On Some Points with Slow Return . . .

One of the exciting things about my life as a research student is the opportunity to actually do research. Given the comparably small collection of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century books owned by my home institution, my research has often and will often take me to some of the most amazing libraries in the world. My current task involves examining and cataloging every extant eighteenth-century edition of Shakespeare's works. Sometimes tedious but always exciting!

At any rate, Isaac and I spent last week in London city. We found a marvelous hotel near Finsbury Park, whose promised studio apartment with kitchenette was rather obviously missing the kitchenette, but we enjoyed our room (en suite, even! . . . which, over here, means that occupants don't have to share bathrooms with other guests). Most days, I visited the reading rooms of the library (whose resources were slightly limited during the first two days of our trip due to a city-wide civil employee strike) and Isaac roamed the streets, drinking coffee and reading novels.

Here's the line of researchers outside the library shortly before opening time (actually taken in the summer of 2008).



For a particular treat and chance to unwind near the close of our trip, Isaac bought us tickets to see Phantom! The below photo, of Her Majesty's Theatre (where Phantom has been playing for a very long time) is actually from my 2004 trip to London, when my very generous father bought me the very last available seat in the house as a birthday present, so that I enjoyed the play (immensely) from behind a pillar and with no companions. After seeing Phantom for the first time, I decided it was the best of the three musicals we saw in London that winter, but parental opinion, memory, and a purchase of the Les Miserables CD eventually persuaded me otherwise. After seeing Phantom again in even better seats with an enthusiastic husband beside me, I am even more thoroughly convinced that this musical is amazing beyond almost all compare.

(Incidentally, while we were in London the sequel to Phantom premiered, to mixed reviews. Whether I'll make a point of seeing it or not remains to be determined).

Anyway, the elegance that is Her Majesty's Theatre.



Isaac and I had originally hoped to take a short holiday this week to celebrate Pi Day and give me a break from work, but such was not, apparently, meant to be. Instead, we've been lazing about the house, occasionally trying to be domestic, and occasionally venturing out into the wider world of tea rooms and chip shops. Today we visited the lovely nearby fishing village of Anstruther, well renowned for having the best Fish and Chips in Scotland, to stroll along the docks and, well, eat fish and chips. Here's a photo my wonderful husband took of the sky and shore.



Wishing many blessings to you all!