Conisbrough Castle

Castles! England is full of them. That's what most Americans think of when they think of historic England. Castles, knights in shining armour, princesses, jousting, rotting sewer in the streets, the Black Plague...

Unfortunately, when you go to see a castle, the chances are it'll just be a fancy manor home that gets noticed because its owners call it a "castle", or you'll be seeing something that looks like this:

a castle
(image from www.castlewales.com)

No, really. That's a castle. Or it was. Something known as a Motte and Bailey Castle. Most of the earliest ones were constructed out of wood and plaster. These grassy mounds are all that is left, and they are every-freaking-where. You probably walked over one on your country-side hike and didn't even know you were treading on historic Britain.

You may occasionally find a place with a single stone wall still erect, but you're very rarely ever going to get to see what the Hollywood movies produce. Few castles really stand in all their former glory, and there is a reason for it. Most castles, the big stone wonders of your imagination, were all destroyed to prevent them from being used to enemy advantages during war. Plus, with modern times approaching, no one wants to live in a big, drafty, cold building that is just a little bit more comfortable than a tomb. 

However, there are a few castles that remain in good enough condition that they are worth visiting. The one I'd like to talk about today is Conisbrough Castle, just outside of Doncaster in Yorkshire. 

an Official English Heritage Sight

Needless to say this castle is very impressive. Not only is the Keep (pictured) in such good condition that it still reaches it's original height of 90 feet, you're able to actually walk around inside (and on the surrounding grounds) for an easy £4.50. The outer wall still stands but is in pretty rough condition, and the remaining buildings are nothing but a foot tall outline of where the walls used to be. The Keep, however, is impressive beyond impressing. There had been earlier buildings on the sight but this castle in particular was built in the 1100s and is one of the few round shaped Keeps in the country, as they were not very popular to build. The entire history of the castle can be bought and read in the guidebook at the gift shop, and if you go, I suggest you make the purchase for £1.50, as it gives a full look at who lived and died here.

View of the grounds from the top of the Keep

Myself and a big fireplace inside the Keep

Now, why wasn't this castle destroyed like many of the others? Sadly, by the time of Henry VIII's reign, the castle had fallen victim to neglect. Most of the walls had fallen as well as one floor inside the keep, and thus reached what is believed to be its present state of ruin. Who can use a castle that has fallen under disrepair; a castle that is no longer defensible? No one. Conisbrough Castle survived because it was neglected. It was no longer suitable for defence, and it wasn't destroyed (like many others) to prevent enemy usage. The castle was simply useless. That is why it is still here today. This amazing, impressive piece of architecture and civilization, centuries old, saved.

If you want to come to Great Britain to see castles, Conisbrough needs to be on your list, or you'll be deeply sorry. We even saw a few Kestrel chicks sitting on one of the ledges high up in the keep, so it's not been completely abandoned. ;) There is also a small but beautiful chapel inside, it's ornate carved ceiling still visible to the point where you can imagine what it must have looked like brand new.

I love being in places like this. I've always had a strange sense of the people who used to roam the halls of old buildings and houses, a sense of the strong emotions, events, and secrets that the walls whisper about. No, I'm not suggesting I'm psychic, or a medium of any sort. I simply have a strong emotional tie to people and the things that happen to them and it makes me emotional. While you may not witness this change in me, other than that I might have gone a bit quiet, it's one of the reason I enjoy visiting historical sights. Yeah, castles are freaking cool, but the people who lived there were even more interesting. I didn't get the willies except once whilst standing in the small chamber known as the "privy". That's the toilet room, if you don't know. I did, however, feel much appreciation for the abilities of the people who were able to build and erect such an immense structure, and wondered what sort of people they were. 

Boyfriend eating a sandwich next to the Keep.

I also wished I could have seen it when it was new, when it was glorious. I'm sad such a place was neglected, but I'm happy it wasn't destroyed like so many of the others. Conisbrough Caslte: it's a stop on the (your) Great British Roadtrip that shouldn't be missed. 

