Sunday, I took a day trip into the English countryside to visit some incredible feats of humanity: the Salisbury Cathedral, Stonehenge, and the Avebury stone circle. The tour group met bright and early at 9:30 AM (yes, this is early for me), and soon after we divided ourselves onto the two buses. As I climbed into the smaller of the two, the driver said, "Good choice! This bus is much nicer." Had we been in a movie, one might have considered this foreshadowing. About an hour into the first leg of our journey, the larger bus' engine started malfunctioning, causing it to overheat and shut off automatically. Every time this happened, both buses had to pull to the side of the road and wait for the larger bus to restart before we could continue. Fortunately, we weren't far from Salisbury when this started happening. Unfortunately, Salisbury was only the first stop, which meant we had to deal with the intermittent bus for the rest of the trip. Even so, no one seemed to mind. We were on a pretty spectacular trip, after all.
As I mentioned, we stopped first in Salisbury, a lovely town that is home to one of Britain's earliest settlements, Old Sarum. It is also home to the magnificent Salisbury Cathedral, built between 1220 and 1315.
Can you believe all of this was accomplished by 1315? And they call those years the Dark Ages! After some severe body contortion I managed to get a picture of (nearly) the entire building, but the photo definitely does not do it justice. The cathedral punctuates the landscape in quite an impressive way, boasting the second-tallest spire in Europe. The spire is so remarkably huge, in fact, that until the last century the building's architecture could not support its weight appropriately, and the spire leaned slightly to the south.
The above photo shows the architectural supports sitting directly underneath the spire. It might be difficult to see, but over the years the supports have bowed due to the spire's immense weight. Today, steel reinforcements have corrected the problem (we hope).
The inside of the cathedral is equally impressive and immense. The stained glass, the architecture, the sculpture--the cathedral is a wonderful array of both the ancient and the modern. I could have easily spent the entire day wandering around and absorbing every detail. Yet, the beauty of the cathedral is not the only draw to the site; in addition, its Chapter House has on display one of the four remaining copies of the Magna Carta. Unfortunately but understandably, photography was not allowed of the document. But, suffice it to say, it was very exciting to catch a glimpse of a charter with such historical significance.
From Salisbury, we puttered along toward our next destination: Stonehenge, "the most mysterious and enigmatic of all monuments" (according to our leaflet). I was beyond excited. After growing up with its ubiquitous image, I could not wait to see it in person. It was a terribly blustery day, of course, but any other weather just wouldn't have fit the occasion.
Experiencing Stonehenge for myself was surreal. When I first came upon it, it felt familiar and even ordinary. But as I circled the immense stones, I became more and more aware of the monument's grandeur. There's something about physically being in a place that reveals its significance, its power. Absolutely incredible.
After a brief 55 minutes at Stonehenge, we climbed half-frozen back into our buses and made our way to the final stop of the day: Avebury. The Avebury henge doesn't get much press, but it is Britain's largest and most extensive stone circle. The small village of Avebury sits right in its center, so on the ground it is hard to get a good grasp of just how big it is. To give you an idea, it measures about 420 meters across. That's about four-and-a-half football fields! HUGE. Like Stonehenge, the Avebury henge consists of an outer- and an inner-circle.
The outer-circle consists of alternating square- and diamond-shaped stones. It has been theorized that the square-shaped stones represent males and masculinity, and the diamond-shaped stones represent females and femininity. The skill it must have taken to place these stones in the ground at that angle astounds me.
By the time we had finished our self-guided tour of the Avebury henge, the sun had set and it was time to head back to Oxford. The trip home may have taken twice as long due to the larger bus' troubles, but the tour guide's apologies as we arrived back in town were met with a resounding 'THANK YOU' from everyone who had participated in the day's tours. We had been led on a truly fantastic journey.
Now, I could go on and on and on about this amazing trip, but pictures speak louder than words. If you'd like to check out the dozens of other photos I captured, you can check out the Picasa web album by clicking on the following link: Salisbury, Stonehenge, and Avebury. I have also added them to the slideshow below.
Hope you've enjoyed!
