Canterbury Cathedral - January 6. 2015 Epiphany- EVENSONG

This ancient Canterbury Cathedral was started by Abbey monks in order to welcome Pope Gregory 597AD. Pope took visit after he saw slaves working in Rome and asked who were they? Anglos he was told- Pope heard Angels and wanted to visit home of angels.  At same time Romans were retreating and empire falling apart. Paganism taking over. Queen Bertha was a Christian from France and received Augustine and his monks and King became Christian. Cathedral becomes strong and big. 

Norman Invasion 1066 ( USA students had no idea what this is:(... 1057 church partially burned down. Below the cathedral floor are 600BC Roman ruins. Cathedral rebuilt 1172 in Gothic style and you can see original v gothic in the style of windows - thank you King Henry II and marries Eleanor from France to control that country - she loves the Cathedral.  The King trusts Thomas Beckett, Chancellor of King's money - and King wants to control church so appoints Thomas Beckett to be loyal to King with church and his money. Over time, Beckett follows God - not King. King has secret soldiers cross English Channel from France to kill Thomas Becket, in the Cathedral. The murder started people all over Europe travel to pray at shrine of Thomas Becket in the Cathedral 1580. These pilgrimages surprise King.

Later, King Henry VIII married and wanted divorce from Catherine. Pope said no. So King made himself head of church and King has much of the England's churches and religious artifacts defaced or destroyed.

Check out the stain glass window I have posted. Start at top middle and work down- each frame tells the story of Epiphany told to my students and me Day of Epiphany by the docent - so cool - went to Evensong that night with the full choir - amazing! 

A funny story only with college students - Docent told the tale of the three kings to the students. The fourth frame down shows the three kings sleeping receiving message from angel. You can see the Kings are sleeping in one bed- well.......you see where this is going! Docent tells students 'The Kings sleep in bed together receive message from angel' - students giggle and ask why do kings sleep together? Oh Boy! Clearly, students are learning to hear Brit language and trying to understand its meaning:)))) Our elderly docent looked at me unsure - yep; I explained the students confusion of how they heard the words and the implied meaning. He made that throaty skof noise and said, 'Oh, heavens no- it was easier for the artist to place them together, I guess' - GHEEZ!

Archbishop of Canterbury is Head of England's Church and today he made strong statement that UK is not doing enough for Brits who are poor or ailing and it is only weeks before the national election  - Archbishop of Canterbury's message is a front page, big headline in today's paper here- this Cathedral sits with power still today, 2015!

Canterbury Cathedral and the grounds of Canterbury Christ Church University are protected via UNESCO. (The university sits on grounds of an ancient abbey and it's orchard, I am told. The ruins sit in middle of campus.) 

WWII this town hit hard with German bombs. The town had Fire Brigades with long sweepers on the  roof of Cathedral to sweep off the German fire bombs- a dedication to them is on floor of Cathedral when you first walk in. I asked docent how did this Cathedral survive - it's amazing! He believes the Cathedral was used as a landmark to guide the German planes to London - 'see Cathedral, go left and North to London,' and so Germans not destroy the Cathedral. The elderly docent told me his mother was on a fire brigade in London and she never lost her assigned building - walking history ~

See picture one and six below - long outside covered walkway. When cathedral needed money (old times, 1300-1400), families donated and the family crest of the donors are posted on the ceiling. We should consider at UCC?!

See picture seven and eight and ten- this the smaller (!) nave where Evensong occurs.

JE SUIS CHARLIE January 8 & 9, 2015

PILGRIMAGE- A Tale To Canterbury, Kent

Canterbury is a town only 30 minutes from the seaside area of Dover, the Cliffs of Dover. I have seen these chalk, white huge cliff-like walls - the bookends of England.  And from there are a group of extra huge ferries taking pedestrians, trucks, cars, buses back and forth to Calais, France. I mention this area because I learned it is not just a beautiful part of UK. This is where people from south (Africa) but mostly east (Iran, Romania, Syria, Turkey and more) enter the UK without passports or documents. And it is in the truck parking area you will find at times people running from truck to truck trying to pay a driver to hide them somewhere on board for the crossing to UK. 

