Turn Left at the Pub

Madame's Nightshirt
Mrs. Peperium

In the old days, one of the delights of attending Oxford University were the plans the students made for Long Vacation. The students endowed with plenty of happy cabbage would, like Sebastian Flyte in Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisisted, float around Venice in a gondola, drinking in the local color, and, the local wine. The ones with less happy cabbage would set off on walking tours like Frank Ashurst in John Galsworthy's The Apple Tree to develop a deeper appreciation of the charms of the English countryside, and, the charms of the English country girls.

The range of possible travel experiences that don’t require getting on a plane is staggering. From Brighton Pier to the Egyptian Pyramids, there really are no limits to the adventures which you could enjoy. Here are some routes to consider:

Oxford is a pretty nice city. The buildings aren’t too sore on the eyes; the pubs aren’t entirely overpriced. We even have a river. But there might be more on offer beyond the walls of this encapsulating bubble we call home. Where better to start than the great cities of Europe? So take up your staffs, young hobbits; let the grand tour begin.

When it comes to traversing the diverse landscape of Europe, there are plenty of ways you can get around. You could windsurf to Calais, then hitchhike to the Southern coast of Spain and back again; you could regurgitate an old bop costume and pretend to be an attendant on a passenger ferry to Iceland; or, like the rest of the world, you could take the channel tunnel. The CO2 emissions of flying the same distance would be more than ten times as great, and as of 2007, Eurostar have even committed to offsetting the emissions for passengers for free, effectively making the journey entirely carbon neutral.

But there is no reason to restrict yourself to the train carriage. You could get a long way in Europe with nothing but a bicycle as your trusty steed, as long as you have the patience and perseverance to spend a lot of time on the open road. France is well known for its cycle routes, taking you past plenty of eccentric villages. The Loire Valley is a spectacular cultural vista, boasting opulent châteaux and an excess of fine wines.

For little more than a good night out in Oxford you can get to the cultural phenomenon that is Amsterdam: a city boasting 173 different nationalities, six windmills, five Barrel organs, and 206 Van Gogh paintings. It is a destination that is very hard to resist, even if it does require a couple of trains, a long ferry ride, and the best part of a day for the trouble.

Considering the length of the summer holiday, the potential horizons of your travelling experience extend as far as you dare to indulge them. At the most ambitious end of the spectrum, you could book yourself a seat on the Trans-Siberian Railway (www.seat61.com) which, provided you can sustain a train journey extending over an entire week, takes you from Moscow to the heart of China. And having made it that far, why not go the extra yard, with Tokyo, Cambodia, Vietnam, and even Singapore but a hop and a skip away? It would certainly be a trip to remember.

Meanwhile, much closer to home, a rewarding alternative comes in the form of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Running from the 5th to the 27th of August, the Fringe features more than 28,000 performances of over 1800 shows, including the pinnacle of the world’s comedy, music and theatre.

Admittedly, the advocating of university students visiting Amsterdam in an article entitled Ethical Travel is too delicious for words. Suffice to say, Evelyn Waugh would be rolling on the floor with laughter when he read it and I was rolling on the floor. Mr. P just harumpfed when I read it to him and started mumbling about our offspring attending the local community college. If Oxford students are so concerned with ethical travel on their Long Vacation, may I suggest they use their own God-given feet to transport them around. Walking is cheap. The only energy consumed is your own. Plus, since you can absorb the natural greenery of the countryside, it is the truly green way to travel.

A walking tour of the English countryside has always sounded like a most marvelous holiday. Mr. P and I are quite keen on walking and talking. In our younger married years, our holidays were essentially walking tours of Acadia National Park in Maine. We would set off a by 6:30 am with a casual breakfast usually comprising of freshly-baked hermit bars and juice packed into Mr. P's haversack. Depending upon our mood, or the weather, we'd climb (using trails) Parkman, Sargent, Pemetic, or Norembega mountains in Northeast Harbor or hike Mr. Rockefeller's carriage trail from Seal Harbor on up over to into Bar Harbor and back. A few hours into our hikes, we would find a nice big granite rock with a lovely view on which to sit and eat our breakfast. All this time we would be talking about the books we were reading, what Mr. P was writing or, suprise of all surprises, theology. After about 5 hours, we'd call it a day and find the Jeep. After refreshing ourselves, with a "Fattie", or 20 oz of the house bitters, porter, or pale ale, again that decision depended upon our moods and the weather, and a ploughman's lunch at the pub, we'd head back to the house and spend the rest of the day together reading and swaying in the ancient hammock strung between two even more ancient pines about 12 feet from the Somes Sound or on the old wicker chairs on the porch facing the Sound. Our day would end with a simple dinner in the dining room with our two cats as guests, followed up with more reading in front of the fire.