Alyce
As I mentioned, we stopped first in Salisbury, a lovely town that is home to one of Britain's earliest settlements, Old Sarum. It is also home to the magnificent Salisbury Cathedral, built between 1220 and 1315.
 |
| The Salisbury Cathedral |
Can you believe all of this was accomplished by 1315? And they call those years the Dark Ages! After some severe body contortion I managed to get a picture of (nearly) the entire building, but the photo definitely does not do it justice. The cathedral punctuates the landscape in quite an impressive way, boasting the second-tallest spire in Europe. The spire is so remarkably huge, in fact, that until the last century the building's architecture could not support its weight appropriately, and the spire leaned slightly to the south.
 |
| The Leaning Salisbury Cathedral |
The above photo shows the architectural supports sitting directly underneath the spire. It might be difficult to see, but over the years the supports have bowed due to the spire's immense weight. Today, steel reinforcements have corrected the problem (we hope).
 |
| The Salisbury Cathedral |
The inside of the cathedral is equally impressive and immense. The stained glass, the architecture, the sculpture--the cathedral is a wonderful array of both the ancient and the modern. I could have easily spent the entire day wandering around and absorbing every detail. Yet, the beauty of the cathedral is not the only draw to the site; in addition, its Chapter House has on display one of the four remaining copies of the Magna Carta. Unfortunately but understandably, photography was not allowed of the document. But, suffice it to say, it was very exciting to catch a glimpse of a charter with such historical significance.
From Salisbury, we puttered along toward our next destination: Stonehenge, "the most mysterious and enigmatic of all monuments" (according to our leaflet). I was beyond excited. After growing up with its ubiquitous image, I could not wait to see it in person. It was a terribly blustery day, of course, but any other weather just wouldn't have fit the occasion.
 |
| Stonehenge |
 |
| Stonehenge |
Experiencing Stonehenge for myself was surreal. When I first came upon it, it felt familiar and even ordinary. But as I circled the immense stones, I became more and more aware of the monument's grandeur. There's something about physically being in a place that reveals its significance, its power. Absolutely incredible.
After a brief 55 minutes at Stonehenge, we climbed half-frozen back into our buses and made our way to the final stop of the day: Avebury. The Avebury henge doesn't get much press, but it is Britain's largest and most extensive stone circle. The small village of Avebury sits right in its center, so on the ground it is hard to get a good grasp of just how big it is. To give you an idea, it measures about 420 meters across. That's about four-and-a-half football fields! HUGE. Like Stonehenge, the Avebury henge consists of an outer- and an inner-circle.
 |
| A 'female' stone at the Avebury henge. |
The outer-circle consists of alternating square- and diamond-shaped stones. It has been theorized that the square-shaped stones represent males and masculinity, and the diamond-shaped stones represent females and femininity. The skill it must have taken to place these stones in the ground at that angle astounds me.
 |
| The Inner-Circle at Avebury |
By the time we had finished our self-guided tour of the Avebury henge, the sun had set and it was time to head back to Oxford. The trip home may have taken twice as long due to the larger bus' troubles, but the tour guide's apologies as we arrived back in town were met with a resounding 'THANK YOU' from everyone who had participated in the day's tours. We had been led on a truly fantastic journey.
Now, I could go on and on and on about this amazing trip, but pictures speak louder than words. If you'd like to check out the dozens of other photos I captured, you can check out the Picasa web album by clicking on the following link: Salisbury, Stonehenge, and Avebury. I have also added them to the slideshow below.
Hope you've enjoyed!
Alyce
28 January, 2011
Bristol TAG and the Escape from Heathrow
Oh boy. I'm not quite sure what it is, but I am having a terribly difficult time motivating myself to accomplish things this term. I sleep through breakfast, I leave my work until the absolute last second, and in my procrastination I managed to watch every episode of Freaks and Geeks. And yes, the blog has been affected as well. Case in point: I hoped to have this post done over a week ago, and I am only getting to it now. Let me amend that. I intended to have this post done over a month ago. Yikes. But, when it comes to harrowing tales of travel, no time is too late, right? Well, here's the belated post. Hope you enjoy! (WARNING: This is a long one!)
From Friday to Sunday (December 17 - 19) I attended the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference in Bristol. The goal of TAG is to provide an accessible venue for archaeologists, commercial and academic, amateur and professional, to discuss the latest thoughts in archaeological theory.
Bristol seemed much more 'city-like' than Oxford, but still had a medieval feel. The juxtaposition of quaint, residential streets, busy, commercial intersections, and the ornate, sandstone architecture on campus was almost jarring. I stayed in student housing about twenty minutes away from the event, so I had the chance to encounter all of Bristol's unique personalities.
The conference itself was incredibly interesting: I heard papers on everything from 'quantum' archaeology to an argument for the European origin of the first North American populations. Certainly, some papers and sessions were better than others. But, overall, I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to listen to these kinds of arguments and discussions. The atmosphere can be pretty invigorating. Conferences like these are always a nice reminder that archaeology is what I love and what I want to do.