See the links to read about the Social issue.        

 http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/video/2014/dec/23/calais-migrants-get-to-england-or-die-trying-video.          

And.     http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/dec/23/15-migrants-trying-enter-uk-die-shameful-calais-conditions

January 4 is when Rich and I crossed. The process was interesting. I kept thinking of the old, I Love Lucy shows, when Lucy and Ricky go to Europe passing through the borders, the border uniformed agent checking passports, the gate lifts up and down to let you pass into the country's imagined rigid border. And so was the process from Calais to Dover in the Calais ferry port.

I was stopped after luggage checked at French passport gate. French looked at my passport, released me to UK, 4 feet from the French desk and gate. Now in the UK the Border Agent asked for passports. Rich easy peasy- got his stamp - into UK just 3 feet from me as I remain in France.  In my case, I was told to have Canterbury's contract and papers with me due to 3 months in country. And so it was- Many, many questions. I was warned it would happen. Why are you here 3 months? Is Canterbury paying you? What do you teach? What is sociology? What exactly will you teach? To who do you teach? Explain how you came to teach in Canterbury? May I see your teaching papers? Who created these papers? Where will you live? How is your housing paid? Will you be receiving a salary? Who pays for the salary? Will you be receiving any money from Canterbury during your stay? When do you leave? Do you have access to personal money or credit? Will you be traveling out of UK during the time you are teaching? For what purpose? With who? - the agent turns and goes into his office with door closed. I can see him on the phone reading my passport in his hand. Within a couple minutes - he returns with my passport and stamps it. He tells me each time I return to UK - now I will know how to answer each question - it is important. OK, I say. It's not so easy as compared to Rich's process. He is 2 feet from me actually in UK. Gate is raised, I walk into the UK to the gate of the ferry. Alas, we missed it and wait one hour. It's late, no one else around. Rich and I are laughing, tired-giddy from the I Love Lucy episode we feel we went through. 

Another man, no luggage, thick accent, a dark man, sits with us. We visit with the general passive, polite conversation for one hour. It's Sunday night, 930pm, the station is empty of pedestrians. The three of us wait together. A ferry agent dressed in uniform walks past us, unlocks a small windowed office in front of us, pulls open the window shade and announces in a very official manner- all pedestrians please go through door one to the bus. The three of us look around....it's just us. I walk to the window and ask her, where is door one? She points behind her, lowers the shade, removes herself from the office, locks office up, and walks the three of us to the door one. OK.

Ferry ride is uneventful. Our friend sits very close to us helping in such a gracious way with our baggage - we have a HUGE bag we call Bertha, and she was cumbersome. We offer to buy him a coffe to thank for his help with our luggage. Our friend stays near us during the 45 minute trip over English Channel to Dover. We arrive. Lots of waiting - very alone on this huge ferry. The three of us stand and wait to be released off the ferry. I ask our friend, where in UK are you going? London, he said, to stay with a cousin. Where are you from?, I ask. "I am from a region in Iraq, Kurdistan, and I am Kurd, you may know that word from your USA war in Iraq!"  And then he spoke fast and more - angry.  I wasn't able to follow. He was very angry. I hugged him. I don't know why and he embraced me too. I said it was a terrible war. He agreed. The gates opened, we hugged again and walked quickly off the ferry together. A car was waiting for him in an empty parking lot. We made eye contact and waved goodbye and best wishes. He returned our wave.  I asked Rich, what was that about?! 

For us no taxis, not a soul around- it's Sunday night after 11:30pm. We do not have a working phone...kinda an, oh crap moment! After a bit, an older gentleman leaving off work from the ferry, walked by, asked if we got off the ferry and where are we going? He told us we are in the taxi port and to wait it out.......didn't feel so promising. Off he went after we spoke. He turned around to come back and told us, he called a taxi and we must agree to his story, that we had a taxi ordered but it didn't show. We thanked him for making that call for us and agreed to keep his lie true. The half hour taxi ride, very late now, in heavy fog took us to Canterbury.....an incredible pilgrimage into Canterbury.

Honfleur, France with D-Day Visit - January 3, 2015

It's so worth visiting Honfleur, France. Thank you, Carol for the bed and breakfast recommendation - best place!