At some point in my life in some bookstore of used books, I stumbled across a 1973 edition of Turn Left at the Pub. Turn Left at the Pub was written by former Oxford student, George Oakes and it contains directions for 22 walking tours of the English countryside. According to the bookflap, Mr. Oakes had also authored a very popular book entitled Turn Right at the Fountain which is about the great walking tours of Europe. The Oxford student, Mr. Oakes, an American by birth, had developed a keen appreciation of the English countryside by simply walking around it. It was nothing more complex than that. Mr. Oakes went on to be a newspaper man and publisher of some repute both in England and America. His appreciation of walking about the English countryside eventually made its way to the travel section of The New York Times as he penned regular articles on the subject.

As I've written before, I like to read Oxford's student paper of some record, Cherwell, to see the improvements the Protestants have made to the university they stole from the Catholics. Comparing the writings of former Oxford students like Evelyn Waugh, John Galsworthy and George Oakes, to the writings of today's crop of Oxford students, it looks as if improvements just aren't happening. At least when it comes to what the students do with themselves during their Long Vacations:

Ethical Travel

Worried that your cheap summer flights are choking the environment? Ed Parker on getting around the green way

Your green travel itinerary is bound only by the limits of your audacity. So before you jump at the idea of a cheap and convenient flight to the other side of the planet, take a moment to consider what you really want from summer. Perhaps you are fed up of tiresome airport lounges and fancy taking a different and more ethical approach to travelling. Perhaps you value the journey more than the destination. And perhaps, just perhaps, it will make all the difference.

The range of possible travel experiences that don’t require getting on a plane is staggering. From Brighton Pier to the Egyptian Pyramids, there really are no limits to the adventures which you could enjoy. Here are some routes to consider:

Oxford is a pretty nice city. The buildings aren’t too sore on the eyes; the pubs aren’t entirely overpriced. We even have a river. But there might be more on offer beyond the walls of this encapsulating bubble we call home. Where better to start than the great cities of Europe? So take up your staffs, young hobbits; let the grand tour begin.

When it comes to traversing the diverse landscape of Europe, there are plenty of ways you can get around. You could windsurf to Calais, then hitchhike to the Southern coast of Spain and back again; you could regurgitate an old bop costume and pretend to be an attendant on a passenger ferry to Iceland; or, like the rest of the world, you could take the channel tunnel. The CO2 emissions of flying the same distance would be more than ten times as great, and as of 2007, Eurostar have even committed to offsetting the emissions for passengers for free, effectively making the journey entirely carbon neutral.

But there is no reason to restrict yourself to the train carriage. You could get a long way in Europe with nothing but a bicycle as your trusty steed, as long as you have the patience and perseverance to spend a lot of time on the open road. France is well known for its cycle routes, taking you past plenty of eccentric villages. The Loire Valley is a spectacular cultural vista, boasting opulent châteaux and an excess of fine wines.

For little more than a good night out in Oxford you can get to the cultural phenomenon that is Amsterdam: a city boasting 173 different nationalities, six windmills, five Barrel organs, and 206 Van Gogh paintings. It is a destination that is very hard to resist, even if it does require a couple of trains, a long ferry ride, and the best part of a day for the trouble.

Considering the length of the summer holiday, the potential horizons of your travelling experience extend as far as you dare to indulge them. At the most ambitious end of the spectrum, you could book yourself a seat on the Trans-Siberian Railway (www.seat61.com) which, provided you can sustain a train journey extending over an entire week, takes you from Moscow to the heart of China. And having made it that far, why not go the extra yard, with Tokyo, Cambodia, Vietnam, and even Singapore but a hop and a skip away? It would certainly be a trip to remember.

Meanwhile, much closer to home, a rewarding alternative comes in the form of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Running from the 5th to the 27th of August, the Fringe features more than 28,000 performances of over 1800 shows, including the pinnacle of the world’s comedy, music and theatre.