Along with the more academic side of things, TAG puts on a few social events for all of the attendees. My favorite, of course, was the Antiquity Quiz held on Saturday evening and sponsored by the UK journal Antiquity. Each round had a theme (e.g. Bristol, British archaeology, Antiquity 2010) and each round had a handful of questions. Considering the vast majority of questions dealt with topics I knew nothing about, I felt pretty useless. Nonetheless, we did pretty well as a team, coming in third place or somewhere thereabouts. That victory won us nothing, but a chosen member from the winning team received a year-long subscription to Antiquity. Curses!
The most popular (or, at least, most infamous) social event is the TAG Party, which was held directly after the Antiquity Quiz. The entire weekend, I kept hearing, "You must go to the TAG Party!" People were really revved up for this thing. I asked another Oxford student at the conference why the party was so infamous, and she guessed that it had something to do with seeing an inebriated Colin Renfrew dancing without abandon. That'll do it. After the quiz, we decided to peek in on the party.
That was it--nada! Enough flashing lights to induce an epileptic seizure, but no tipsy archaeologists on the cusp of bad decision-making. To be fair, the party had only just begun, and the bar was in a completely separate room. That surely inhibited the flow of conference participants to the dance floor. Unfortunately, though, this is the only encounter I had with the "infamous" TAG Party, as I was too exhausted to have the patience to wait for it to get going.
As I mentioned, the conference overall was a very enjoyable experience. However, my travels from Bristol once TAG had come to a close proved much less enjoyable. Much, much less enjoyable.
On Saturday morning, the second day of the conference, I woke to this beautiful scene. A light dusting of snow blanketed the whole town. It was the first snow I had seen all year, and the crunch of the fresh powder under my feet felt so wonderful. There's something about fresh snow that makes an otherwise dull winter scene come alive. Little did I know, however, that this "storm" would put my travel plans in jeopardy.
---
From Friday to Sunday (December 17 - 19) I attended the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference in Bristol. The goal of TAG is to provide an accessible venue for archaeologists, commercial and academic, amateur and professional, to discuss the latest thoughts in archaeological theory.
Bristol seemed much more 'city-like' than Oxford, but still had a medieval feel. The juxtaposition of quaint, residential streets, busy, commercial intersections, and the ornate, sandstone architecture on campus was almost jarring. I stayed in student housing about twenty minutes away from the event, so I had the chance to encounter all of Bristol's unique personalities.
 |
| The University of Bristol |
The conference itself was incredibly interesting: I heard papers on everything from 'quantum' archaeology to an argument for the European origin of the first North American populations. Certainly, some papers and sessions were better than others. But, overall, I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to listen to these kinds of arguments and discussions. The atmosphere can be pretty invigorating. Conferences like these are always a nice reminder that archaeology is what I love and what I want to do.
Along with the more academic side of things, TAG puts on a few social events for all of the attendees. My favorite, of course, was the Antiquity Quiz held on Saturday evening and sponsored by the UK journal Antiquity. Each round had a theme (e.g. Bristol, British archaeology, Antiquity 2010) and each round had a handful of questions. Considering the vast majority of questions dealt with topics I knew nothing about, I felt pretty useless. Nonetheless, we did pretty well as a team, coming in third place or somewhere thereabouts. That victory won us nothing, but a chosen member from the winning team received a year-long subscription to Antiquity. Curses!
The most popular (or, at least, most infamous) social event is the TAG Party, which was held directly after the Antiquity Quiz. The entire weekend, I kept hearing, "You must go to the TAG Party!" People were really revved up for this thing. I asked another Oxford student at the conference why the party was so infamous, and she guessed that it had something to do with seeing an inebriated Colin Renfrew dancing without abandon. That'll do it. After the quiz, we decided to peek in on the party.
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| The Infamous TAG Party |
That was it--nada! Enough flashing lights to induce an epileptic seizure, but no tipsy archaeologists on the cusp of bad decision-making. To be fair, the party had only just begun, and the bar was in a completely separate room. That surely inhibited the flow of conference participants to the dance floor. Unfortunately, though, this is the only encounter I had with the "infamous" TAG Party, as I was too exhausted to have the patience to wait for it to get going.
As I mentioned, the conference overall was a very enjoyable experience. However, my travels from Bristol once TAG had come to a close proved much less enjoyable. Much, much less enjoyable.
