May 25 - A hot day in Streatham
We had another lovely day doing virtually nothing - reading, sitting in shaded deck.
For Pete and Shirley's anniversary (41), we went to The Wood House, a lovely, large pub. All the meals were excellent and we had a very nice time.
May 26 - From Streatham to Wimbledon
May 25
May 23
We cleaned and neatened our very nice accommodations.
Fran met us and we walked to the train station and got the train to the airport. A reality show, The Great Race, Finland, was being filmed on the train for the first day of their fourth season.
FinnAir was great. Mark was given a wheelchair that Barbara could push which made it easier to have food en route to the gate. We breezed through two security checks and then we had our last Finnish meal - Mark had salmon soup and Barbara a salmon salad.
Fran had to separate with us shortly after we arrived because she could not check her bag with Icelandic Air until later.
The flight was just over 3 hours and smooth.
We left Helsinki with blue skies and nice cool weather in the 60s. We landed in London in a heat wave.
Unusually, we opted to take an Uber ride to Streatham to stay with Pete and Shirley. Taking the Elizabeth Line, then a subway and then a bus was just too daunting with Mark's knee. We thought about an Uber from Tottenham Court Road, but costed it out and taking the ride right from Heathrow was just about the same price and WAY less hassle.
We arrived in late afternoon and relaxed with Pete and Shirley on their shady deck.
Then, we went to dinner at an Italian restaurant where we've met up with Sue before.
May 24 - A day of relaxing on the deck.
We had a fantastic day of doing NOTHING, something we both need as we are tired and Mark iced and rested his knee most of the day. Barbara did a good session of yoga in their conservatory/gym. Pete and Shirley had an obligation in downtown London for the afternoon, so we read the afternoon away on their deck in the shade.
Later, we had a pizza delivery.
This day was just what we needed.
Today was another day full of thought-provoking seminars.
We took the morning off to pack and to organize for tomorrow when we leave.
Fran and Barbara went back to a seminar. The first topic was about the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa by ___. He has been working on a book about Hoffa. His main thesis was that Hoffa was, first and foremost, a labor leader, but, in death he has been linked more to organized crime. He talked about the public and the media's enduring fascination with a disappearance story and that the real man gets lost in the story.
The second topic in that seminar was about the mistreatment of Therese Bonney, an American photojournalist who was in Finland during WWII taking photos of the Winter War. She was hired by the precursor of the CIA, but was left out to dry with accusations of being a Nazi agent- all unfounded. There was a lot to learn about the Finns during WWII which Barbara did not know. It was fascinating.
Fran and Barbara popped in to see the University Library - another great reading room.
The second lecture was by an economist predicting the possible economic ramifications for the mid-terms in November. He tried to be optimistic, but..... And, many in the audience found it hard to buy optimism.
It was an interesting last seminar to end the conference.
The Canadians then hosted a wine reception (with Canadian wines, of course) and a keynote speaker who talked about the way Canadians and Americans view their separate "exceptionalisms."
And, finally, there was an ending reception back in the main building of the University.
Thus ends our Maple Leaf and Eagle Conference which we all enjoyed.
Today was a day of "brain candy." With our film presentation behind us, the three of us could go to seminars that interested us.
Barbara went to one that had 3 different speakers. The first woman, a poet, discussed the impact of the poems that Abraham Lincoln memorized and what they revealed. It was interesting. That session also included an interesting paper about "radical" farming. He drew links between the writing of Wendell Berry and bell hooks. One of the lines that will stick was about the difference between the politics of "tending" vs "intending," the latter implying wielding power and the former implying nurture and growth. She also heard a New Mexican folksinger who has a project of bringing food and ten disparate people for a meal in "Together at the Table."
Mark, Barbara and Fran went to a workshop about Southern Culture. The best one was about the rivers of the south and how they have changed. The rivers used to be full of a variety of fish and wildlife. Over the last centuries they have been subject to much erosion (some of it due to cotton plantations), being dammed etc. His paper was written by a historian and an expert on aquatic plants. It was very interesting. Another one at that session involved literature and Southern stereotypes. His thesis was that the South has a pessimistic attitude toward life, but that is a gross simplification! And, the final one at that session was a doctoral candidate whose paper focused on Black abolitionists and their resistance to colonization. He mentioned Absalom Boston and gave a nod to Nantucket and to us.
Mark and Barbara also went to a presentation by Stephen Rabe, who has written extensively about political relationships between the United States and South America. But, in his retirement, he decided to write a book based on his father's experience parachuting into Normandy in 1944 and how the village that these men accidentally landed in came together to protect them - at a cost. The book sounds great and we plan to read it.
We took a segment of the day "off" and went to Stockmann Dept. Store. Mark bought a new "Fat Moose" jacket and Barbara bought a very small backpack to help with packing and lessening the weight in her rolling bag.
In late afternoon Barbara went to a performance/talk by a man who has written a book about Pete Seeger and who knew him well. It was a sing along. He talked about the evolution of Seeger's work and his focus on the labor movement, women's rights, Civil Rights and the environment. He discussed Seeger at the McCarthy hearings and the price he paid for that. Interesting.
A very good day.