Admittedly, the advocating of university students visiting Amsterdam in an article entitled Ethical Travel is too delicious for words. Suffice to say, Evelyn Waugh would be rolling on the floor with laughter when he read it and I was rolling on the floor. Mr. P just harumpfed when I read it to him and started mumbling about our offspring attending the local community college. If Oxford students are so concerned with ethical travel on their Long Vacation, may I suggest they use their own God-given feet to transport them around. Walking is cheap. The only energy consumed is your own. Plus, since you can absorb the natural greenery of the countryside, it is the truly green way to travel.

Comments

[Young Fogey]

An interesting post.

Having instinctively cleaved to Oxford for most of my life, I must confess that I have been engaged in an illicit affair with Cambridge these last three years. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that I have cruely neglected Oxford whilst paying Cambridge perhaps too much attention.

Although I would not go so far as to say my romance with my first love is irreparably broken, it is no hackneyed trope of speech to state that there are three in this relationship.

For an account of my latest trip to Cambridge (for the Golden Jubilee Banquet of the Cambridge University Heraldic and Genealogical Society) please see my blog, Reflections of a Young Fogey: http://www.bloggingyoungfogey.blogspot.com

[Old Dominion Tory]

Mrs. Peperium is correct about what young Oxfordians should do if they want to apply the balm of "ethical travel" to their tortured consciences: embark on a walking tour of Merrie England.
But how much more salutary this form of "ethical travel" would be if these young people decided to embark on "spiritual travels," a.k.a., pilgrimages.
Those wishing to honor Our Lady could travel to Lancashire, they would find Ladyewell, which has shrines to Our Lady and the English Martyrs; northern Norfolk, where their destination would be the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham; or Wales' Rhondda Valley and the shrine to Our Lady in Penrhys.
There also are many *active* abbeys in the U.K.. The Benedictines have lovely ones in such places as Devon (Buckfast), Bath (Downside), Sussex (Worth), and Yorkshire (Ampleforth).
A well-organized and ambitious Cherwell reader could make a summer of visiting these and other religious sites in the U.K. and might, just might, return to their studies with an appreciation of their university's history--and their country's.

[Mrs. Peperium]

Mr. Young Fogey, oh my, it warms my heart to know that Oxford graduates are still capable of great writing and humor! Actually, if you are not aware, Christine, who writes Le Petit Grignotage, for PP is an Oxford grad as well so I did know this. She is remarkably funny and a great writer as well as a poetess too.

By the way, I enjoyed your red sock post. May I ask, if it is not too personal, what style of shoe you wore with your red trousers on your birthday?

ODT, thank you. You are spot on. In fact, Turn Left at the Pub has many wonderful religious sights included in its 22 walking tours. The one of Salisbury focusing on Robbo's favorite cathredral, Salisbury, goes on in great detail describing how you can view the Magna Carta - a document Christine is not fond of and I'm begining to waver on as I think it was the seed of the English Reformation - as well as all sorts of wonderful other things one can view inside the Cathedral.

[Young Fogey]

Dear Mrs. Peperium,

Thank you for your kind words regarding my Red Sock blog.

Reading your comment I was awed by your investigative skills and was left in some wonderment as to the tactic you had employed to discern my other sartorial preferences. In particular, I wondered what mole had revealed that I wore red trousers on my natal anniversary! However I now see that I am showing "a bit of leg" (as a vulgarian might say) in this photo: http://bloggingyoungfogey.blogspot.com/2007/06/glorious-first-of-june.html and I can only assume that your eagle eye was able to spot my red pins!

If memory serves, I wore my canary yellow socks with a pair of Gucci loafers.

[Mrs. Peperium]

Canary yellow socks with red pins are one of my favorite all-time combinations. Perfect sartorial choice for, as you say, a 'natal' celebration.

My eagle eye has recently spotted something else - the 'problem' with Kate Middleton. It is so incredibly obvious I'm surprised no one has picked up on it. The problem is not Kate, or her mother. The problem is her sister, Pippa.