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| Snowy Bristol |
On Saturday morning, the second day of the conference, I woke to this beautiful scene. A light dusting of snow blanketed the whole town. It was the first snow I had seen all year, and the crunch of the fresh powder under my feet felt so wonderful. There's something about fresh snow that makes an otherwise dull winter scene come alive. Little did I know, however, that this "storm" would put my travel plans in jeopardy.
Honestly, my upcoming flight out of Heathrow was the last thing on my mind. The amount of snow seemed pretty unsubstantial, and my flight wasn't until Monday morning. Surely, any minor problems the airport might have on Saturday would be resolved by Monday. Right? Well, as the day went on, I began hearing from other TAG participants that the storm had been significant enough to shut down Heathrow completely. No flights were going in or out, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded in the airport. I became a bit concerned, but hoped that Heathrow would be able to deal with the weather and return to normal service on Sunday.
Flights on Sunday didn't fare much better. With only one runway clear, only a handful of departures were able to leave. Heathrow took no arrivals. By Sunday evening, the official statement on Heathrow's website suggested that the situation would be similar for flights on Monday, and asked passengers to check with their airline to determine whether or not their flight had been canceled. By some miracle, my flight was still showing as 'On Time' on the American Airlines website, so I held out hope that my flight would be one of the few departures to get out the next morning.
The day began at the early hour of 4:30am with a cab ride to the Bristol Temple Meads train station. From there, I took one of the first trains out of Bristol headed toward London Paddington, and from there I grabbed the Heathrow Express to the airport. As I stepped off of the Express, the wave of biting cold air made me realize that it wasn't the snow that had caused the problems, it was the ice. The unrelenting, below-freezing temperatures had persisted for days, making the task of clearing the runways nearly impossible. Snow had been forecast for later in the afternoon, so I hoped that my flight would be able to make it out in time.
Heathrow was an absolute mess. A sea of people filled the terminal, and it was impossible to see anything. It took me forever to distinguish which throng belonged to the American Airlines queue, and once I did it took equally long to follow the snake all the way to the end. At this point I felt hopeless. Looking at the huge numbers of people in front of me, it seemed nearly impossible that I would be able to make it through the line, check my bag, and get through security with enough time to make it to my gate. Luckily, an AA employee came to the end of the line asking if anyone had confirmed seats on the upcoming Chicago flight. I enthusiastically waved my hand, and I was expedited to the front of the line. I cannot imagine how terrible it must have been for everyone else in line, desperately trying to grab an open seat on one of the few departures for the day.
Once I got through security (which was, thankfully, a breeze), I saw my flight was still listed as 'On Time' and I made my way to the gate. I could see our snow-covered airplane at the end of the ramp. "Could I be that lucky?" I thought. "Will I actually get out today?"
As our scheduled departure time approached, an AA employee came over the speakers and said that the plane was ready, and that we were just awaiting for the arrival of the crew. Forty minutes later, he came on again, saying that the crew had just checked in with security. We waited another forty minutes, and the crew had still not arrived. Everyone at the gate was clearly getting frustrated, and the lack of communication between the airport staff and the passengers was not helping. The employee came on the speakers once again to suggest that maybe the crew had gotten lost in the airport... Fortunately, it wasn't too much longer before the crew finally arrived, to great applause.
At this point, we were already two hours behind schedule, and as the clouds grew I became anxious. But, I imagined that it couldn't be much longer before we took off, so I rested my head and went to sleep. About a half-an-hour later I woke up to discover we were still sitting at the gate. The pilot came on over the speakers to inform us that we were waiting for Heathrow's one de-icing machine to spray us down before we could leave. The runway crew de-iced the plane at least another half-an-hour after the pilot's announcement, and we were finally able to leave the gate. Just as we pushed back, I could see that snow was beginning to fall from the sky, so I hoped it wouldn't be too much longer before takeoff.
We had been waiting to depart for a few minutes when the pilot came on and said that the runway needed to be cleared of ice before it was safe to leave, and that it would be another forty minutes or so. I became extremely anxious. What if we had to return to the gate due to the weather? What if, after all of that, my flight ended up getting canceled?
It seemed like ages before the pilot announced that we had been cleared and asked the flight attendants to prepare for takeoff. Once we finally got off the ground, I let out the biggest sigh of relief. As the flight attendants came through the aisles later with our drink orders, I overheard one of them mention to another passenger that Heathrow had closed again only minutes after we had left. I'm sure my jaw dropped after hearing that. I felt so incredibly lucky to have been scheduled on one of the few flights that made it out. Had my flight been canceled, I would have been moved to the back of the line with all of the other stranded passengers, and who knows if I would have even made it home for Christmas? I was very lucky, indeed.
