Winchester and Beer

Well, I had a very nice excursion today to Winchester on a trip organized by the hall. The city's about two hours southwest of London, and once served as the capital for the ancient kingdom of Wessex and also as the headquarters of the early Anglo-Saxon kings, until the Norman Conquest of 1066.

Indeed, the entire town is replete with history. Winchester Cathedral was the main draw. Built on top of an earlier church, the cathedral is said to have the longest nave of any in Europe. The present building was begun in 1097, and you can still see the original Romanesque structures in the two transepts. But unlike, say, Canterbury or Salisbury cathedrals, it lacked a notable tower or spire, and as such, does not dominate the town's skyline or landscape.

We were treated to a nice hour-long tour of the cathedral by a very patient and elegant senior guide, who introduced us to the various gems of the complex, such as the various chantry chapels, the old baptismal font, and the history behind some of the more notable stained glass pieces. Interestingly, the cathedral also contains the tomb of noted English author Jane Austen.

I hung around with a group of four through much of the day, comprising the couple from Canada with whom I had attended the Thames cruise earlier, plus two other ladies - one from Singapore and the other from Hong Kong. We also checked out other attractions such as the Hospital of St Cross, an old "almshouse", which we reached after traversing through lovely water meadows, and also the remnants of the old Winchester Castle, including the Great Hall, where a large 18 foot illustrated table could be seen hanging on the wall. Ahh, that's said to be the Round Table dating from the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Heh. I certainly don't buy that.

In all, it was a lovely day out, despite the fog in the morning, and the overcast skies that prevailed through much of the day. Saturday marked my one month mark in the UK, and Winchester represented my first time travelling out of London. It's important not to be trapped in the city, for the UK offers just so much more than London, amazing though the city is.

In one sense, however, it was a comfort coming to Winchester. It resembles so many other middle-sized market towns in English that I'm familiar with - with a nice, pedestrianized High Street, an ancient cathedral nearby, other scattered historical attractions around, plus nice bakeries and tea houses. Before leaving Winchester, we had a good cup of tea, and I also met up with my old friend, the Cornish Pasty. One day, I will compose an Ode to the Cornish Pasty, surely. For those unfamiliar with it, think in terms of a giant curry puff, stuffed with minced meat, potatoes and onions. An earthly offering, but hey, to me, it's positively heavenly.

We left Winchester in the evening, and arrived back in London and back at the hall at just after 7pm in the evening. I headed upstairs, dumped my things, and went out again for drinks at the flat of this lady from the Massachusetts who's in my class. She's one of those who has garnered some professional experience before coming to UCL. And having worked as a legislative analyst before, she's rather familiar with Washington DC, and thus, I've been having nice occasions over the past weeks chatting with her about our common love for the city. I don't think I would ever get another chance to work there, assuming I remain on my current career trajectory. So, unfortunately, the memories of DC will, for me, become ever more distant.