Civilised places: Salisbury

This summer we spent a day and a half in Salisbury, Wiltshire, on our way from Devon to Gatwick. It was quite a coincidence that we ended up there; we were looking for somewhere to spend the last night not too far from the airport, and our first choice, Winchester, didn't have a single available room anywhere ("it's the wedding season", one B&B hostess explained). So Old Sarum it was, and we found rooms at a very respectable B&B, the Victoria Lodge, with a cheery, formidable and serviceminded landlady.
This was located a ten-minute walk from the city's market square, and we could walk along an idyllic riverside path, watching ducks, swans and other birdlife with their offspring on the way.
Salisbury turned out to be just the sort of English city I like; not very large so that you can walk rather than drive around; good restaurants (we had fantastic Italian food at Strada, and "the world's best hamburger", according to my son, at the Best Western Red Lion Hotel Lounge & Bar - it looked distinctly unpromising at first, but we were hungry and it was late, and it turned out to be a very good choice), very decent shopping facilities (this was where I finally found my "Keep calm"-mug) and a cathedral of really outstanding beauty. There was a Sunday service on when we went to see it, so we even got to hear the choir sing.
Civilised, extremely civilised.

Gone to meet its Maker!

Just testing to see if I still remember how to embed videos. The Parrot sketch is always worth reviewing.

Keep Calm and Grow a Mustache

Keep Calm and Grow a Mustache
Originally uploaded by 3LambsStudio

More keep calm variations

Keep Calm Parody - Blue
Originally uploaded by 3LambsStudio

Keep calm variations

CARRY ON!

This is the image on my new and stylish mug, one of my many purchases made in England this summer (Whittard in Salisbury). It was originally a poster published by the Ministry of Information (or Propaganda?) during the outbreak of WWII in 1939. The crown of King George and the reassuring message was intended to convey to the public that everything possible was being done to defend the country.
I have brought the mug to use at work, since I think the slogan is very appropriate here as well. In my department we have another motto which we quote to each other when the powers that be organise and make decisions we don't necessarily agree with: "Nicht ärgern, nur wunderen", but anglophile as I am, I like this one better.

More interesting phrases

World history is of course shaped by wars. After reading the rest of this year's exam papers, I have gained new insight into some lesser known aspects of various 20th century conflicts. In the Second World War, for instance, "the German Luftwaffe tried to crimple the UK by fighting the RAF", and "in 1941, their proud battleship Bismarck was intercepted in the Denmark Straight (sic!) by HMS Prince of Whales" (Charles, obviously).
In the Yom Kippur War "the Egyptians attacked across the Sinai with armoured colons", which was probably even more efficient than the "Viet Cong soldiers who were small and lightly armoured". They were of course assisted by "the North Vietnamese Army, a small potato compared to the US", according to one agriculturally minded candidate.

This year's interesting exam phrases

I'm DONE marking the exam papers, and have as usual collected a - shall we say "bouquet" - of interesting phrases from these papers, mostly from the translation assignment, a text about the ill-fated cargo ship Alrita that sank in March.
Apparently, one of the reasons she sank was because "there was discovered a leek in the hull" (dangerous stuff, vegetables), but also because "the cargo had removed itself" (to where, one might wonder - "lasten forskjøv seg" was the Norwegian version), or "because the baggage moved". Two of the crewmembers had to jump into the sea to save themselves from the sinking ship, and "they didn't have emergencydress on" - this is obviously the kind of dress you wear when your best ballgown is at the cleaner's.
In an essay about the US President and his tasks, I learnt that "A leader's general job is development, security of his undertakers and people, justice and results". I was not aware that the undertaking business in the US was so important to the federal government. Must have watched too little "Six feet under".
I could also go on at length about 1) the various ways one can spell which, 2) write a date the wrong way, or 3) the sheer impossibility (it seems) of distinguishing between damage and damages. But I won't, even though I am Grammar Nazi.

I don't know how they do it

I have been very busy lately. At least to my standards. Teaching, exams, meetings, application deadlines, babysitting, house guests, giving parties and going to parties, plus the usual taking-care-of-the-family things (cooking, laundry, hoovering, tidying, shopping) - so I've been very tired. And this starts me wondering how all those other people out there (who actually have really busy lives) manage. I read in the papers about people my age (and, yes, even in their THIRTIES) who have wildly successful careers (editors, lawyers, business managers, scientists, doctors) and who probably have 10-hour working days, but still have three or four kids, participate in politics or do voluntary work, coach their kid's football team, go to the gym three times a week, manage the upkeep of both their house, garden and cabin in the mountains, and of course take their kids on bracing all-day hikes in the mountains, with campfires and rappeling down cliffsides every Sunday.
Ok, I realise that they:
1) probably have a cleaner to do their house.
2) don't spend an hour or two in front of the telly in the evenings, watching Fawlty Towers or Spooks on dvd.
3) have developed unique efficiency in everything they do (everything I do has a tendency to fill all the time I have available, no matter if it is one or sixteen things).
4) never feel the need to do nothing at all.
5) are not innately lazy.

But still.
I'm not really busy, but still I have very very few open spaces in my schedule. I would like more time to stand and stare (or, to be perfectly honest, to laze around and do absolutely nothing for a few weeks):

What is this life if full of care
We have no time to stand and stare?
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep, or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this, if full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

William Henry Davies 1871 - 1940

End of term revels

Today was the last day of teaching before the summer, and my class and I celebrated by watching my favourite episode of Fawlty Towers, "The psychiatrist". Should have had tea and biscuits too, of course, to make it a proper occasion.
Many great phrases stem from Fawlty Towers, most notably "Pretentious, moi?", and "Don't mention the war!".
In the rather cool spring evenings we've had lately, Hubby and I have enjoyed ourselves by watching FT again, one episode per night. We've both watched them a number of times, but they're still absolutely hilarious - I don't think I know any better comedies than this.

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