A propos of absolutely nothing this morning, surf on over to http://www.bbc.co.uk/cambridgeshire/. That's the homepage for Cambridge, the greatest university town in all the world and(this is a Grant's Tomb moment)home of the venerable Cambridge University. It's one of my favorite places ever and should be on your itinerary for your next trip, or your first trip, to Europe. It's a place where you READ history, rather than major in history, where you spend your entire university career in one residential college(Trinity, Jesus, King's, Fitzwilliam, Pembroke...), where everyone runs around in what we would call graduation gowns, where you can find top choral talent, especially affiliated with King's College. You should go in spring, when all those famous English flowers are in bloom.
Just one highlight among many in England's "green and pleasant land."
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Funny you should mention England as a green and pleasant land because there was quite a different opinion on www.washingtonpost.com during Desson Thompson's film discussion today. The movie in question was "Children of Men":
Chicago, Ill.: Saw "Children of Men" yesterday and thought it was a powerful and depressing movie.
Why have there been so many apocalyptic films set in Britain? Is this a long-running thing or is the country just into that concept right now?
Desson Thomson: Britain--somehow--is perfect for apocalypse. I don't know why I say that, but I say it as a result of growing up there. Maybe I say that because it's great as a SETTING for apocalypse with its gray skies and intense characters and national vibe. Of course it has been the setting for many a sci fi story in novel form. And I think of Animal Farm and 1984 by Eric Blair or as he's better known, George Orwell. There were two recent films in which the UK was the setting for apocalypse, one serious and one comic: 28 Days Later by Danny Boyle in which a virus sweeps though the country, and Shaun of the Dead, a wonderful zombie comedy in which, well, everyone's dead and feeling real hungry.
I'll take your word that England is green and pleasant!
I think that's all true, actually...i guess you could say England is multifaceted, or wears many faces, or something. I've never had anything but good experiences there. For example, the one time I got out to Kew, home of the Botanical Garden, the Queen Mother had just passed away. She was President and Patron of the Gardens, as an avid gardener herself, and had stipulated that visitors should have free admittance during the period of mournng for her. It's VERY green and pleasant out there!
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