Two hours later I woke up to sunlight and DID go exploring Colchester.
As I made my way to the appropriate bus station on the other side of campus, it began to mist. Still not a big deal, I didn't need the umbrella. I boarded the bus, which had rather comfortable seats, and rode into the Colchester Bus Station.
When I got off the bus it was well and truly raining. I took out the umbrella and began to wander.
Colchester is not really a tourist town like Cambridge seems to be. The shops they have are shops like The Gap and Wet Seal. It was sort of like being in an outdoor mall. I wandered toward the town center and ducked into a comic book shop along the way, just for the feeling of familiarity. Didn't buy anything because I'm so behind on Buffy now that what would be the point... but I did look longingly at the DnD stuff before ducking back out.
In my wanderings I happened across a free Museum of Natural History. So I went in there. It was a very small museum detailing the wildlife in the Colchester area (ie, it was a museum of ducks).
Further wandering brought me to a large public park (called Castle Park) that I'm sure will be gorgeous on some sunny day in spring. I went in and found another free museum called the Hollytree Museum. It was this really old house turned into a museum, which was neat enough for being free. It had a lot of information about Castle Park: the whole park had once been the grounds of this rich family and is now public space with lots of gardens and water features and things. I think there might be a zoo somewhere in there too, but I'm not sure.
This is a really big doll house in the Hollytree Museum
This is another one.
After that, I went to explore the grounds a bit.
mini palm bush
Oh, so THAT'S an arbor... maybe?
I thought this was pretty neat. I walked on, inhaled deeply.... and coughed out the cigarette smoke. I mean really...
Oh hey look... a castle.
A bridge leading into the castle! Let's go!
This is the castle well. It is very deep. A penny... or a 1 pence piece... thrown into this well takes about two minutes to hit the water. There is a sign encouraging viewers to see if a 1 pound piece takes as long... hey, I paid attention in physics. Thank you, no.
Ye Olde Wyndowe
I didn't take many pictures in this museum because museums actually sort of freak me out, especially when I'm alone. I did learn some interesting things though. Actually, I think I was reminded of some interesting things... I knew some of them before. Anyway, the site the castle was built on used to be a Roman temple, specifically to Claudius. It was also the site of Boadicea's rebellion, though they didn't go into TONS of detail on that because the details are a bit gory. Right, so blah blah Romans, blah blah Normans, poof it's a museum. And for some reason there's also an exhibit about a sanitarium, even though the castle never was one... yeah, I didn't really follow that either.
I left the museum and wandered a bit more. I came across
A great big church. This is St. James the Great, Church of England. There is also a St. James the Less somewhere in town, which is a Catholic church...
I was about to take a picture of the back end of the church when I got distracted. I went in, but did not find anything I was willing to purchase. It was nice to be surrounded by books though. Everyonce and a while I just step into the library or bookshop on campus to recharge... like a save circle in Kingdom Hearts.
Oh yeah, and there's the back of the church.
..... I had to. No one was looking. I did the touristy thing and took a picture of the big red phone booth. I'm so ashamed. At least I didn't try to fit twenty people inside...
Next I came across a visitor info center and picked up a map of Colchester and information on places to eat and shop, having in mind my parents' visit. Then I wandered about looking for somewhere to have lunch.
I went into a pub, turned around and went back out. Not somewhere I wanted to eat alone, though I'm sure it's great for people with large groups. I kept wandering. As you approach the Town Hall, the number of cafes increases exponentially. I finally picked one whose windows I could see into. It was called, rather improbably, The Lettuce and Slug.
It was actually a pretty nice place. I had a chicken wrap, which included both meat and vegetables and was actually rather tasty. The desserts looked good to, but by then I was sick of watching people eat with their friends and loved ones, so I left.
A little ways down the street from this cafe is a Pizza Hut. I make note of this because Stephanie is coming... (there is also a KFC, McDonalds, and Burger King)
A bit more fruitless wandering and I decided to call it a day. I made my way back to the bus station and waited for the 62 back to University. It came with minimal delay and I boarded and asked the driver how much to go to University. The driver, a small elderly Chinese man with a heavy accent (Chinese, not English), responded that he was going to the train station. Having memorized the route, I said yes, but after that, you'll be going to University.
Yes, but first he was going to the train station...
Ok, so how much to University?
Well, it's 1.10 to the train station.
And to University?
How bout you buy that one when we get to the train station?
I gave up. I bought the ticket to the train station. It took forever to get there. Traffic in Colchester is not pretty. It is because of all the roundabouts!! Nowhere is there to be found a normal intersection. EVERYTHING is a roundabout! I was talking to Sophie upon my return and I mentioned the hideous traffic, and she said "Yeah, it's because of all the roundabouts!" so it's not just me... she's from London and says that it's really just this town, not all of England.
Anyway.
We finally got to the train station and I went up to buy the ticket to University. The driver said
"Oh, I don't know if I am going to Wivenhoe" (which is where the University is). He made like he was going on break.
"Ah, I see, I should catch another bus." Suddenly it seemed to make some sort of sense... but...
"No. Wait." He pulled out a cell phone, made a call, said nothing, hung up the cell phone, sat back down in the drivers' seat, and opened the doors for the waiting people.
"1.80 to University."
Sure. Why not. Buses are ridiculously expensive out here. I mean, compared to the free ones at Purdue. The trip to University took about five times longer than the initial trip to Colchester. Cursed roundabouts. However, I did learn where to go if I do not want to walk back up the hill from Tesco. I can just catch this bus and it will cart me up the hill to University. I still have to walk up the hill to the tower. It is a steeper, but much shorter, walk.
The rest of my day was spent half reading for myth class, half dozing.
Tomorrow: Laundry!
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