A small French seaside village from 1600's. 

Omaha Beach - Rich is a man who knows how to love history- every detail. And being once a soldier - he knows how to HONOR. 

It's New Years Eve in Paris - Welcome 2015!

We are off to Montmarte to visit Sacre Coeur. We ask a resident, which way to Sacre Coeur? Her response is immediate with a pointed hand up, any road that leads UP. So we walked up and up the narrow cobbled stone streets until we reached a carnival souvenir location of walking artists complimenting your pretty face in order for your 20€. "I will draw for you your beuuuuuutiful face, mademoiselle!" The olde towne center was filled with artists each selling their works for one hundred years just like that today.

In Sacre Coeur - Sacred Heart. The church was receptive and embracing. A lighted Christmas tree near the door and the life sized crèche just beyond beckoning 2€ for us to light a candle. As we have in every one - we oblige.

The view to Paris center from Sacre Coeur is one beyond words. The Eiffel Tower is easy to pick out - the crown jewel in the horizon of neighborhoods, streets, buildings, Parisian shoppes, Paul's Coffee,  monuments, museums, tourists but mostly unique and independently warm Parisians.

Wine at a cafe as we watch artists selling their art, we waited for 4pm - dark and the Christmas lights turn on! Voila! Magic! But what do I see? Two young men in French military uniforms heavily armed with machine guns either side of the only Starbucks in Montmarte. I ask two Parisian residents, why? "Oh, you Americans! It's security for YOU!"  OK then ~ .....it's security.

A restaurant for New Years Eve is easy to find in Montmarte as most Parisians enjoy the event in their homes.  A man peddling roses gives me 2 - a red one and a white pair of roses with a kiss from his mustached wet mouth. He tells Rich 25€ - Rich works him down to 20€. We both receive a dam good kiss - it's Paris just a couple hours before midnight! 

Off to the Paris city center on the Champs Ellyssess with a small bottle of champagne with my sweetheart! The midnight brings a million lights twinkling up and down Champs Ellyssess, a beaming Eiffel Tower and a low, short set of firworks off the Arc de Triumph. A Happy New Year toast and loving kiss ~ best wishes in 2015 on the streets of the grand city - Paris!

It's PARIS with an interesting interaction under the EIFFEL

It's Paris! Mosaic elegant squares, palaces, and parks; narrow cobblestone streets and one ever going cafe terrace in the City of Lights.

It's Christmas in Paris. Every chapel, church, cathedral holds a decorated Christmas tree in its outdoor  front area and a very old, gold, silver, wood or plaster crèche near the front alter. Each crèche has its own orientation on presenting the story of Christmas. Some crèches are a holy, ambitious display with gold, candles and lights. Most church crèches are a simple display with real birch trees, evergreens, dried grass, leaves and hay mixed with the chipped painted plaster figures expressed with great care with hay set in food bins for the broken ear- plaster cows and sheep - cute!

Off to Saint Germain. This area was the incubator for artistic creativity in the 1920's, for Nazi resistance in the 1940's, and for student revolution in the 1960's. These days best way to experience this neighborhood is to wander along Boulvevard Saint-Germain, stopping at the shops and bars. For me - This Is Paris! 

To Jardins + Palaisde Luxembourg to begin our walk through Saint Germaine- des- Pres- the neighborhood to be in the 1920's! Here literi met the glitterati and Tout Paris marveled at the ensuing explosion of creativity and alcoholism. Sarte fumed on these streets. Hemingway hunt for pigeons his first year from Luxembourg Park. And Gertrude Stein used to cross thru this park on her way to sit for Picasso. Statutes, pruned trees and a pond in which children float wooden boats.  A family was just packing the small flat bottom, wood boat when we arrived. The gardens support small green flowering plants in December!  The Sarbonne is nearby, the large Palace (1615), was built for Henry IV widow but now houses the democratically elected French Senate.

North on de Tourman to find Rue Bonaparte where Pierre Herme (at no. 72) makes the BEST delicious macaroons. We entered to purchase 2 - not enough! We returned immediately to purchase many more. I asked to take a picture - I did.  Suddenly, behind the counter, an abundant woman with rhinestones on her eyelids states, "Vous. Vous!?" I think she was suggesting I take a picture of HER too- and indeed I did.

