Weekend in England

So, this past weekend, I was in Bath, England! I was giving a paper at the Bath Spa University Irish Studies Symposium. Katie O'Driscoll, another girl from my MA, gave a paper as well. Another classmate and friend Grace Shalloo came along for moral support and to sit in the audience and ask intelligent questions. The symposium was very small and informal-- only three universities took part, only about twenty-five people attended, and only six people (two from each school) spoke. The schools involved were our hosts Bath Spa University, University of Lille (in France), and NUI Galway. Lille had the largest representation, bringing along six people who weren't speaking, and Grace, Katie, and I hung out with some of the Lille girls a bit, even going out for a drink with them on Saturday night. All in all, it was a great opportunity. I got to give my first paper, which even though it was such a small venue was still an exciting thing. I met a good number of people from other universities, making some potentially useful contacts. And, of course, I got to go to England! Southern England is beautiful, and the weather was absolutely lovely the whole time.

So here are some pictures! There are many more available here, but I'll give you some of the highlights...


Me lecturing! (And wearing my fancy new suit.)


Katie (left) and Grace (right)-- what a pair of troublemakers!


I had to take this picture for Dad.


To prove I was in England-- me in the Royal Crescent.


Our hotel.


The grounds of Bath Spa University. Fun fact: the land actually belongs to the Duke of Cornwall, otherwise known as the Prince of Wales, otherwise known as Prince Charles. The University pays him a small rent every year to use it.


A cool use for an old fountain.




The Bath Abbey, one of the famous landmarks.


The closest we got to the Roman Baths that gave the city its name. (They were closed when we went.)




The green fields of England, and its dramatically yellow fields of Rapeseed.