Everyone's Eliot: Pre-Party

 I remember the first time I heard about a “weird mansion in Cornwall where artists and musicians and hippies throw big parties.” I had just broken the news to my friend that I would be moving to Plymouth, which is located near Cornwall in southwest England. “You have to get in touch my Grampa,” she said. “He used to go to some sort of artist commune, or maybe it was a government building, and there was a music series, except it was a really odd place….just ask him!”

So that’s what I did. Grampa Jack and I started what’s still a touching correspondence when I queried him about music in Cornish fairy-tale mansions. He deduced that I referred to the estate in the town of St. Germans. Sat on the River Tiddy, St. Germans was originally formed around a priory (monastery) adjacent to the Eliot Estate as owned by the Earl of St. Germans. The 12th century grounds and Eliot bloodline have hosted an eclectic mix of activity since then. A true esoteric, Grampa Jack somehow managed to befriend someone at Port Eliot and was thusly invited to attend a few events on the estate. It was his first story that piqued my curiosity:

“[I attended] the musical series that in the past was going on at St. Germans near Saltash.  Peregrine Eliot, the Earl of St. Germans in my younger days, was an entrepreneur of necessity.  When his spend-thrift father died and the death duties had been paid, only the estate house with its incredible pictures and the land were left.  Peregrine set out to somehow turn the house and land into something productive.  He discovered that the 18th c. ballroom had perfect acoustics and established a very successful chamber music series that helped him financially.  I have no idea whether it is still going on, but going to the house sometime when it is open is worth the trip just for the Constables in the state dining room.   Years ago a few friends and I got a tour of the house and it's treasures and were blown away.  It was the place in the West Country where the monarch stayed on progresses, so you can imagine what they had (solid gold plate and utensil service for 30 among other things).  The memory of seeing a Yellow Submarine button stuck into the velvet surround of a Rembrandt is still something that sometimes tickles me (Peregrine had three boys).  (And last year, I realized that while we were enjoying Port Eliot, the Countess was off having a baby by Julian Freud - of all people!)

After reading this email I immediately Googled “Port Eliot.” Apparently, whatever music series used to be held there had evolved into a literary festival acclaimed by modern families, book nerds, and hipsters. Today’s Port Eliot festival describes itself as:

“…an annual celebration of words, music, imagination, ideas, nature, food, fashion, flowers, laughter, exploration and fun…One of the UK's most original, magical, bohemian, bookish, colourful, musical and comic festivals returns to tempt you with a new adventure… “

By this point I was definitely curious. How was it that someone like Grampa Jack (a classy, wizened old man) had attended a chamber music series in the type of place where Yellow Submarine stickers dot original Rembrandts? The same place where today people pay £50 for a day-ticket to do everything from listen to authors discuss their work, practice yoga, sample foodie delights, and mosh to local punk music? I mean, the estate started as a monastery! Who really belonged at Port Eliot, anyway?

Wanting to know more, I questioned an all-knowing gentleman I’ve befriended in Plymouth. To my surprise, the loquacious history feign went mute. I knew he had visited Port Eliot in the past, so when he told me to “look for information on the internet,” I pressed harder. He replied,

“I prefer to remain publicly silent, please, upon the fate of Port Eliot etc. following all of the problems experienced by the family in recent times – e.g. narcotics, suicides, premature deaths, loss of the family fortune through complex inheritances, now loss of Port Eliot itself, etc…To me, Port Eliot is not special. Rather it is now a tale of woe…”

At a loss for anything more substantial, I took my friend’s advice and turned to Google. Outside the standard Wikipedia-quality history, I learned that Plymouth’s most fertile artist (literally and creatively) couchsurfed at Port Eliot for years. Robert Lenkiewicz fled to Port Eliot in 1981 after he faked his own death, where Peregrine Nicholas Eliot (10th Earl of St. Germans) was more than happy to harbour the artist in exchange for an original Lenkiewicz mural painted at the estate. Apparently, Lenkiewicz allowed himself 30 years to finish this mural. Considering that it was around this same time period that the outrageous Elephant Fayre was held, and disbanded, at Port Eliot, it’s no wonder Lenkiewicz rendered himself indisposed.

By now my journalist’s synapses were firing. This story was TOO GOOD. So many angles, with eye-witness accounts, and plenty of controversy. How many people did Port Eliot actually touch? I needed to explore more, and I needed to see it first-hand. I wrote to the Festival, pitching that they offer me a free press pass so I could give them what would surely be the best coverage imaginable. Their response? “Unfortunately all our press allocation has been used up.”

