An Action Filled Weekend

Overall, it has been an extremely event filled, and entertaining weekend. We definetely don't run short on things to do in the city, though I think many of us at times fall too easily into the trap of hanging around the flat. The flat is like a safe zone, that you can always hang out and relax in, and with it not being a drabby sort of place, but actually very clean and beautiful with plenty of space, we like to spend our free time here. It's a cozy family that we have all become, fullfilling different roles that every family should have. I couldn't ask for a better gang of "brothers and sisters" than these. Overall, a group of good-natured and kind and light-hearted folks.
Friday night, the majority of the group made its way out into the city to do a bit of clubbing. We haven't actually gone out as a group in a while, and it was high time to do so. The only problem with going places with big groups is getting it to move. The girls would take forever to get ready, and then one of the girls might point out how my shoes don't match my shirt and then I'm scrambling for something else, and then seeing that my hair was getting too long, they (the ladies) figured I should do something more interesting with it. Little things like that make a nine o'clock departure slowly fade to 10:30.
We finally arrived at Tantra our first destination. The goal I felt for the night was to see some new clubs for some of us, that lie in a more exciting and higher class social scene, dare I say "classy". Many of these clubs require a person to be wearing "smart shoes" (dress brown or black shoes) and some sort of collared shirt at the minimum just to get in. Tantra had a very deep, dark environment, with colored lighting adding flavor to the atmosphere of this small but very packed place. All the upholstery was more or less a deep red for effect and we managed to snag a booth that is completely cushioned and you sit on the ground amidst these cushions. Something new and different.
The highlight of the evening was "The Pitcher and the Piano" an old gothic church with high steeples in the lace district of town converted into a very classy club. It looked incredible inside complete with stained glass and all. There were two levels with the bottom and middle entirely open, with a walkway across the middle of the church and balconies on the side. The place was huge, but always popular with plenty of people around. The ladies found some gentlemen friends, and enjoyed becoming acquainted with them well Kevin and I had a cigar (Not a common thing, trust me, just special occasions) and enjoyed the atmosphere. Finishing off the night we went to Dogma for a bit of dancing as we were all itching to do a bit more moving.

Saturday fullfilled one of my primary goals that was bound to happen soon anyway. We attended our first English Football game in the Nottingham Forest Football stadium. It was an absolutely amazing experience and something I hope to repeat again soon.

The Forest played Bristol the team ranked just behind Nottingham in the same Coca Cola league. There were some definite intense moments and overall was a good game to watch. Nottingham won 1-0 off of a direct kick that was perfectly placed in the upper 90 of the goal in the first quarter of the game. Everyone went nuts. It is so hard to explain the emotions of being caught in such a moment with such a huge roar from so many fans. I guess it would be like most of you folks back home at a Packer Game after a really intense touchdown.



The game overall was very different. There was no commentary during play as well as no music. Even so, there was never a lull in chanting and yelling. Whether it be Bristol or Nott, there was always some great big chant rolling out of a part of a stadium with hundreds of voices behind it.

I am bound and determined to learn them. It was tough to pick up what everyone was screaming with such a thick, throaty and extra accented cry of support for the team.


To emphasize the seriousness of these games to the fans that watch them, a "riot" broke out after the game, and I got to see it all. Everyone was flowing out of the stadium and we were going with it, taking our route with many other people through the streets on to this main road to the buses, when a could hear strange noises of metal clanging up ahead. All of a sudden a group of boys and men ran past me and started chanting and yelling and turned the corner, to meet a group of Bristol men doing the same. there was a clearing in the street and all traffic was stopped, and I got near enough to see that these men were chucking chunks of metal and punching and throwing anything else they could get their hands on. It took only a few seconds till I realized that those metal pieces were the torn off legs of patio chairs from the businesses lining these streets, and then I see full chairs being smashed into guys and thrown through the air. Crowds had gathered at a distance, and we were very spooked but so curious and watched as the fight elevated until more men joined and it kept growing and moving down the street. Eventually, the Bristol firm was backed up against a wine pub place, and tons of punches and chairs were flying. The front windows and doors were cracked and smashed up fromt the incident. After about 10 minutes of this fighting the police finally arrived with two women on horseback and then a bunch of men with billy clubs while the audience aplauded. It was such an intense moment, and we walked away with fast beating hearts. All that stuff we heard about football hooligans, and rioting and real violence over games was brought to reality. The incident made the news, as it was more intense than usual.

