From Dreaming Spires to Hadestown, or, Life's Highs and Lows

New week, new news. I've been on top of the world! I've been in the depths of despair! I've begun to rethink my entire future. . .so, all in a week's work for NEC. After a lovely weekend that was both restful and rejuvenating, the beginning of this week was quite lovely as I planned my trip back to Oxford, which Matthew Arnold rightfully has called "that sweet city with her dreaming spires." Oxford is, as those who have followed this blog in the past will be well aware, my favorite city in England. And it certainly did not disappoint on this return trip. I think I have started to make some connections with people in the city. Katherine, one of the curators at the Ashmolean Museum, seemed to remember me, and she said she hoped she would see me next year (you and me both, Kate!). My trip began with a stop in at the Ashmolean Prints & Drawings Room, where I identified some excellent fodder for my current article on the Pre-Raphaelites and vision. I have included pictures of some of the preparatory sketches that I viewed. After a lovely morning at the Ashmolean, I met up with my friend Megan, who was hard at work at the Bodleian, and we had lunch at the Covered Market -- some excellent Thai food. We also discovered this charming store that sold items based on the work of Arts & Crafts magnate and Pre-Raphaelite associate William Morris. I wanted to buy everything in the shop, and was only limited by the fact that I would have to cart the various knick knacks around to three different countries before returning to the US. After lunch, we went our separate ways. I dropped off my bags at the hotel and went to do some work at my favorite pub in Oxford, the Lamb & Flag, a favorite past haunt of the Inklings. I got a great deal of work done, including some planning for my upcoming trips to Ireland and Scotland, and I did some research on dinner spots to go with Megan. I finally settled on a place called The Old Bookbinders, which was described as combining the charm of a British pub with the upscale dining experience of a French bistro -- it did not disappoint! Probably the best meal I've had in England so far, and certainly the best I've had in Oxford. Megan and I also took a leisurely stroll along the Oxford canal, which was beautiful. I walked 20,000 steps, which took its toll (I'm still recovering from some nasty blisters), but, overall, it was a lovely day and a nice reminder of the various reasons I love Oxford. 

The next day, July 17, I had planned to go on a free walking tour of Oxford. I have never had the time to just explore the city, and I thought this might be a fun way to engage with the sights. The tour was a complete bust -- I was not enjoying either the crowd or the commentary, so I ended up peeling off and going to get a coffee at my favorite coffee shop in Oxford, The Missing Bean, and then just revisiting some of my favorite Oxford hangouts. I returned to the Ashmolean to see some of my favorite pieces. Charles Collins' Convent Thoughts was helpfully on display, and I made some key observations of the piece that I believe will help in the development of my argument. I also caused quite a stir when I saw The Choice of Hercules and shrieked in delight, startling the other (quite proper) museum-goers. I learned a great deal about that painting this past year, and I had not realized that it was part of the Ashmolean's collection. I dipped into an Oxfam (love the thrifting in Oxford), where I purchased a copy of Northanger Abbey, and then I returned to the Lamb & Flag for some tea, reading, and more research on another dinner spot. Megan and I met at the Lamb & Flag and then walked along the canal again, where we met a quirky girl named Miriam who insisted on taking pictures with us. Odd, but sweet. Then we had dinner at a restaurant called Old Dehli before going to the train station to catch our return trip to London. Taylin was waiting for us in London when we got back, so we had a lovely reunion and chat before turning in to bed. I slept like the dead.

On July 18, I had quite a stressful morning as I applied for a job last minute. My alma mater, University of Texas at Dallas, is running an emergency search for an 18th and 19th c. specialist to serve as a Visiting Assistant Professor starting August 19th and my advisor recommended that I apply. It would be an excellent position, but it would also mean starting a job less than a week after my return from the UK and scrambling to try to get out of my Rice postdoc, so applying had me fairly on edge. But Alexander, my advisor, has never steered me wrong, so I wrote up some documents, drafted a job letter, and sent my application into the abyss. Pray for me.

After my stressful morning, I needed some retail therapy, so Megan and I decided to do a bit of shopping. We visited Partridges, a fancy grocery store where I bought Rose & Almond, Lemon curd, and Lavender & Honey biscuits for a biscuit tasting, and then we went to the grocery store so I could get supplies to make dinner since we were planning to have a late night at a show in West End and wanted to make sure we were prepped food-wise incase the restaurants were all closed when the show got out. The show was AMAZING!!! It was at the Lyric, a Victorian Era theatre. A beautiful space. Based on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, Hadestown is a musical that won the Tony Award in 2019 for Best Musical. It was so sad (as anyone who knows the myth might expect), but mindblowingly beautiful. My favorite song was "Why We Build the Wall," which is one of Hades' main songs. The man who played Hades was exceptionally talented, as was Eurydice. So. Much. Fun! Our seats were. . .entertaining. We were on the very edge of the theatre with some obstructions to our view, so if you wanted to see the whole stage, you had to lean really far over the bannister or even kneel there, so ended up on my knees for most of the show -- quirky and unforgettable! To add to the drama and intrigue, I met a woman in the bathroom who is a professor at Baylor University and was leading a group of undergrads on a study abroad. She gave me her email and asked me to stay in contact as she works with the Honors Program, which apparently has a postdoc for interdisciplinary scholars. Small world. 

Yesterday, July 19, was challenging. It was so hot (at least by London standards), and I spent about half the day feeling like I couldn't breathe and with acute heat exhaustion. Megan and I did manage to check off a few lingering touristy items from her list. We picked up lunch at Pret a Manger and picnicked in Hyde Park, which I've been dying to visit. We saw a procession of some guards, very cool! We also saw the famous Prince Albert Memorial, which was quite the treat and got some great ice cream to stave off the heat!

                                                    

We had a lovely evening out for Megan's last night in London at the Queen's Pub in Primrose Hill, one of my favorite places in London. Most of the day, though, I was just trying to nurse my blisters and keep from succumbing to my dehydration-induced headache. I was very pleased to see the sun setting and to feel the city cooling.

Well, that brings us to today. I've been having a lazy morning (again, blisters!) after bidding Megan goodbye. I'm so sad to see her go. Later this afternoon, I have lunch plans with Dani, and I'm trying to work in a drink later with Carly Boxer, one of my Art History contacts from Rice. It should be a nice weekend day, and it is, thankfully, much cooler than yesterday, so I'm overall quite pleased. That's all for now from over the pond. Best wishes to all of my friends and family in Texas. I love you, and I miss you. Thank you for your comments on my past post, and your prayers for my future prospects.

~ Nina