Week 10 - Monday

This Monday morning my alarm clock woke me a bit earlier then it is used to do on Mondays. For today, I had to walk to the uni, instead of cycling. I got the first flat tyre just when I arrived in Carlisle after doing the Hadrian’s Cycleway last weekend and the second when coming out of the cathedral at the end of this weekend, after the evensong. Walking to the university takes about 25 minutes.
The morning sun was determined to brighten a day which I was not really very looking forward to: a blue toe, hurting shoulders, hurting feet and being very tired are not the perfect conditions to start a new week. However, the first lecture passed quite well. In History, Literature and Truth, we rounded of examining Sallust’s account of the conspiracy of Catiline. Dr. Wisse, from Holland and with a hot jacket potato in his English, which is otherwise really good, again succeeded to raise my interest.
During the next hour I checked my emails in the cluster room of the Old Library Building, where it is hot as in a swimming pool, and I prepared my next lecture: Interpretation of Latin Texts. We first finished Petronius to switch to Tacitus afterwards. Prof. Donald Hill is old. He attempts to be funny, which is funny. There are only five students in this lecture: 3 English girls, a German guy and me. Otherwise there is not very much to say about it.
My usual lecture at twelve was cancelled. This hour’s spare time I got from that, I consider the happiest hour of the day. First I went to the Student’s Union. In front, I found a little book market. This had been there for a couple of times in October too. The bookseller still remembered me as the one who was always in search of ancient classics. I found the book of Sallust that we just finished in HLT. Bought it. I found also a Penguin edition of three ancient literary critical treatises (Aristotle, Horace and Pseudo-Longinus) and the Penguin Golden Ass of Apuleius. For 8 pounds, it was all mine. The bookseller looked in wonder at me buying three books again and was seriously concerned when I told him I had to get back to Belgium by plane… Buying books is a good thing to make my day. Though, it always makes me sad too, for so many books are standing out there which I did not buy. This time my sadness was especially due to one unbought book: George Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London. The copy was not very neat anymore, so I didn’t take it. Happy and longing and thinking about a long life before me in which I would have more than 100 occasions still to buy books, I walked of to Northumberland Street. Had a quick look in the Priceless shoe shop to immediately stroll out of it again in horror of all these cheap foot-devastating shoes. Still, I will buy some today or tomorrow. In front of M&S (Marks and Spencer) a man was singing and playing the guitar so well that for fully fifteen minutes I stood next to him and listened. Waking out of my daydreaming I launched myself into the modern world again and walked off towards the Monument. I tasted some French salami at the Christmas market, looked in wonder at a label announcing that this man was selling “overheerlijke Nederlandse poffertjes, met gratis beleg, ook om mee te nemen.” Another one sold Belgian pralines, without any label of a brand which made me rather suspicious. Some Polish people offered gorgeous amber jewellery!
One o’clock. I was supposed to be in front of the Student’s Union right now to have lunch with Soline (F), James and Anthony (both E). Running past the guitarman I managed to get there at five past. George (Libanon) joined us in the basement. I stayed with Soline until three o’clockish to talk over our weekends. Then time was high to return home and do some schoolwork. Fussing about a bit in the house, I spent my time doing nothing and started off baking pancakes at fivish. Half six was the time when I set off for Kirkley Lodge, where I was going to have a Pride and Prejudice-night with Solene (F), Cathrin (G), Verena (G) and Julia (G). I was on the wrong platform however and missed the metro, had to wait for 13 minutes for the next one. I was at Kirkley Lodge only at about half seven. I met Pierre (F), who also stays in Kirkley, on my way and told him that I was going to visit Julia. He convinced me he did not know her, whereas she is actually his neighbour and he talked to him a couple of times. Pride and Prejudice was gorgeous of course. Walking back to Fenham with Solene was really nice too. Again we met some Geordies trying to ... I don't know what they try to achieve in fact; they are just being drunk and silly. Straight to bed now!