Oh, the horror! There was no way I could afford to buy myself a ticket. It seemed that my grand Port Eliot story was, like so many of its inhabitants, doomed…

A few months later my friend, fellow expat-local, and milliner Trish drove me home from one of Miss Ivy’s Vintage Festivals. Trish is the entrepreneur behind Just Seven, a hat design and vintage collection sold at in British fairs, markets, and online (check out Trish’s Expat-Local Interview HERE). “I am working the Port Eliot Festival,” she confided in me, her voice audibly nervous. “It’s really expensive and long and I don’t have help.” Like a cat on a ball of yarn, I pounced, offering to work Just Seven’s booth in exchange for a camping space. I was more than excited: Trish was another character in the story, another seemingly disparate player in Port Eliot’s reference library. Trish agreed. And so my story was born.

Follow along with Trish and I as we explore Port Eliot Festival this weekend, July 30 through August 2. I’m not exactly sure where Eliot will take me, or how many stories this bemusing adventure will actually result in, but I know it will be interesting. Apparently, Port Eliot has a little something for everyone. Will I, too, become a part of Port Eliot?

I Learned to Live Abroad in Treatment

 What seems like a very long time ago, I went to treatment because I was mad (my favorite British term for what Americans might call off yer’ rocker). After four years of working my way through a successful and expensive bachelor’s degree, my days were an exhaustive, obsessive, manic mix of waitressing, internships, and thesis statements. Secretly, I cowered in a tiny psychological corner, spending every free moment exercising and counting calories. Finally, with the love and support of friends, families, and a couple strangers, I entered mind-body-soul treatment at the Eating Recovery Center in Denver, CO.

Everything I need to know I learned in treatment. My experience there was a personally and globally enlightening opportunity. In treatment I found my “human being,” who I am when I am not consumed by “doing.” The skills I learned in treatment teach me how to live effectively in an international setting today. Here I explain the insights my foibles allowed me. But this post isn’t really about me. The post is, ultimately, about you. Edify yourself in your own life experiences.

In THIS recent article, Bren on the Road states that “people travel to find themselves.” You might consider my walk from my parent’s front door to the sliding-glass of the hospital’s as traveling to find myself. Bren says that travel provides the opportunity to explore oneself unfettered by minutiae. That's exactly what treatment is, too, so I feel like I got a jump-start on self discovery. Treatment was my babies’-first-bath kind of cool water plunge. I emerged with a cleaner, thicker, wiser skin. Today I travel to be myself, not to find myself. I put down roots, seek high ground, because that’s what’s good for me. And I know how to cope when I smell the sickly scent of dilemma. I’m the baby whose mom dipped her toes in the water first. I learned to plug my nose.

Every expat-local is different. We have our own histories and comprehensions, our own biases and awareness. We have habits and coping mechanisms. We use these tools to navigate our situations abroad. Reflecting on such psychological methodologies is a key expat-local skill; it helps us find what works in any locale. Use my treatment-induced compass to explore the lessons I live by. Use it as a road map to find your own compass.

I don’t care so much: This isn’t the term they used in treatment. They called it letting go. But to me not caring so much or maybe throwing one’s hands up and exclaiming, ‘Ah, what the hell!’ are more apt statements. When I was sick I lived an outcome-based existence where I cared extremely about everything. Everything was personal, profound, and prioritized. I lost my ability to see the forest for the trees. Treatment helped me clarify my values so that I could trust my own mindset. Now I draw effective maps for day-to-day living despite feeling scared, guilty, overjoyed, hopeful, and a million other emotions. I focus on what really matters (being a good person). Other useless mental chatter floats by like a leaf on a stream (or, at least I can see the chatter clogging my drain). Now that I know it’s silly to try to force the world to operate my way, I find that its people and processes naturally help me. This ability to let go of things that I simply don’t have the time, space, or ability to try to effect allows me to appreciate what the world gives, no matter where I live in it.

I can find bemusing adventures in unlikely places: During my first few months of treatment we were allowed outside a few times a day to socialize in pseudo-boredom on a rectangle of manicured patio. No, it wasn’t Shawshank. We were on a refeeding program where too much movement both represented obsessive-compulsive exercise, a misplaced anxiety-buster, and a detriment to weight gain. To entertain myself and other patients I developed scavenger hunts. Passerby attempted not to ogle when they witnessed a mismatched bunch of people squatting on the cool cementscapes, rifling through pebbles, investigating blank patches of grass, and turning their heads toward the heavens, scavenging for whatever theme I deemed scavengable that day. We found delight amongst decorative rocks and green metal tree fences. A family of ladybugs became our favorite finds, inspiring one of my in-patient friends to gift me a pair of ladybug socks. I stored our bounty in a scrapbook I named Book of Found Items. As I progressed through the stages of treatment my travel options expanded. Soon I was allowed to walk down the street, navigate our out-patient apartments, and attend yoga classes. Then I was an “extended outpatient,” living with my parents and exploring their immediate vicinity. Each stage opened a new world of the most hyper-local, never-before-seen, insider-access adventures, the size of a city block (or less).

