BeckShep

Phew, sorry to have been so slow in getting this up here. I moved into a private house so I haven't had internet at home and on my laptop (where all my pics are). But no worries, I shall soon be all hooked up and caught up on my blog here.
So Exeter. The international orientation organised (that's right, rocking the British spelling) a day trip for us to Exeter on Sunday the 16th. There were so many of us that we took 3 coaches and naturally we left late; about an hour or so after we were supposed to.
Exeter is really only about an hour or so away but we took the scenic route instead. It was actually quite pretty. We drove through Dartmoor, which is a huge nature reserve with moors, hills, sheep, and ponies. Didn't see any of the famous Dartmoor ponies however, which was kind of disappointing. The drive was a little scary because the roads are all super narrow and we spent half the time hugging the hedges so we didn't run over all the little cars on the other side. They'd actually have to pull over and stop to let us inch our way by half the time. Hence, it took probably about twice as long as it would have if we'd taken the highway.
Once we got to Exeter we were dropped off and met by a bunch of white haired city chamber members who were to be our tourguides through this exciting medieval city. We started off at the quay along the river and next to the canal. It was a very cute area with little shops dug into the hillside.

We then crossed over the river via a footbridge

and headed into the center of the city.
Along the way our guide told us about the medieval history of the city. It was apparently very big in the woolen trade and had a bunch of mills up and down the river. Naturally conditions were pretty awful, cholera was pretty rampant. Fun times. Along the way to the cathedral, our guide was kind enough to stop outside a building and explain that it was a pub, and that's where you drink. I found this rather entertaining, and shows you about how incredibly useful the tour actually was. After traversing a really old bridge (from the medieval times)

we made our way up to the cathedral where the tour ended.
The cathedral was definitely the best part of the trip. It's an absolutely beautiful piece of Gothic art. The outside is incredibly intricate with countless statues that have been eroded by time.

Inside was just as beautiful with an amazing vaulted ceiling and little chapels off to the sides. Unfortunately we weren't able to see everything (including the bishop's throne) because it was Sunday and mass was about to start. I think if I lived in a city with a cathedral like this I would go to church all the time. Not because I'm particularly religious (I'm not at all in fact), but just for the experience of being in such an awe-inspiring building. I love cathedrals.

After that we had just enough time to grab some lunch at a local pub and then find our way back to the buses so they didn't leave without us. Luckily on the way home, we stuck to the highway.

So as part of the international orientation here in Plymouth, they organized a couple of little day trips. The first we went on was a boat tour of the area around Plymouth. We left from the Mayflower Steps, the same place that the pilgrims set out from in 1620 on their way to the New World. The weather was perfect; bright and sunny, although a little chilly out on the water. We've all been wondering where the English rain has been. We've been lucky and it's been off and on sunny the whole time so far with only a few rain showers here and there.
Anyway, on the boat we set out across Plymouth Sound allowing us to get some great views of the Hoe (a big park area down by the water).
The boat then made it's way up the waterway separating Devon and Cornwall (2 counties in England). On the Devon/Plymouth side there is a massive naval shipyard with a number of frigates, submarines, drydocks, and other such things. It reminded me a bit of what I saw way back in 7th grade when we toured the water in Portsmouth (England, not RI) and saw all the ships. And of course it felt a bit like home, with all the navy ships, except of course on a much bigger scale.
On the Cornwall side there were a couple of seaside villages and some lovely countryside.
There were a couple of different ways to get across from one county to another. There's a ferry service that you can take your car over on. They operate by pulling themselves on chains that stretch across from one coast to another.
There are also two impressive looking bridges that span the water. There's a rail one and also a one for pedestrian and car traffic.
After the boat ride, we hung around the Barbican (kind of the harborside area in Plymouth) and got our first taste of fish and chips since we got to England. We sat on that water and ate our food out of our paper with our little wooden forks, while the swans below tried to grab any scraps that might fall in.

So I thought that I would keep a travel blog online here as a way to keep track of my various journeys and everyday happenings while I'm here in Plymouth. I arrived last Tuesday and it's been kind of a whirlwind of orientation and familiarizing myself with the city. Not to mention the extensive search for suitable housing, since halls are nowhere near what I wanted. But no need to go into that now, as I have found a house with some other students who seem pretty nice. Now I just need to pray that they are able to fill my room here in halls so that I do not have to pay 2 different rents. Well, I think that's it for now. I will put up pictures and another blog about my boat trip around Plymouth and a day trip I took to Exeter at a later time. For now, just wanted to get things started. Let the adventure begin....