Stonehenge

My theory is that this was some sort of ancient Druid temple. These massive rocks were here before England was even on the map as far as civilization goes. The Romans were not here yet and there were no horses. Whoever these early Angles were they could move some big rocks and impressively stacked them on top of each other so that they would stay there for over 5,000 years! This was also the scene for the ending of Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'urbervilles. Poor Tess

Birmingham Half Marathon

This was my second race in England and my second PR. No I don't think that it is the Fish & Chips or all of the ales. In all honesty it might be a combination of the cooler temperatures, with all of the walking and the fact that my body has finally recovered from and absorbed all of those hard 70 mile weeks before Boston.

I apologize if this post is too much about running or too much about my faith in God. Both things are very dear to me and so this post may be a bit more personal than the rest.

I will start by saying that today I ran a New York Marathon qualifying time. Still this post is not to aggrandize myself and my meager running ability. I was never a good athlete in school and will never get payed to run. For so many years I have run to deal with my insecurity, life's disappointments, failed relationships and on and on. The only reason I can run is that God has blessed me with my health and strength but that fades and will fade. I learned that lesson all too harshly this fall. A very dear friend, a British man whom I thought I would have a pint with this fall in London died of Cancer. This friend and former pastor made a huge impact on my life and I think he finished his race strong. Today I knew that I had put myself in good position to run a New York qualifier but about mile 11 or 12 was beginning to get tired. I was running behind a man whose singlet read, canceresearch.co.uk, I immediately thought of Nick. Nick finished his race strong because he never lost his faith. Even though he was in so much pain at the end of his life he still praised God. As a result I am not angry at God or disenchanted by Nick's death but encouraged by his faith and his perseverance. In my little way I knew that I had to push through the pain strong to the end today so that I could say that, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race". I want to be careful with this analogy because I know that this was hard for everyone and nothing like an unimportant road race. What I want to say is that God used Nick in so many powerful ways and I admire him for being strong until the end.

Birmingham put on a beautiful race. The fans were out, the elite runners were there and I had a blast. Around mile 7 or 8 when I was really just hitting my stride I thought about Chariots of Fire and the quote, "when I run I feel his pleasure". I am thankful to God for the gift of running. In Boston I saw the crowds as hostile aggressors closing in around me. I built a wall against them so as to not let them in but I took a completely different approach with the fans in England. I high fived the kids and the old ladies as I ran by. I embraced the English city of Birmingham and had fun with them. It seems that they had fun with me as well.

La dame et la Licorne

So far one of the coolest things that I have been able to do here in London is see the Austin, Texas based band Shearwater live in a little pub. On one of their albums the opening track is entitle la dame et la licorne and I didn't realize the significance of this until I visited Musee de Cluny or the national Middle Ages Museum in Paris. There they have many medieval tapestries but the most famous and striking are La Dame a la Licorne. The exhibit is set up in an almost glow in the dark way. The room is dark and the tapestries are lit up so that they almost glow. On one wall the five tapestries that display the five senses are arranged starting with taste and ending in touch. On the wall behind is the grand tapestry that has a vague meaning. I was inspired by the meanings and the beauty of these tapestries. I kept thinking about the Boston Marathon logo being the unicorn. The unicorn represents allusiveness or something that cant quite be caught. I think this appropriate in so many ways for art, running and Paris.

There is never any ending to Paris

"There is never any ending to Paris and the memory of each person who who has lived in it differs from any other. We always returned to it no matter who we were or how it was changed or with what difficulties, or ease it could be reached. Paris was always worth it and you received return for whatever you brought to it." Hemingway in the closing paragraph of A Moveable Feast.

For me this trip to Paris was very much about going back after nine years. I went back to the old neighborhood where I lived and went for a run in the Bois de Boulogne, where I would run in the mornings before class. I walked down Avenue de General Sarrail and past the building where I lived. I went back to Reid Hall and walked through the gardens and the glass corridor. I spent an afternoon having dinner with an old friend in The St. Michelle and walked along the Seine. The metro still smelled the same and I thought back on my time in Paris as a university student.

But Paris wasn't just about going back but also about new experiences. L'orangerie museum with all of the Monet along the walls, it was the first time that I have ever shopped at Gallerie de Layfayette, visited Pere LaChaise cemetery and climbed to the top of La Tour Eiffel. I went to the the Institut Catholique de Paris and said hello to a professional contact. I was surprised to find this school crawling with students of all ages. The art in Paris was unsurpassed and I saw many things that I had not seen before. La Dame a la Licorne was impressive in Cluny, and the Monets in L'oragnerie as were many of the works in the D'orsay.

Paris was not as busy as London. I found life there to be a bit slower and less chaotic. Still I am glad to be back in London and don't when I will be back in Paris. Even so I will always have fond memories of Paris.

Benjamin Franklin's lodging while in London

The Benjamin Franklin House is located at 36 Craven Street near the Thames in a very central part of London also close to Charing Cross Tube station. Benjamin Franklin lived there for 16 years up until 1775 when he left abruptly for America. During his time he lodged in this house and promoted good relations between the colonies and England but could not prevent the impending split. Franklin also pursued his scientific and musical interests in this house. It was here that he worked on his inventions, bifocals and the lightning rod.

Later in this house bones were found buried underneath. After Franklin left this house was apparently used as a place for surgeons to practice on dead bodies. Many times these bodies were stolen from graves as bodies to be used for medical practice were at a premium during the 18th century.

The house to this day maintains most of its original features including wood floors, staircases and marble fireplaces.

BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall and Yo-Yo Ma

This past Sunday night was the last night of the BBC Proms. It was something that I was told was one of the things to do while in London but to be honest I was resigned that to not make it. I have just been doing so many things and the Proms are expensive. Even so I ended up getting tickets for Friday Night to see Yo-Yo Ma with The Silk Road Ensemble. It was late Friday night but it was a treat to be able to see such a famous composer in the lush Victorian style surroundings of Royal Albert Hall.

The music was experimental and meant to represent the meeting of Eastern and Western culture, thus the name Silk Road Ensemble. The show opened quietly with musicians on either side of the stage playing bamboo flutes. Then some eastern style music was played on western instruments. Yo-Yo Ma performing on his cello which has made him world famous.

The composers talked about each selection played. Many of the songs were old and told stories of war or heartbreak. Sometimes the music was interrupted by the beating of drums. At one point there was even a long solo of a man slapping his chest, cheeks and legs to create rhythm and beats.

Yo-Yo Ma was upbeat and friendly with the audience who were very appreciative of his performance. It was an exciting show and definitely one of the highlights of stay in London so far.

Fireworks on the Thames

It felt like the 4th of July or New Year's Eve. Although it was just a normal Sunday night and I was tired. Standing on The Waterloo Bridge overlooking the Thames with the first bit of Autumn cool setting in and fireworks in the air against the backdrop of St. Paul's and the Gerkin made for a special moment in London.