The Village and Town

On Wednesday, after our group photo, I went on a walk. I expected it to be just around the grounds or to Harlaxton Village, but I got a treat. We walked through the village, where Isaac Newton and Margaret Thatcher are from, and passes a medieval wall and through an amazing cemetery. It was gorgeous. Then we started using the public footpaths that are all over England. No matter where the path crosses, the land owner has to maintain a path. This involved sidewalks, a cemetery, fields, pastures, and farms. It being typical England having rained recently, the earth was all mud. So my boots were covered. And I almost fell; however, the view was amazing. We saw dogs, which we pet, a horse, and ducks in the ravine. I found oysters in the creak bed, I teased my friend by pretending I was going to push her into the ravine, and I got to glimpse the canal system that runs throughout England. All in all it was amazing and beautiful, next time I'll wear wellies. 

Then Thursday we celebrated Burns night. Robert Burns is a poet from Scotland. So down in the Bistro people read and sang his poems. He wrote Auld Lang Syne and we gave it a go. They also served haggis and a whisky punch. I couldn't try the haggis because it contains oats but I wasn't too tempted to try sheep intestine. It was so much fun though because we were singing folk songs and just hanging out with professors and other faculty and staff. 

Friday we had class so nothing too exciting happened but I needed to run into town for some groceries. I may never leave here. I paid £17 for a lot of food. I got gluten free bread, some nut mixes, free from everything brownies, clementines, strawberries, peanut butter, rice cakes, crackers, and dairy free chocolate. Oh and my addiction - diet Coke. I'm so happy!! Fruit and white bread and chocolate and diet Coke. When I got back I watched movies and just relaxed as most of campus jetted off. It was nice to just be. 

Saturday I finally slept in. I woke up at 11:00 am and leisurely got ready for lunch. After lunch I read a book and watched another movie. When dinner rolled around everyone was famished. I got two lamb chops and some potatoes. Everyone else got lamb stew on a plate. I was enjoying the gluten free life at that moment. Later when everyone was starving the manor got flooded with pizzas. On a last minute whim I went into town with some sisters to visit a pub. We walked up to the main road, about a mile, under the stars and fell in live with how clear the sky was and how many stars we could see. We couldn't see where we were walking and it had stormed earlier in the day so we choose the mud over large puddles. We got back and all fell into bed we were so tired. 

Then this morning I once again slept until 11 and didn't get to brunch until 11:50ish. But I didn't have homework or any reason to hurry. I checked out some French movies from the library, studied for a quiz, and started planning more trips. All in all I just enjoyed spending time in the manor even when the power kept flicking on and off. 

Off to bed now so I can wake up for breakfast before my 8:30 am lecture and face the week of traveling to three different cities throughout England. 

Bise Bise