My layover in Chicago was not much of a picnic, either. The line through customs was horrifically long, and navigating the lines to re-check my baggage proved quite difficult. The flight itself was also delayed a couple of hours due to snow, but in comparison to Heathrow the situation seemed much more bearable and much less dire. I was Denver-bound before the night was over.
After twenty-six hours of consecutive travel, from the moment I left the student housing in Bristol to the moment I tearfully reunited with my family, I was finally home. And it never felt sweeter.
That's that. I hope everyone is doing well back in the States!
Much love,
Alyce
16 January, 2011
Hilary Term, Here I Come
Hello, friends! Long time no write! In my last post, it seems I was still suffering from the delusion that I would have oodles of free time during my final weeks at Oxford to travel through England and update my blog with beautiful pictures of the countryside. As is most apparent now, that was not the case. My applications to grad school quickly sucked up a good chunk of that time, and before I knew it I was off to Bristol for the UK's annual Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference. From the conference, I went straight to Heathrow and returned home for the holidays. I did try to muster up the strength to write a post about TAG and my harrowing trip out of London, but with the holidays came a pretty severe bout of laziness. Hopefully, I'll be able to finish that post in the next couple of days.
My time at home was wonderfully relaxing. I got to enjoy all of my favorite things: the Denver Zoo, Mommy's homemade pumpkin and apple pies, and--yes--staying in my pajamas all day long. There's nothing better than that! Those couple of weeks passed by all too quickly--I felt like I had only just arrived when the time came to pack up and leave. But, before returning to the UK, I had the opportunity to visit Dumbarton Oaks for a few days and continue with the project I had been working on over the summer. My mentors and advisers Bill and Barbara Fash (i.e. two of my favorite people) were also in town for the Copan Workshop, so I had the chance to reconnect with them as well. It was truly a pleasure to be able to see everyone again and reunite with my fellow Pre-Columbianists. If there's one thing I have missed since my summer at D.O., it's the fascinating and thought-provoking conversations you can have when seated at a table with the experts in your field. Looking back on it now, I realize how incredibly lucky I was to have such an opportunity in the first place!
Speaking of being incredibly lucky, I am now back at Oxford, ready to embark on Hilary Term. My course for the term is on body and adornment in late medieval Britain (AD 1000 - 1500). The Ashmolean has extensive collections relevant to this subject, so I'm looking forward to having the opportunity to work with some of them. I'll also be sitting in on lectures concerning Anglo Saxon society and economy, the archaeology of modern human origins, and maybe something related to classical Greece. Maybe. And did I mention I will be going on a day trip to Stonehenge in early February? This will definitely be an interesting term, and I am very much looking forward to it.
Well, as I said, I will try to finish that pre-holiday post in the next couple of days. Until then, I hope all is well back in the States.
Alyce
My time at home was wonderfully relaxing. I got to enjoy all of my favorite things: the Denver Zoo, Mommy's homemade pumpkin and apple pies, and--yes--staying in my pajamas all day long. There's nothing better than that! Those couple of weeks passed by all too quickly--I felt like I had only just arrived when the time came to pack up and leave. But, before returning to the UK, I had the opportunity to visit Dumbarton Oaks for a few days and continue with the project I had been working on over the summer. My mentors and advisers Bill and Barbara Fash (i.e. two of my favorite people) were also in town for the Copan Workshop, so I had the chance to reconnect with them as well. It was truly a pleasure to be able to see everyone again and reunite with my fellow Pre-Columbianists. If there's one thing I have missed since my summer at D.O., it's the fascinating and thought-provoking conversations you can have when seated at a table with the experts in your field. Looking back on it now, I realize how incredibly lucky I was to have such an opportunity in the first place!
Speaking of being incredibly lucky, I am now back at Oxford, ready to embark on Hilary Term. My course for the term is on body and adornment in late medieval Britain (AD 1000 - 1500). The Ashmolean has extensive collections relevant to this subject, so I'm looking forward to having the opportunity to work with some of them. I'll also be sitting in on lectures concerning Anglo Saxon society and economy, the archaeology of modern human origins, and maybe something related to classical Greece. Maybe. And did I mention I will be going on a day trip to Stonehenge in early February? This will definitely be an interesting term, and I am very much looking forward to it.
Well, as I said, I will try to finish that pre-holiday post in the next couple of days. Until then, I hope all is well back in the States.
Alyce
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