England....Croatia!

Hey everyone!
I am *attempting* to post at least once a week to keep all you folks updated on my adventures, but unfortunately I had some technical difficulties last time I tried to write a post. I brought the wrong plug for UK, then my computer blew the fuse on the one my cousin lent me. Whoops! Anyway, I have it all sorted out now.

English to American word key:
Pants=Underwear
Tea=pot of tea with a side of cream and hot water
Cream tea= pot of tea with side of cream, hot water, 2 scones, clotted cream, jam
Cider=hard cider
Apple juice=Apple cider
Pudding=All desserts, including cakes and pies
Dinner=Lunch
Tea=Dinner or Tea

My cousin Esen came to meet me in London when I first arrived in England. We stayed in the lovely Astor Hostel--very clean, nice and helpful folks, and great location. Day one most things were already closed by the time we got settled; they actually close up and go home by 4-5pm! What an awesome working/living ethic! Big Ben was much more amazing than I had anticipated; I think it was something about how it's watched over London for so much time. It feels alive in a way, like a temple or a stupa. We also walked by the Palace, though the guards on duty there had poor posture and were not dressed up like I had expected:

  

Their knees were locked and they were all stiff, definitely not ready to defend the palace. We walked through the Princess Diana memorial gardens and watched the swans and other birds, then walked all along the waterfront! I saw the re-creation of the Globe Theatre, lots of policemen in funny hats, red phone booths and red double decker busses. Day two we went to the Camden market, a really cool place. It was like the British version of the Grand Bazaar--big enough to get a little lost in. We mostly window shopped but did buy a couple items. They had a bunch of awesome food stalls there too, and there are canal locks there, so we saw some house boats and other boats go up and down the locks. Then we visited the TARDIS!!!

Yes, it's true, I'm a big Doctor Who fan. I also got to meet up with a friend of mine back from high school; Michelle Nusinov! It's been almost a decade since we last met up. It was pretty brief but enough time to catch up and share the happiness we are both currently living. The next day, we left London and stopped on the way to Somerset to see Stone Henge!!!

I was disappointed that we could not walk among the stones; unfortunately there have been problems with tourists defacing this sacred temple. Even from a distance, though, I could feel a lot of the ancient power of this place, especially from the point pictured above. There was a great beam of energy coming from the largest intact gateway. Stone Henge is still used as a temple by Druids at the equinoxes and solstices, as well as host for a party at New Years, so I hope to visit again in the future!

Then next day was quite rainy and cold, so Esen and I drove out to a nearby cider (hard cider) and brandy distillery for some tasting and to see the giant piles of apples! We then drove along all the scenic routes all the way to the coast. I tried to get a picture next to the adorable fields of sheep, but while passing cars don't perturb them, they are apparently not used to a person emerging from the car and chasing after them. We also saw wild pheasants, and breathtaking views of the rolling countryside, forested areas, and an adorable scenic town on the coast. We had cream tea (tea with scones, clotted cream and jam--I skipped the scone) and headed back.

While Esen worked, I took the train to Bristol! I feel like Bristol is the Portland of England (though I think Glastonbury is more known for it's hippies?). There are people with dreads, organic/fairtrade/local coffee shops (I liked the Treehouse Cafe) and co-op markets, and tons of AMAZING street art! While you can find Banksy pieces and other art pieces throughout Bristol, I found the best concentration (and most varied art) in the St.Paul's area. They also have a number of free museums :)

This has been a very different way of travelling for me. My last trip was a lot about discovering myself; and so I had to go away from everything I've ever known and all the existing constructs of my life in order to really be able to go inward and listen. That inner voice is a little louder now that I've connected into it, but I still hope to have more extended periods of 'being away', probably later on in my trip. For now it's really wonderful to connect with many of the important people in my life. I feel like I had the opportunity to connect with Esen like I haven't had in the past. Usually it's a group of 'the cousins', or I tend to hang out more with Bikem when I'm in Cyprus since we're the youngest women of the cousins. I'm happy to see how Esen has been honoring his passions; living simply with his beautiful home and little garden, and taking plenty of time out in nature and photographing and sharing that beauty.

Well, I've arrived in Croatia now and am with Selene! I'll update again in a few days to tell you about Zagreb. Selene is my soul sister. I love her to pieces and am so happy to get this wonderful (albeit short) week with her! I love her husband already, he is a wonderful man.