Well, it's been quite a while... I haven't actually looked at my blog, so can't recall exatly when my last post was. But plenty has happened since whenever it might have been, I'm sure...
The biggest thing I've done recently was go to the UK. It was my second ever overseas trip, and probably one of the coolest things I've done. Spending just over two weeks in England and Ireland was fascinating - a completely different feel to NZ. It's hard to explain exactly what it is about the UK that made such an impression - I think it's primarily the sense of history, knowing that the foundations of everything around you were laid hundreds of years ago. I know that in NZ the Maori had villages and Pa sites and all the rest going a fair way back, but it really isn't the same. When you walk into somewhere like Yorkminster, or the Norwich Cathedral, or even the small church in Eye, You can feel the age of the places like a weight, a sort of comforting blanket of belonging. Knowing that people built these places so long ago, and that they are not just tourist attractions, but part of the living community... I don't know if this makes sense... I suppose that what I mean is... Hmmm... Well, it's like going to Yorkminster, which is the massive and impressive Cathedral dealy in York.
The biggest thing I've done recently was go to the UK. It was my second ever overseas trip, and probably one of the coolest things I've done. Spending just over two weeks in England and Ireland was fascinating - a completely different feel to NZ. It's hard to explain exactly what it is about the UK that made such an impression - I think it's primarily the sense of history, knowing that the foundations of everything around you were laid hundreds of years ago. I know that in NZ the Maori had villages and Pa sites and all the rest going a fair way back, but it really isn't the same. When you walk into somewhere like Yorkminster, or the Norwich Cathedral, or even the small church in Eye, You can feel the age of the places like a weight, a sort of comforting blanket of belonging. Knowing that people built these places so long ago, and that they are not just tourist attractions, but part of the living community... I don't know if this makes sense... I suppose that what I mean is... Hmmm... Well, it's like going to Yorkminster, which is the massive and impressive Cathedral dealy in York.
This photo doesn't really do it justice, but it's not bad... Anyhoo, the minster has three touristy elements - you pay to go in and just look around, and then pay additional monies to go through the crypt area under the church, and to do the tower climb to the top of the central part. So there are tourist types from all over taking photos and things whenever you visit. But at the same time, when we first popped in on Sunday afternoon, the evensong service was just about to start, and people who were there to worship were allowed through to the chapel area to... well, worship. Or join the service, as it were... It was one of the things that I really loved about all of it, that for outsiders and visitors like me it was all so impressive to see, but for the local community it's still part of their regular world. Everything over there seems built to last. Like a little pub in York where we stopped for a drink, called The Golden Fleece. It was established in the 1600s, I think it was, and has a reputation as one of the most haunted inns in Britain. But the thing is it wasn't just established way back when, it was still the same building. Although the downstairs bar where we had a drink was only a couple hundred years old. it was the upstairs part that was the original building. Hang on...
So this is it. Sorry it's a bit blurry - it was late in the day and low light, and I wasn't using a flash. But anyways, We had a drink in the downstairs bar that has the lights on in the pic. The stone arch seperating the lower section from the brickwork upper floors shows the original design of the place - horses used to pass through the arch into the back yard and stables, and the inn was just the top couple of floors. But at some stage an enterprising landlord filled in the arch with a bar. It's also funny that this photo shows building predominantly constructed around 400 years ago, but where I was taking the picture from was the steps of a relatively new glass and steel department store. Which is the thing, I guess... it's like things aren't torn down and replaced, they're built around, and incorporated into the ongoing life of the country. To be able to wander down a street and say "that was there when my great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents were about" is astounding. And that's what I meant about the Pa sites here in NZ - they're like - "this patch of ground is where a community was over a hundred years ago." which is fine, but you have to imagine what it was like, or go by reconstructions or artists impressions. To be able to just look at something and not think, "this must be what it was like," to just think "this is what it was, or is," is amazing. At least to me, coming from this little place on the bottom of the earth, where human history is really nothing.
Anyway, I'm getting a sore arse as my chair isn't very comfortable, and I can hear the rest of the household stirring, so I think I'll leave it at that. I'm hoping to actually do more of a travel log dealy at some stage, but may well just end up with more of this sort of retarded rambling and more photos.
I suppose that all of this is kind of why I want to buy my grandmothers old house. It's been a Cowens landmark for around 50 years, and I think it would be pretty cool to keep it in the family for another 50. To establish here in NZ even a century of a fixed point for the family name.
Blah, I'm done for now. More later, hopefully...
So this is it. Sorry it's a bit blurry - it was late in the day and low light, and I wasn't using a flash. But anyways, We had a drink in the downstairs bar that has the lights on in the pic. The stone arch seperating the lower section from the brickwork upper floors shows the original design of the place - horses used to pass through the arch into the back yard and stables, and the inn was just the top couple of floors. But at some stage an enterprising landlord filled in the arch with a bar. It's also funny that this photo shows building predominantly constructed around 400 years ago, but where I was taking the picture from was the steps of a relatively new glass and steel department store. Which is the thing, I guess... it's like things aren't torn down and replaced, they're built around, and incorporated into the ongoing life of the country. To be able to wander down a street and say "that was there when my great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents were about" is astounding. And that's what I meant about the Pa sites here in NZ - they're like - "this patch of ground is where a community was over a hundred years ago." which is fine, but you have to imagine what it was like, or go by reconstructions or artists impressions. To be able to just look at something and not think, "this must be what it was like," to just think "this is what it was, or is," is amazing. At least to me, coming from this little place on the bottom of the earth, where human history is really nothing.Anyway, I'm getting a sore arse as my chair isn't very comfortable, and I can hear the rest of the household stirring, so I think I'll leave it at that. I'm hoping to actually do more of a travel log dealy at some stage, but may well just end up with more of this sort of retarded rambling and more photos.
I suppose that all of this is kind of why I want to buy my grandmothers old house. It's been a Cowens landmark for around 50 years, and I think it would be pretty cool to keep it in the family for another 50. To establish here in NZ even a century of a fixed point for the family name.
Blah, I'm done for now. More later, hopefully...
2 comments:
Cool to read a little bit about what the trip was like! Debbie and I are now very keen to do a family trip over to the UK when Dom (and any future Dom jrs) are a little older :-)
How lovely to have you blogging again. I look forward to more :) - and you are so right, it is living IN history that is so special.
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