On Rue St-Surplice, 6th, we opened door of Eglise Saint-Surplice- an ancient medieval 6th century national treasure church filled with Delacroix, Jacob's Fight with the Angel and 800 year old frescoes.  Rene DesCartes is entombed and a Romanesque painting, during a restoration, was discovered.  Bookstores, antiques, and a posh Bohemian collection of galleries and shoppes are located nearby here where once Colette, Picasso, Jacqueline Kennedy, Jean Cocteau once haunted these streets.

Off to see Eiffel Tower using tickets Luke and Nicole gave us - YEAH! We take Sara's recommendation, "To see the Eiffel Tower for the first time, my recommendation is to get off at the Trocadero Metro stop, walk around the corner up the steps, the Eiffel Tower in all of its magnificence comes to view and it it just breathtaking. That gets me every time."  

Rich left to order street food - chocolate crepes located between a carousel and the Eiffel. Two young college aged students, African, asked if I could take a picture. (I think that's what they said in very broken English.)  I did and then they asked if I am from the states, where? I told them Chicago and they began chattering Michael Jordan. I asked where they were from. Belgium they reported. Vacation, they asked? I said yes including the Canterbury story. What is race in USA, they asked.  I touched my face and touched his, and they both said yes, we understand. Very bad, they reported and demonstrated shooting guns. Wow! 

Sara's recommendation was spot on- thanks, sweetie!! Luke and Nicole's 7:30pm ticket reservation to the top of Eiffel Tower was MAGNIFICENT!  Best gift ever! We walked with more crepes, Nutella, banana crepes awestruck when the Eiffel Tower Twinkled- it was 4 times!

ICONIC LONDON PHOTOS and A Political Discussion With A Brit Family Man

Yes, that's Big Ben and Parliament with Christmas trees behind the iron gates. The London Eye is pretty and if you look close, Big Ben is what I am pointing to in the eye:). And last is the extra long line into Crown Jewels near London Bridge. 

History seems to always start with, "in the 12th Century..........." And what is so amazing is standing in the footprint of that time sweeping past 900 years. Crown Jewels was interesting. Did you know all the original jewels and gold were destroyed in civil war 1300's to diminish the monarchy! But jewels, crowns, gold and more recreated and monarchy continues well through today.

So, standing in a 45 minute line to see the Crown Jewels, I became friendly with a Brit family in front of us. They were professional, early 40's with two sons, one 6 and other 12 years old from Birmingham, outside of London. So it was politics, as I was told in my orientations the Brits love the topic. It started with talk of Prince Charles 'will never be king and will go to his son'. They both (the Brit couple in front of us) reported this to me with great regard for monarchy and 'Kate's' soon to be child to be born in April, 2015.

And so the topic switched to higher education in Britian and USA. He said, "It's a shame that higher education in UK is now different than when I was a student, in late '80's. Now everyone can go to university and it's just not right!" "One had to be tested and work very, very hard to be in university. It's just not that way today, and it's not right." He explained now anyone in UK can go to university and yes, UK students have loans through the government. UK Student loans run about 15,000€ and would begin to be paid after the UK graduated student earns 18,000€/year. After 3 years the UK forgives the student loan entirely. (Need to teach this to my classes and push Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts on this idea.)

 I reported to my Brit friend the USA student loan social issue- my Brit friends were shocked and bewildered on the idea USA students pay 10 years on student loans average 20,000$ in full, never to be forgiven - with full interest to the government! Shocking, they said!

President Obama next topic- my Brit friend brought up. "Disappointing your president doesn't do much to help you Americans,"he said. My Brit friend wanted me to know, "In UK, the rich can afford everything, poor receive everything, the middle class stuck with the taxes to pay for it all!" We discussed social class changes since USA and Brit recession - interesting, his response was 'revolution!' I will let you interpret the meaning of my Brit friend's response.

We said our goodbyes as we got close to the inside to tour. I shared my business card and they said they may just pay us a proper Chicago visit!