Future Travel Plans!

This Weekend: Ireland Study Trip

Next Weekend: Scotland-Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands

The Weekend After- Palma de Mallorca, an Island off of Spain
(This one isn't set yet, we're still thinking. But we're hoping for a beach!)

A Rainy Day in London Town

Jane Austen Grave Inscriptions

It's hard to see them in the pictures so here are the inscriptions on Jane Austen's grave and the plaque beside it. 

On her grave:

In Memory of JANE AUSTEN, youngest daughter of the late Revd GEORGE AUSTEN, formerly Rector of Steventon in this County. She departed this Life on the 18th of July 1817, aged 41, after a long illness supported with the patience and the hopes of a Christian. The benevolence of her heart, the sweetness of her temper, and the extraordinary endowments of her mind obtained the regard of all who knew her and the warmest love of her intimate connections. Their grief is in proportion to their affection, they know their loss to be irreparable, but in their deepest affliction they are consoled by a firm though humble hope that her charity, devotion, faith and purity have rendered her soul acceptable in the sight of her REDEEMER.

On her plaque:

Jane Austen. Known to many by her writings, endeared to her family by the varied charms of her character and ennobled by her Christian faith and piety was born at Steventon in the County of Hants, December 16 1775 and buried in the Cathedral July 18 1817. "She openeth her mouth with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness".

Jane Austen Day Part 2: Winchester Cathedral

I took a day trip yesterday and visited Winchester Cathedral where Jane Austen was buried in 1817. Her brother wrote the inscription on her grave marker but left no mention of her writing, only of her personal characteristics and christian faith. Year later her nephew fixed this by placing a brass plaque next to the grave. And years after that, the general public raised money to put in a stained glass window in Jane Austen's honor right above the grave. It's a testament to her that years after her she died, hundreds of thousands still flock to Winchester Cathedral.

Sherlock

I've recently started watching the new BBC One television show Sherlock, based on Arthur Conan Doyle's Adventures of Sherlock Holmes but set in the 21st century. It's very popular in Britain and I can see why, it's very addicting with intriguing plots and memorable actors. It's not your typical "Sherlock Holmes" rendition, however, with modern day crime scenes but I highly recommend it!

Jane Austen Day Part 1 (It should be a national holiday!)

Today was Austen Day (It's unofficial but I think I'll petition the Queen). With my Jane Austen class I visited Steventon, the village and her father's church where Jane spent the first 25 years of her life. Next was Chawton House Manor, the home of her brother Edward, that has now been turned into a library for early English women's writing. The building was beautiful and our guide kept expressing how much she'd love it for us to return and use the library for our own personal research. I might take her up on it! Then we walked down the lane to Chawton cottage, also owned by Jane's brother Edward. but where Jane and her sister and mother lived after the Reverend George Austen died. It was here in this tiny little cottage that Jane published her novels, and wrote almost continuously. It was a beautiful little cottage and I got a little teary-eyed. Unfortunately, Winchester Cathedral is closed today and tomorrow because of the enthronement of their new Bishop and so my class was unable to go see Jane's grave. I'm making a special trip out on Sunday because I can't possibly go home without seeing it. Instead, we visited The Vyne, a country estate that dates back to the tudor times that Jane's family were frequent visitors of.