the road goes ever on and on, etc.

[nenya_kanadka]

We are home! I have something of a backlog of comments to answer, which hopefully will happen sooner rather than later.

The rest of the Scotland trip was good, and Oxford was a lot of fun. We took a train down the coast (beautiful) and hit the London train stations at rush hour (yaaaaaay...) but eventually found our Air BnB in Oxford. Kind of did our own Tolkien-influenced tour of Oxford, including seeing where the Tolkiens had lived, and bits of Merton and Exeter colleges.

And the Beren & Luthien grave, which...I don't think of myself as one for pilgrimages, but that felt meaningful in some way. Freighted with all the affection of all the other people who have visited it over the years, for one thing, and the love of all my LOTR friends back home who weren't there. Plus the thought that on some level, JRRT was just this guy, you know, with a family who missed him when he passed away. His son is buried just across the lawn; and what about the people who aren't famous who were laid to rest right next to them? So it was a very meditative morning. rohan_lady took wonderful pictures, as she usually does.

An interesting note--people had been leaving coins all along the top of the headstone. I counted Czech, Polish, Hungarian, and Turkish coins, along with a number of UK pence and Euro change. I don't know exactly why people were doing it, except that it's a quick way to show where you're from, and won't melt in the rain (like some of the cards people left). We scrounged in our bags and came up with a Canadian quarter, which I presume someone from the local Tolkien society now has custody of.

Anyway. Oxford is a lovely city. Went to the Bodleian library as well, including a museum display of some of the books they have. Queen Elizabeth I's calligraphy as an 11-year-old, wtf holy shit. A book with an engraved ivory cover. An early version of the Principia Mathematica. Etc etc. Really really cool.

Eventually it came time to fly home, so we got up at 5 am, took a bus to Heathrow, and flew about ten hours to Vancouver. Watched Mad Max: Fury Road (now I know what people are talking about with that fandom) and a couple of other things on the excellent in-flight entertainment system. In Vancouver, were delayed slightly because the propeller on the plane headed for Victoria had developed an oil leak. Eventually made it to Victoria, slept for about 15 hours, gained our bearings over the next few days.

Now home. Brain still in UK I think. May paint my nails rainbow colours, since I have acquired many of the nail polish colours that I had been borrowing from valtyr's set. Oh, and I bought a smartphone (my first!) which is really only of use as a wee tablet out here (no cell service except in town), but is gorgeous and spiffy and named Paddington.

Good to be home.

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This entry was originally posted at Dreamwidth where there are comments.

Comments

[scripsi.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a great vacation!

[cruisedirector]

Sounds like an awesome trip! :)

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

Welcome home!

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

So jealous! But that's a wonderful write-up, particularly of the grave. If ever I get the chance to head that way, I'll know one place for sure I'll have to check out.