News Flash: The Hobbit

I have been wanting to include the occasional snippit of news and I thought this would be a good place to start. No, this is not about the film, not directly. This is about a pub in Southampton, England called "The Hobbit", and in Birmingham "The Hungry Hobbit", who are currently being sued by a film company for copyright infringement, despite that these places were named such before the newest incarnation of the film was even being considered. This news has been around for a couple of months now but I thought I would post it to help create a little more awareness as no decision has been reached on the matter. Journalist/actor/Etc Stephen Fry is appalled and is supporting the pub. Here is a link to the Facebook page and two news articles about it, and I hope that all the Hobbit pubs can be saved!

https://www.facebook.com/SaveTheHobbitSouthampton

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/mar/14/stephen-fry-hobbit-pub-name?INTCMP=SRCH

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/mar/16/hobbit-pub-copyright-resolution?INTCMP=SRCH

Speak the Lingo

Since I am getting ready cross the pond, and I hope that those of you who have never had the chance to will be able to do so in the future, it's a good idea to brush up on the local lingo before you arrive. Just because we both speak English here in the States and in Great Britain, it doesn't mean that we will be able to understand each other! I've had many amusing and funny conversations with my British companions on how to pronounce certain words and what things are called. You'd be surprised how different our language changes whenever you cross the Atlantic, which makes complete sense, but have you ever actually thought about it? No, they don't speak like Austin Powers. But yes, many people in Britain use the word "bloody" or "bloody hell". I'm sure I don't have to explain the meaning.

To begin, some quick words about items. Dealing with a car: bonnet = hood, boot = trunk, aerial = antennae, wing mirrors = side view mirrors. A "lorry" is a truck, driven by a lorry driver. And the "rubbish" you threw away earlier goes in the "bin" with a "bin bag", later to be picked up by "the bin men" who drive the "bin lorry".

When you go out and get cold make sure to put on your "jumper" and don't forget to put on a clean pair of "pants!" (i.e. underwear) and a comfortable pair of "trainers" on your feet. It is England so it might rain, in which case you'll need a "brolly". You might be going to a "car boot sale", where people sell antiques and rubbish they don't want anymore!

If you like eating "nosh" then you might want to know some words for things. "Aubergine" (pronounced Oh-burr-gine. Soft G sound.) This is an eggplant! Not to be confused with "courgettes" or zucchinis. Order yourself some "Bangers n mash" while you're there too! For "pudding", or dessert, you might like some "jelly", or Jell-O.

Bangers N Mash

Moving on! Arse, blimey, snog, and bugger are all common terms I should hope you know already as well. So let's skip ahead! We will start with some basic slang, some of which you might hear when you're out at the pub with your friends.

"Ace" and "mint" are relatively similar in meaning. Both can mean "awesome" or "cool".
Example: "that band was ace!" or "this car is mint!"
"Cracking" can also fit in to this category. To be "cracking" is to be the best.

A "quid" is to "pound" like "buck" is to "dollar".
"All right". This in London and in many other southern parts of England and in parts of Wales use this as a greeting, like asking someone how they are.
"Innit" is the British version of our American "iddn it!?" or properly said "isn't it".
"Bollocks" is a common swear word, but not necessarily a very offensive one. I think you can figure it out. Ex: "Bollocks, my phone battery has died."
To "give it some welly" is to "give it some elbow grease".
"Wonky" is unstable or wobbly and "Dodgy" is like that back street neighborhood you don't want to walk in alone, but some people just aren't "bothered", or don't care.

"Cheeky" is to be a smart mouth, or flippant, or flirty. Ex: "You cheeky monkey!"
"Daft" = crazy.
"Gutted" is to be disappointed.
"Knackered", "zonked", and "shattered" are to be extremely tired. In which case you might want to take an afternoon "kip" and then maybe you can go to the kitchen and find yourself some "nosh" to eat, but heat it up on the "hob" first. Then you can take out the "rubbish", which can also mean "nonsense". Then you might go to the "loo" or "bog" to have a "slash" after drinking too many liquids! If you're going to be in there a little bit longer, make sure there is plenty of "bog roll".

