I recently attended the largest cheese festival in Britain, something I had been looking forward to since I got here in June. I was so excited about it that I even forewent a weekend in London. But what can you expect from a dairy farmer's daughter? Last year, the cheese festival was held in the park right below my apartment, so that if it had been there again this year, I'd be looking at it right now as I type. However, one of the days got rained out last year, and there wasn't sufficient parking. (What do I care? I could have walked!) So they moved it to Abingdon, which is near Oxford, about an hour away. Seven and a half of us (one was only four years old) made the journey. The first stop, of ... read more

So after a quick lunch, I headed towards Edinburgh Castle only to realize... I didn't feel like going to Edinburgh Castle. Fortunately, located behind it in the old army barracks was the Chester Beatty Library, which had the added attraction of being free. Plus, when I walked in, the guard told me the best thing I'd heard all weekend - that I wasn't allowed to take my backpack in and would be required to put it in a free secure locker. My liberated shoulder muscles wanted to cause my arms to fling themselves around him in gratitude... but I restrained myself somehow. So who was Chester Beatty? I started by watching the documentary that was playing on loop. Beatty's early days were modest, but he soon made a fortune in the mining industry. Though an American, ... read more

After leaving Cashel, I headed west. It was nice to be in a rental car again, because it meant I could veer wildly off the road when I saw a sign pointing to a pottery place. I had heard that Ireland was even worse than England for timely and communicative road signage, but I didn't find that to be true. With a map and some planning, I got everywhere I wanted to go - lazy ferry drivers aside. I did have some issues skirting Limerick, though. It was easier said than done, because the road signs pointed me in a direction that was the complete opposite of my end goal. Turns out they were right, though - even though I still don't know what path I took around the city. I just know that I had ... read more

After Chepstow, we turned inland to visit the famous Tintern Abbey. When I heard the name, it sounded familiar, but I didn't realize why... until I found out that it features in a poem by Wordsworth, which I was forced to read junior year of high school. Though I'm not one to spout poetry, it truly was a beautiful sight, especially on such a bright and sunny day. But first, the car boot sale in the shadow of the abbey. Ahhh. That vaulted and established British tradition. Take one car, stuff it with junk, drive to the nearest racecourse or other suitable field, set up a table, and proffer your wares. I turned up a couple books, a CD by Sarah Vaughan, and many, many cheap DVDs. It was like being in Russia again, but these ... read more

One the Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, I made the trip to Blenheim Palace with some friends, including the super-cute baby Jonah, who's getting more entertaining all the time. First piece of essential information: it's pronounced "BLEN-um," said very quickly. Secondly, it's the estate of the Marlboroughs (pronounced "MAAAH-bruh). And thirdly, it's the birthplace of Sir Winson Churchill. The reason we decided to go this particular weekend was that the palace was hosting the Oxfordshire Craft Show. I was very excited, since I pictured it being like the 18th Century Craft Fair at Mount Vernon (George Washington's place), which is full of artisans practicing their crafts in the old-fashioned way - art, pottery, spinning (they let me spin some last year), pewter, furniture, etc. I missed the Mount Vernon version this year and figured ... read more