Day 2

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Today I learned that if you want to find someone in Coventry, 9 am on a Sunday is not the right time. It was at this time I started the day, after finally finding the right place and the right people had an international welcome talk about basically what to do today.

I went from there to the student centre (yes that was hard to type). Here I officially enroled, (also hard to type) got my student ID card, and registered with a campus doctor. Hurray for free healthcare!
I also indulged again in free tea and biscuits.

From here I took an historic walking tour of Coventry. This was a treat for a nerd like me with an official blue badge tour guide who was clearly proud of Coventry and tremendously knowledgeable. He showed us around the cathedral of course, bombed to a shell during World War II. It was never rebuilt as a memorial, but a new, modern cathedral was build adjacent to it. It is quite modern, (Britain's youngest cathedral) but strangely beautiful. He showed us what used to be the seat of the British government (for a glorious two years) during Henry VI's reign while the war of the roses was going on. It is quite old. The guide subtly made fun of young America for my benefit, "This tapestry is older than your country!" and tried to explain how 1776 wasn't that bad of a year for England.
He also told us the story of Lady Godiva and peeping Tom. There is a commemorative statue in the city for her. We also went through the shopping area which is the first pedestrianized shopping area in the world, and I'm sure among the largest.
When that was finished, I went to the bookstore to scope out some maps. I bought a 2 ring notebook (as opposed to the, well, more sensible 3 ring) and some paper (which is 8.27" x 11.69".) How precise and just not close enough to 8.5 x 11.
Had lunch with a new friend and then headed to the Ikea, which was good fun. That store is enormous! I bought a number of things I needed and spent only 11 pounds.

This evening I went to an acoustic music event and got a free smoothie. There were a lot of people there and I realized that I am too old for a lot of the freshers week stuff. Well, I've always been too old for freshers week, so I'll stick to the nerdy tours.

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