Got my hair cut by Mary that night. She did both Kevin's earlier and mine. My beautiful locks were just getting too obnoxious and unmanageable so I let her do her worst and she did a fine job.
Sunday was another day trip with Mark and Carole. With the Luther Car and a rented car, we drove an hour to the Peak district, into the hills and countryside, to finally and suddenly come upon this monstrous mansion.

It would be the equivalent of some castle or palace in more of a house form. It is surrounded by 1000 acres of land, all molded by the great landscape architect Capability Brown. He moved and widened the route of the river, removed tons of trees and planted others where he liked them, and at the wishes of the Duke and Duchess moved a small village further away so that it wasn't obstructing the mansion's view of the landscape. Everything was too perfect.
We spent the morning wandering vales and Hills for a couple hours, had lunch in the nearby mini-village, and on our way back to Chatsworth, managed to see the start of a "ride". Basically and assemblance of maybe 40 horsemen and women ride through the countryside following a pack of hunting dogs following a scent laid down by some men who have went ahead. It is just for a nice ride I guess, and seems to be fairly relaxed and more of a social thing for these people. It obviously seems to be an event that is only held by the aristocracy, the wealthiest of England. This one was hosted by the Duchess of Devonshire, who is the resident of nearby Chatsworth house.

Inside the house, was expectedly grand, of unnecessarily large proportions, yet astounding in its grandeur. Most of the ceilings were painted with giant murals of gods and goddesses caught in the clouds left to their own devices. Below is the library, or I should say the largest of 5 in the house. This is the only one we did see, and it alone, not counting the other 4 contains 15,000 books.
The house contains its own sculpture gallery of works collected by all the Dukes and Duchesses throughout its history. Is she real.........?
Interestingly enough, the above sculpture is not, but was created by a certain Duane Hanson, a Luther Alumnus. The work of this great artist in Iowa can be found all the way over in England in some random gallery in a house in the middle of no where, with many other great works surrounding it. just a shout out to Luther, and a real proud moment for us, seeing where people from such a fine school can get to.
By the time we finished exploring the house it had started raining pretty heavily, but Aaron and myself broke off and explored the gardens despite all this. We weren't going to let a little water hinder us. The house garden is huge. It is hard to fathom how huge it is, but basically it has multiple sections displaying various different gardens, a hedge maze, a huge area of man-made rock cliffs and waterfalls, and This giant pool with a fountain, and a bit of contemporary art scattered amidst it.
This is a central cascade that is a popular image representing the extremity of how massive and extensive these gardens are.
Aaron and I reached the middle of the maze, to find nothing but a sad looking little tree in it's center. I don't know what we were expecting to find...
Here is just another small area with all the rock sculpture and created landscape. It doesn't look completely natural, but at the same time is an amazing achievement, knowing that somebody planned out how all these rocks were placed and what plants would grow where. They had this envisioned in their head years ago, and had no way of knowing it would turn out this beautiful today.


Ever since I read about Jens Jensen, the landscape architect who designed the Chicago Park System and also the Luther Campus in early 1900's a few summers ago, I have always been fascinated by the job of a landscape architect. Now getting to see the work of Capability Brown, and the mark he has made all across the landscape of Britain, it has strengthened my curiosity and desire to look into Landscape architecture in those years after I get sick of teaching if that day ever comes. A distant dream I know, but I think it would be amazing. All this talk of dreams and such just tells me that I have been here typing entirely too long. Time to fall into some dreams of my own, before I awake at just after seven tomorrow.
Sweet and Pleasant Dreams to all!