My Adventures Through the British Isles

Trinity College - Dublin, Ireland

Greetings one and all!

It has been some months since I last posted. Much has transpired.

I took a long planned trip to the British Isles! I was gone for 15 days with my mother, a friend, and her mother. In that span of time I journeyed through England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The most surprising thing about the trip? My feet often felt frozen and looked paler than the rainy skies we encountered.

During the trip despite the consequences of extreme exhaustion my friend and I beat the odds of nonexistent wifi in a foreign country and managed to watch 2 movies: Far and Away and The Worlds End.

I heard John Farmer's song, "The Voice," on bagpipes.

We started our trip in England. We saw Big Ben, the London Eye, Parliament, the Globe Theatre, and many other trademark sights of London.

We saw Richard II performed in the Globe Theatre, it was fantastic! I loved it. As a nice addition we toured the Globe Theatre and got to sit in and watch them rehearsing for opening night which is when we attended.

We took an extra tour to Stonehenge. It took much longer than we wanted to. I will always look at pictures of Stonehenge with a tinges of mingled exasperation and fondness. Mostly exasperation. :)

The day we arrived in London the Tube (subway) workers were on strike for the day so the millions of people usually underground were up and about on the streets. Traffic was an ordeal, especially for 4 people with jet lag. The first day found us discouraged and disillusioned. However, London, despite the pain it gave us has become my favorite city. I love how it works and moves, once you can read the chaos, it's very simple to get around in. The Tube is incredibly efficient (if it's not off-line from a strike or undergoing repairs).

To my disappointment I encountered nothing Doctor Who. The entire trip we encountered sparse merchandise in a couple shops, and once I saw a Dalek in a wall mural.

We did visit Platform 9 3/4 and 221b Baker Street.

After London we also visited Stratford-Upon-Avon. Shakespeare's birthplace. It's a beautiful spot.

In Scotland we were treated to some lovely Highland Bagpipe music; I tried Haggis (actually quite tasty, do not ask what's in it); and we toured the Highlands which are very beautiful. The mountains are almost always buried in fog.

Throughout the trip I sampled wine, whisky, and of course... beer. We visited a couple of different breweries.

The highlight of Scotland was visiting Edinburgh (pronounced Ed-in-burrow) and getting to tour Edinburgh Castle. Nerdy Fact: The Red Wedding in season 3 of Game of Thrones is based on a real feast that took place in Edinburgh Castle.

Edinburgh Castle

Cool Swords!

The moral is: If the world is ending all around you make sure you grab your beer on the way down!

Cliffs of Moher

In Ireland we went to Titanic Belfast. A museum dedicated to the infamous ship. There was a clear floor that you could stand on and see the ocean floor moving over the remains of the ship.

We were treated to Irish music. My favorite night was in the Old Jameson Distillery. We had the most incredible group of musicians and divine food.

Another highlight of the trip was the Cliff of Moher. Gorgeous and vast. It's impossible to capture their enormity in a picture. They rise from 400-700 feet high. Let me tell you the ride to reach them in a massive tour bus can make you a little edgy.

100% Accurate Summary of Ireland's Weather

Something we could always look forward to was our hotel room. You could never predict what you would end up with. All of our hotels were wonderful. But some had little quirks that made showering an adventure or finding an outlet to charge your phone an ordeal. Every shower was different... And sometimes the outlets wouldn't match any of your converters. That feeling you get as your phone's battery drops at ever increasing speeds... But we lived! The lowest my phone's battery descended to was 5%.

This post is a very broad summary of all 15 days and I didn't touch on half of all we did. However I hope it gave you a little taste of the British Isles!

We booked our tour with CIE Tours. We chose the British and Irish Voyager. I fully recommend them.
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As a little aside, today is my blog and Facebook page's anniversary! Here's to 2 years! Thank you for your support!

Poem- Fictitious Fancies

I have no words that glow

No tales of ringing steel

I have no loom of foresight

No worlds that are surreal

The portal through the wardrobe

Has closed itself to me

My companion who could run

Has run at last from me

I lost my magic ring

It fell through time and space

It crashed into a mountain

At silver warp speed pace

It takes imagination

To make a dream alive

It takes a leap of daring

To take dreams to the sky

I have no right to do

what I have seen been done

Instead I have the privilege

To share the light of One

No wand will ever choose me

No staff is mine to wield

I have only plain symbols

to make their minds all reel

No mockingjay will sing

No faction claim my work

My writing is not beauty

It has too many quirks

They say all things have endings

I think that very well

For without any endings

Beginnings would be quelled

Now one last word- “say please”

Please let me live my days

In peace with friends of paper

Who have loved me “Always”

Desolation of Smaug Midnight Premiere

A year ago, fans of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy were left in suspense at the end of

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey."