"Petrol Station's" in the UK have bogs that are just as "manky" as ours!

And let's talk about the 'W' word which can be used in many ways. To be "wankered" is to be drunk; a "wanker" (or "tosser") is what you call a person being a jerk, and "wanking" is an action verb... well we don't discuss what a person does in private. That can also be interchanged with "toss/tossing".

Now when someone says "they are pissed" they are not angry. They are drunk. They are "on a bender" or have gone to a "piss up" aka party or a "do", where you might "fancy" smoking a "fag".

Scouser/Liverpudlian = someone from Liverpool.
Tyke = someone from Yorkshire (referring to the dialect)
Geordie = someone from Newcastle.
Cockney = someone from London or South England. (also referring to a kind of dialect/slang)
Manc = someone from Manchester.

Someone might tell you to shut your "gob" if you call them any of the following: clot, ponce, pikey, pillock, geezer, git, knob head, or namby pamby. Your "mates" wouldn't do that unless they were "taking the piss" with you though. Because friends can make jokes at each other. They're all "nutters" anyways!

If you're a girl and your boyfriend calls you "duck", please be flattered, because you are his "bird" since you've dated for a while now. If someone calls you a "minger", you're a bit unattractive! Though if you're a little bit "thick" as they say, you're just a bit dense.

And please, PLEASE, I know you're a tourist but refrain from calling your waist-strapped bag a "fanny pack". It will only bring hilariously naughty images to the minds of your British friends. If you must refer to this awful fashion faux pas, call it a "bum bag". Because fanny does not mean the same thing as "bum".

If you'd like to become even more fluent in British-English, check out www.effingpot.com

Tower Bridge

Many people, who have never been to London, or don't really find out if the facts are straight, often confuse something.

They confuse this:

(photo from: london-attractions.info)

(nrm.wikipedia.org)

What is this? Don't say "London Bridge". If you do, you are one of the confused people. This is, in fact, Tower Bridge. It gets its name for its location being very near the Tower of London. It sits on the Thames River, (closest pronunciation; something like "Tims"), and was built in 1886 and finished in 1894. It's a combined bascule and suspension bridge.

This is London Bridge, down the river a bit. Spot the difference? Now you are well on your way to being an Great Britain Factoid Snob! :-)

Tips For Travel

Once again I'd like to apologize for my absence! The last semester of university was a tough one and I was working from morning until I passed out, very late into the night, for weeks to get my assignments done. My social life suffered I'm afraid and I didn't have much motivation or energy to think about blogs or my own hobbies. What little free time I had was spent vegging in front of the television, as little as an hour every three or four days. So I hope you understand!

I have about a weekend left before I hop back in to an airplane and fly back to England for an extended holiday. A much needed holiday that is before I have to enter the real world and get a real job and be a real contributor to society. I hope to post frequently during my time there as I experience new and wonderful British things for us Anglophiles to obsess over. Today however, I shall discuss what to pack and how to prepare for travel, for those of you who are globe trotting virgins.

Let me just say, traveling is fun, but the people you're traveling with can be annoying. And I'm not talking about your friends who are going with you. I mean the other 300 people on the airplane. For some reason, people like to push their limits when it comes to carry-on bags. Not only do these people take up loads of cabin storage space, they take forever to get their luggage up and down and situated where they want it, thus delaying the line of people wanting to get off or get in their seats.
Helpful Tip Number One: keep your carry-on luggage light. A backpack (plus your purse, and keep this one small, ladies) is all you need, which you can keep at your feet. Unless there is some reason you need to be bringing your laptop with you, such as for business, there's no need for it when you have a fancy-pants smart phone, and you'll be too busy sight-seeing and soaking up culture to be sat in your room looking at porn or playing MineCraft during your holiday. Leave the computer at home.