Now, look closely:

Here's Pippa:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=449861&in_page_id=1770

And again:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=460865&in_page_id=1879&ICO=FEMAIL&ICL=TOPART

Here's Pippa's twin:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ar/thumb/b/b1/Wallis_Time.jpg/250px-Wallis_Time.jpg

http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/socialdiary/2004/08_16_04/images/Duchess.jpg

http://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/images/windsor/tn_wallis_simpson.jpg

According to some reports, if you can trust them, the resemblance extends beyond the physical:

"Friends describe Pippa in glowing terms. She is "“a charming girl who hung out with absolute toffs, most of whom are named after counties. She is incredibly well mannered and well-brought up. At dinner she always makes sure to speak to the person seated to her left and right. She has a lovely figure, much better than Kate’s really. She’s a very keen and aggressive tennis player. A mother’s dream, in many respects. But she makes no secret at all of being very socially ambitious — almost aggressively so. She wants power and money.”"

http://www.aristocracyanecdotes.com/2007/05/27/pippa-outclimbs-kate-middleton/

This is all a bit too much for The Firm...

[Didi aka Nola]

Basil, I realise your working for Mrs P now. I have been missing your blog, and in your honor I have written a post about you on my blog. Do drop by when you can and complain if you must!

[Mrs. Peperium]

Didi, I did not know that you have a blog. How wonderful. Please task Basil to task more often. He loves it. Really.

[Father M.]

Young Fogey,
Is that breast star you are sporting on your white-tie swallotails the Royal Rwandan Order of the Intare, by any chance?

[Sir Basil Seal]

That would be "take Basil to task more often" I believe...And yes, please do...

[Dorothy]

I agree with didi, we need more Sir Basil. I am a big fan and would like to meet him. Does anyone know him personally? Please post more Sir Basil.

[Fr. M.]

Basil, you've got groupies!

[Mrs. Peperium]

Dorothy, welcome. Basil and I have been friends for some time now. We plan on posting much more of Basil as time goes by...

Father M, Basil is just that kind of a guy.

[Young Fogey]

Dear Father M.,

Well spotted! You are most perceptive. 'Tis indeed the Intare.

[Mrs. Peperium]

Ah...is someone going to explain what the Royal Rwandan Order of the Intare is to those of us out here in Heraldic fly-over country?

[Father M.]

The Order of the Intare (Intare means "lion") is the principal house decoration of exiled King Kigeli V of Rwanda.

[dorothy]

thenk you Mrs Peperium, since you are friends with Sir Basil, can you tell me if the pictures of him are real? What does he look and sound like? Just wondering about this mysterious man.

[Sir Basil Seal]

Yes, Mrs P...What do I look like? Better ask Mr P, he can give an excellent description of my flying coat tails...

[Mrs. Peperium]

Oh my, talking about a man's attributes in front of the world... In my working girl days we called this Lipstick 101 and class met every Monday morning in my office....

Now, about Basil, I agree with you about the mysterious aspect of Basil. He can be extremely mysterious. You could at times almost think he's psychotic. But what is a psychotic really? I'm not a doctor so I would just say a psychotic is someone who has withdrawn from reality. Basil is most definitely that. He is withdrawn from the false reality of this world -Hollywood, TV, fashion fads, lousy literature and art. He is immersed in the true reality of this world which begins with core truth of the world -the truth contained in the Eucharist.

As a result, Basil is one of the most polite, well-dressed and intelligent men you will ever meet. But he can be and enjoys being very naughty. A little more than he should which is why we have Father M. around.

What I like most about Basil, physically, are his eyes. Very big and very dark. But there's something behind them. Do you understand what I mean? The eyes being the window to the soul is very true, at least I have always believe it to be true. His voice is very nice and masculine. Does this gives you a better idea of Basil?

[Mrs. Peperium]

See what I mean about Basil enjoying being naughty?

[Sir Basil Seal]

Good Lord! Who told you about my attributes? By the way, what did you talk about in Lipstick 102?

[Mrs. Peperium]

"Good Lord! Who told you about my attributes?"

You and your pilot swagger did.

[Mrs. Peperium]

One more thing, if you watch Rebecca - the version with Sir Lawrence Olivier and Joan Fontaine - there's a scene in there where cousin Jack pops in and out of Manderley's library window. When Jack (played by George Saunders) has his back turned, you'd think it was Basil. They are remarkably similar in well, you know. It is uncanny to see George jump over the window sill. That's how Basil jumps. For an old man, emphasizing on old, Basil still is ocasionally spry.