A year later the joyous time has come upon us once more where Tolkien nerds can weep and laugh in joy at their pain being appeased at last. No more agony! We have the movie we've been waiting a year for! Everybody run around and celebrate!!!

Last Friday I was unbelievable and bizarrely thrilled to see the midnight premiere of "The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug." My first ever midnight premiere. For a movie related to my favorite books in all of this world. :D

MY TICKET AND 3D GLASSES!!! :OOO *LE BOUNCE*

This isn't a review, that would require too many spoilers which I don't want to give so soon after its release, and my view is too biased to be an honest reference point for the entire thing.

I will say I loved it. There were so many things I disagreed with (those of you who have read the book(s) will sympathize) but the more I've had time to relax and think about it the more I enjoyed it.

The picture below is a legit airplane that that they have in New Zealand. That place goes crazy this time of year concerning the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies. Postage stamps, coins, they have the set of Hobbiton in permanent residence there along with the Green Dragon... Honestly New Zealand is the closest thing we'll ever get to Middle Earth I think except for in our dreams and our imaginative reading endeavors.

Death of Glory (excerpt)

Roman Gladius used in the Roman Legions
(Pinterest)

I wanted to title this post "Excerpt From My Novel The Death of Glory Which I Haven't Touched Since July" but decided that was a bit much. ^_^

I know most of you are unaware that for 2 1/2 years now I've been working on a book which in proper, writerly, terms, would be called a novella. It's based on the OYAN curriculum form. A marvelous curriculum that has changed my life first and foremost and my writing second. But to get into that of course would be enough for a post all it's own.

So any time you hear me reference my "OYAN novel" taa-daa now you know what it is. :)

The working title is "The Death of Glory." The main character is boy in his teens living in Roman-Britain. Roughly 400-410 AD right before the Romans are pulled out of Britain.

The Saxons are attacking and the "R&B's" have been forced to cooperate (as far as I know this isn't historically accurate, but it's very much something that could have happened).

I thought I might show you guys the last scene I wrote in my novel. :)

-Duer is the main character (it is from his perspective, first person)
-Ator is the primary antagonist, leader of the attacking Saxons (also called Sea Wolves)
-Arlyn and Brean are friends of Duer

I did edit it a bit so that it flowed better and (hopefully) makes more sense but this is still first draft material.
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I find myself face to face with Ator.
Sometimes I wonder if the gods purposely plot out my demise and then throw up their hands in frustration when I escape.

He wouldn’t recognize me. He’s killed too many Romans and Britons for one to stand out. So the riot of battle can cloud even the sea gods gaze. I smile darkly. The sweeping strokes of his sword knock me to the ground within the first few minutes and I gasp in shock. How? I note how he has taken up a Roman sword in one hand, while he doesn’t wield it with grace, his strength more than compensates for skill. In his other hand he grips a spear.

I bring my arms up in submission. When the blade strikes down I fling myself to the side and the blade pierces the earth next to me. Now it is dancing through the air again, ready to plunge deep within me and wrest out my spirit. I’m almost tempted to let it. Such a death would guarantee a glorious afterlife.

A spear with the top of the shaft broken off lies to my left. My fingernails gouge the dirt and I make a fist around the spear to block against Ator’s sword. The shaft is snapped in two from sheer force. My arm tingles.

Again I’m forced to scramble away, having to pause to lurch out reach for a heartbeat from the unrelenting steel, panting and dragging in gulps of air. This is straining my body and my mind. Soon, all too soon, I will give out and be eliminated.

If only I could get onto my feet. In desperation I brace my palms on the ground and surge upwards, twisting to face Ator. He knocks the side of my head with his sword hilt. Everything sways and blurs and I collapse.

The only thing that exists is the sky. Gloriously empty. My head throbs, and I gladly distract myself from it by staring up into the endless depths of pale gray. It hurts too much to think. It takes too much effort to summon any lingering feelings of regret towards my friends or any lingering pity. I can’t bring myself to greet my death. The noise of banging shields and screams are a rough haze… What do I care for their quarrels?

Gray eyes connect with mine. A path links between us for a moment. Gray eyes. Gray sky. Endless. Hate and rage storm through them. Beautiful.

“Duer!”

Ator is shoved into the ground by a large body barreling through. Rough hands jerk me to my feet. Arlyn roars at me. “What are you doing?”

I see Ator recover and bare his teeth like a cornered hound.

“You were just staring.” Brean’s frantic shouts wash over me as he rushes to my side.

The sky vanishes and I blink. “I…”

“Why were you just staring? Staring!” Brean can’t seem to understand what exactly it was I had been doing.

I lick my lips. “I was greeting Death.”

He lets out a yell of frustration. Arlyn half paces, half jogs next to us, weapon held at ready to defend our retreat.