Tip Number Two: In the said backpack, keep a light jacket or zipper hoodie, your camera, Kindle (or iPad, or whatever Tablet you have if you have one, or an old fashioned book if you prefer!), your medication should be in a small zip lock baggy and no liquids over 3 ounces are allowed in carry-on bags. So anything like Germ-X, contact lens solution, and toothpaste needs to be in small containers, all in a zip lock baggy. Keeping your toothbrush in your backpack is a good idea not only to brush your teeth on the plane for an over night flight (if you're very bothered about it), but if your luggage gets lost you at least have your important things still with you. Also keep an ink pen handy and a mini travel umbrella, and your phone charger.

Tips on Food: Airplane food is not that bad, it's better than hospital food by miles, but if you're picky you are welcome to buy your meal in the airport and bring it on the plane with you, as long as it is food and drink that you purchased after you've gone through security.

"Plane Food" by Gordon Ramsay available in a thermal keepsake bag

from Heathrow Airport in London. I'll have the salmon!

Tips for Airport Security: Keeping things under 3 ounces and in zip lock baggies is one part of getting through security. The shoes you're wearing should be comfortable and easy to get on and off because you're going to have to remove them and send them through [the scary X-Ray machine] with your other belongings. Laptops are to be taken out of the bag and put in as well, jackets taken off, and any metal such as a big belt buckle. Fingernail clippers and files are NOT allowed. It's a good idea to check the airport security guidelines for things they do not want you taking in your luggage or carry-on luggage. And please, don't complain about being scanned, X-rayed, patted down, luggage searched, etc. Just stay calm, do as your told, and they'll move you through quickly. Complaining only makes them suspicious of you and makes people behind you impatient and angry. Be scanned quietly and calmly like everyone else, it's for your safety and everyone else's. Small price to pay.

Arriving At Your Destination: Have your official travel itenerary from the email the airline sent you printed out and ready when you get off the plane, along with your passport and even an extra ID like a driver's license ready, so you're not fumbling through your things when you go through customs. Be prepared to be asked a lot of questions, especially during high security times like during the Olympics. Just stay calm and answer honestly. Mini Tip: Don't panic if you don't see your luggage on the carousel right away. International airports are super busy and very big, some times it just takes a bit for the drivers to get your luggage over to the pick up area.

Quick Tip: Do not take anything from a stranger in an airport or be asked to watch someone's luggage. The airport security will ask you if you have done this several times before you board.

Obviously I'm not going to mention your basic essentials like tooth brushes and underwear, but let me give you a few tips on how to save room in your suit case and on weight of your luggage:

• Shampoo and soaps: it's heavy, it's bulky. If you can stand to not pack any at all that's a good place to start. When you arrive at your destination you can locate the nearest druggist, Morrison's, or Sainsbury's and purchase your shampoo, soaps, shaving creams, and hair products. Many brands are similar or the same. It may be an extra cost, but it'll cost you more if your suitcase is over 50lbs at the airport.
• Tips for the Shoe-Loving Lady: You're going to have to choose which pair of your lovelies to leave behind. The fewer you take, the better. I try to stick to the small number 3 plus the pair I'm wearing on my feet when I travel. That's two pairs of comfortable walking shoes, (I have Simple brand for daily use and low-top Chucks when I want to be cuter) one pair of nice, night-out date shoes that go with any outfit (such as sandals, wedges, or flats), and a pair of sandals for when it's nice enough outside to show off the legs a bit. Even this number can be reduced if you try hard enough.
• Shoes for Men: Two pairs--good walking shoes and nice night-out shoes or boots.
• Purses for the Ladies: Bring a small or medium sized purse that matches most or all of your outfits. You won't want to bring multiple ones that can take up space in your luggage. I prefer a purse with a long strap that I can cross over my shoulder so I'm not adjusting it and hanging on to it all the time. Backpack purses are great but are easy for pick pockets to get in to so try to avoid those.

