We have been out of range for about a week visiting a community called L'abri.
In the heart of Hampshire in a sleepy little town of Liss lies a Mansion called "The Manor House." Home to three families and 24 students, this place has a feel all its own.
Not many photos, as i went crazy with the film and still havn't been able to develop them.
The day consists of breakfast together with a devotion at the start. So relaxed and really amazing food. Then from 9:30 to 11:30 students either have work (gardening, cleaning the manor, raking leaves, helping with food prep) or study. Study is at your own pace and study what ever you like. The Manor has a library full of books, and a tape library full of lectures that you can listen to. After that its a cup of tea time. Then back to another 1 hour of study or work.
Lunch is so special. We get invited to one of the families houses, or eat in the manor dinning room. Someone from the group (anyone) can ask a question or a topic to talk about over lunch. The discussions that Grant and I were involved in were; the topic of peace (very interesting to here other peoples perspectives from all around the world) and the topic of home (is it important, necessary, what is it?).
Anyway i could go on and on about L'abri but I wont. It was beautiful, I want to go back. Grant and I have made many wonderful friends there, some of which i would love to visit in their home towns (one girl from Canada especially)
On our day off at L'abri eight of us decided to go to Oxford.
The home of the lead singer from Radio head "Thom York". My brain literally fell out of my head when I found this out.
Grant and I wondered the city streets of this Historical town, stoping to take pictures of things that inspired him.
The university was incredible. We stood outside the Library (as we weren't aloud in.) And found out that there was a creed that one had to say before entering, a sort of induction thing!
The oxfam shop that is pictured in one of the photos is where Grant bought my birthday present. A beautiful teal green coat. I fell in love.
We went to a museum, an antique market and visited the Eagle and Child (the birth place of the Inklings. A group of writers that would gather there and talk about their endeavours. C. Lewis, J.R Tolkien, Chesterton ...)
Okey so..train ride from Liss to Stansted airport. Holiday Inn. Awake at 4:30am. Breakfast. Shuttle bus. Airport. Line. Front of Line. Go back to another Line. Sorry you've missed the plane. Next plane 6pm tonight.
Grant and I spent the whole day of the 30th of January...at the airport. Its amazing how you can fill the time. Books, sleep, talk. We managed.
As we landed into Bologna at 9:10pm the same day, the snow began to fall. Just for me is what I'm going to believe. I had never seen snow until last night. And it was more beautiful than I could have imagined.
We got to the train station. All the signs where in Italian. We frantically tried to find the information desk to ask which platform the train to Cesena was leaving from. The man said. "Number 6...5 min...no time for ticket..you go NOW!
I have never felt so sick in my life after running with a 16kg pack on my back up two flights of stairs to make the last train. But we made it. And we are hear in the birth place of my dear Nona.
There will be photo's of Italy to come.
For now I leave you with the Oxford Chapter.
A reading chair in the morning room of the "Manor House"
One of the many heads that line the fences of the Oxford Theatre
The crest on the Oxford Theatre
To C.s Lewis and the Inklings for all you have done!
A beautiful Painting in the Museum by Pietro Orioli (1458-1496)
It reminded my of my Jo Mother
Let me Introduce Kenninley. He is our travelling bear. We adopted him off the streets of Tasmania and he has made it all the way to Europe.
Grants breakfast at the Airport. Not bad for plane food eh.
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