“Arlyn.” I greet him and attempt a wave. “Thanks.”

The dark haired warrior rolls his eyes and proceeds to ignore me.

Later I would wonder, if I were to kill Ator, how would he have felt in the afterlife? I was no one special. Would he be raging in humiliation and swearing revenge on me as he burned in whatever afterlife the Sea Wolves believed in? Or would he resign himself to his fate?

And I have to laugh. What are the odds of me killing Ator?

He is only a man.

He is also a god.

To his people and to some of the Britons, to me even, he is a god.

Who can kill a god?

But now, now this was war and war does not merely think. War is calculating and cruel as she takes lives. Her second in command is Death and he does her bidding.

I shake off another cloud of dizziness along with Brean’s supporting arm and charge yet again.

Hobbit- Misty Mountains Cold

Look I got cool stuff from Barnes and Noble! Aka the happy place. :D

It's hard to see in the pic, but I got Thorin and Gandalf holographic bookmarks with Thorins key and Gandalf's staff as PENS! <3

And the House of Hades which I've finished, but that a whole'nother realm of trouble to get into.

Today I didn't have time to get something written up for writing, instead, enjoy this beautiful poem from Tolkien's The Hobbit. :)

I do not own the amazing artwork. I thought it was pretty awesome though and worth sharing.

You still get writing and art, just not mine.

Also, here's a couple links to some beautiful music inspired by Tolkien and Peter Jackson's films.

http://youtu.be/F2CsBqwcL1c - dubstep misty mountains cold

http://youtu.be/GsbzPlrfgyo - Neil Finn's song of the lonely mountain (the ending credits always make me blurry eyed)

Anyways, hope everypony is having a beautiful week, cheers! I just wrote this up, I think I'm half asleep. :P

“Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day
To seek the pale enchanted gold.

The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,
While hammers fell like ringing bells
In places deep, where dark things sleep,
In hollow halls beneath the fells.

For ancient king and elvish lord
There many a gleaming golden hoard
They shaped and wrought, and light they caught
To hide in gems on hilt of sword.

On silver necklaces they strung
The flowering stars, on crowns they hung
The dragon-fire, in twisted wire
They meshed the light of moon and sun.

Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away, ere break of day,
To claim our long-forgotten gold.

Goblets they carved there for themselves
And harps of gold; where no man delves
There lay they long, and many a song
Was sung unheard by men or elves.

The pines were roaring on the height,
The wind was moaning in the night.
The fire was red, it flaming spread;
The trees like torches blazed with light.

The bells were ringing in the dale
And men looked up with faces pale;
The dragon's ire more fierce than fire
Laid low their towers and houses frail.

The mountain smoked beneath the moon;
The dwarves, they heard the tramp of doom.
They fled their hall to dying fall
Beneath his feet, beneath the moon.

Far over the misty mountains grim
To dungeons deep and caverns dim
We must away, ere break of day,
To win our harps and gold from him!”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

Sketch- Thorin

Today is Tuesday!

Each Tuesday I will try to post a sketch of some kind, old or new. :)

Tonight I sat down and attempted to draw Thorin freehand, with a pen.

In an odd way, it went better than expected, and worse than I would've liked. :P Now someday I'm going to have to sit down for a whole week and come out with a super detailed portrait of Thorin to make myself feel better, but for now this'll do for Tuesday's post.

I added some special effects, which isn't the idea of posting a "simple" sketch, but it does look cooler. ^_^ His facial shape is not correct, and his mouth doesn't carry the right emotion...

No no no... this is a sketch. This was an experiment in the first place, I had no planning beforehand, I had a pen and went with it. I was trying to play with the crosshatching method. For something I don't do often, it went alright.

What do you guys think?

Music I listened to: The Voice was on... *shrugs* :)

For non-Tolkien fans - Thorin Oakenshield is a character created by JRR Tolkien and is a major character in The Hobbit. What you see here was done from a reference photo of Thorin as portrayed by Richard Armitage in Peter Jackson's film (soon to be) trilogy, The Hobbit.

Hobbit Day

HAPPY HOBBIT DAY EVERYONE!!! :)

I'm watching The Hobbit tonight and I came out with this fun sketch.

I used bronze, gold, and silver sharpie with black pen, unfortunately the different colors don't come across in the picture. The font is in Bilbo's style of handwriting.

The sword represents the symbol in both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit that connects Bilbo and Frodo. The hobbit door is encircled with a gold ring. ;)

The illustrations reflect the beginning, climax, and end of both of their journeys (The Shire with Gandalf, Sauron/Smaug with a mountain of some kind, the Grey Havens).

It might not be legible in the picture, but I write "Home is behind... The world ahead."

And now a picture of Thorin. :) despite the fact it isn't his birthday, I have to say something about him. <3