Clothes Packing Tip: know your destination climate. No matter where you are traveling, have some idea of what the weather will be producing during the season you are traveling. England is about as bipolar as climate comes. In the last week or so it has gone from snow-cold temperatures at night to a decent 50F (10C) at night and lovely 75F (23C) during the day. This is why I choose an array of clothing for summer travels to the island. As you can guess, England can be rainy and chilly in the morning and lovely (and occasionally) sticky by the afternoon. Or if you know you'll be out late in to the evening, the night can be quite a bit chillier than the day. Humidity isn't too bad but it still happens. So, here are some ideas for clothing to pack:

• A light jacket, rain jacket, and hoodie (I prefer zipper hoodies)
• T-shirts
• Tank tops or Camisoles
• Capri or Knee-length shorts
• Jeans
• Button up shirts
• Cardigans
• Long sleeve T-shirts
• For the Ladies on Date Night, if you swap skirts and dresses for nice jeans and a killer blouse you'll save room on bulk.

Let me emphasize this rule: layering. Especially for girls who may get chilly easily. Layering tank tops and T-shirts, or T-shirts and hoodies, or camisoles and cardigans together is a MUST. You can always take off a layer if you get hot and carrying around a zip up hoodie or light jacket to add on if you get cold. Easy.

If you can keep your luggage down to one suit case per person, you're golden.

Money Tip: Many countries in Europe and the UK in particular no longer use swipe-based credit/debit cards. They use a system called Chip and Pin. These cards are available to US travelers through companies like Travelex. However, most ATMs still take the standard swipe cards, so if you aren't comfortable with a company you don't know giving you a chip and pin, stick to getting cash from the ATM frequently. There are the standard cost for it of course, but what can you do? Make sure you have a currency calculator on your phone or keep track by other means on how much your spending because while 15 pounds doesn't seem like much for a meal, you're actually spending around $23 or more. You'll come home with much less than you thought you would or run out completely if you aren't watching. Also, at airports and banks you are charged for exchanging your cash in hand, so keep track of rates before you travel.

Electronics Tip: Travel with as few electronic items as possible. The less valuables like these you have, the less stress you'll have. Only take what you need. An electronic plug adapter can be bought at RadioShack or Target, (I got mine for $10 and it had all global adapters in it, but only bringing the one I need), to be able to charge your phone. There is a difference between and adapter and a voltage converter, make sure you know which you'll need. If you're staying in a hotel that probably has a hair dryer in the bathroom, don't bother bringing yours. Some digital cameras have an upload button on them so that eleminates the need for a laptop to upload your photos. Some phones and tablets have apps available to find Points of Interests as well if you're wanting to find restaurants, museums, etc quickly.

The British Adapter

Hotel Tip: Companies like EF College Breaks charge you for the trip as a whole and therefore you don't have to worry about hotels as they are part of the package. I like companies like this because it's a good way to see a few cool places and meet new people for a good price that includes food and hotels. However, if you are going on your own with friends or family, and you aren't too bothered about staying in a luxury hotel or one that has a whole lot of privacy, try out a hostel. Hostels are cheap, $20 for public rooms, $23 for private. But book quickly because they fill up quick.

Remember Less IS More. Traveling can be stressful but if you are prepared it can and will be more enjoyable. I love traveling. I love sitting in the airport and listening to the airplanes take off. I like talking and meeting new people I'm sitting next to and I like arriving at my destination knowing I've traveled so far and made it successfully. It gives a strong sense of independence, especially if you're like me from a small town where most people are caught in the net and never leave. It's a great feeling to get out there and learn something about cultures, and even about yourself by being out of your comfort zone, in a place very different from what you're used to. Happy travels!

Many Apologies!

I am sorry I haven't posted in so long. Being in university and getting engaged keeps a person awful busy! I will try to get some more posts soon to feed your Anglophilia!

Stay tuned!