I know I’m not THAT powerful: This is one of the most liberating lessons I learned. It is oxymoronically empowering. A regular trait of people who enter treatment for disorders and addictions is deep-seated guilt about not being good enough. I thought that even my small decisions really totally profoundly forever-ly affected people around me. When disordered people try to inhibit guilty emotions by using their addictions an endless cycle of guilt and coping develops. They’re actions harm their relationships, leading to more guilt, and so they act out again. What is the fundamental assumption here? The idea that we have a constant, consistent, and comprehensive impact over the mindscapes of others.

In fact, we’re not that powerful.

Yes, we are loved and give love. We have the ability to create dramatic relationships, helpful or harmful. But just as we control our own actions and reactions, so do others. We’re profoundly resilient animals, capable of learning and forgiving. 

I find this lesson particularly helpful when I feel guilty about leaving my friends and family for an international life and also when trying to manage mutual expectations during my return visits. My grandparents struggle a lot to accept that I’ve left. My parents, sisters and I loathe the waterworks that drip from our chins at departure gates. But as I fly to a full life, so they drive to theirs. I feel guilty that sometimes it’s just too chaotic to see every friend when I go home. But I remind myself that there are many ways to communicate, many ways to show love, and will be other opportunities. Our lives go on.

I care about keeping a healthy appearance: Visualize this lesson with me...You’re driving past the bus station during one cloudy sunset. A pallid backpacker with sunken, twitchy eyeballs careens through the parking lot. She flags you down, mumbling a request for directions. She looks hungry and wears too many clothes.

Now, imagine the same situation but with a rosy-cheeked, perky, strong backpacker. She smiles at you; her shoulders are visibly more relaxed. Which one are you more likely to help? I bet you even offer backpacker #2 a ride.

Since I didn’t move abroad until after I was years out of treatment and healthy, I glean this expat-local lesson from the reactions I received from Americans when I was sick in the States. During that time I was constantly told things like, “go eat a burger” and “you exercise too much.” I didn’t know why I was continuously denied jobs. One acquaintance told me that a potential employer called me “the anorexic girl” after my interview (I wasn’t hired). People seemed hesitant to approach me, diverting their eyes like a dog that shies away from its owner after getting into the trash. Seemingly, they didn’t trust my intent and worried about my reaction. Why did I let myself look that way? they seemed to ask.

As an expat-local, I give my host citizens plenty of reason to doubt me (see my series, “Drunk or Foreign” for proof). I refuse to add my physical appearance to their list.

I prioritize self-care: Even as I sit writing this article I feel guilty for not writing paid articles, promoting my book, managing my other writers, blah blah blah. “Be effective! Every minute counts! What’s the BOTTOM LINE!” my sick and American-dreaming neuroses scream. Then I remind myself that taking the time to write is one of my methods of self-care and that when I don’t pursue self-care I am much less effective. Treatment taught me that self-care comes in many forms. It’s obvious things like massages and movies. But it’s also decorating one’s space with silly posters, even if only living there for a short time. Or paying for a long, luxurious dinner while reading a fairy tale. And going to the mall with a new friend when you have no money to your name. The ability to recognize what does and does not feel good, then choosing to act in a way that promotes good feeling, is a method of self-preservation applicable across borders.

Friends come in all shapes and sizes: Treatment brings together a multiplicity of former hermits (isolated by their disease). Despite common stereotypes about eating disorder sufferers, we come from all socio-economic, geographic, and mental landscapes. We connected because we were genuine and willing. And, yes, because we didn’t have a choice. We respected one another’s individuality. We fell in love with each other’s quirks. Every person was a blank slate; I observed them like a child realizing the existence of his own hand. Just like I learned to recognize my human being from my human doing, I now strive to perceive a greater self in others. That, my friends, translates very well.

I could go on. This is the type of post writers love to hate, because it pours from a reservoir without a dam. I could continue examining all the ways that one powerful time in my life profoundly ties to this powerful time in my life. But the point of this post is to encourage you, reader, to reflect on your own expat-local journey, whether on the next block, in the next city, or the next country. What lessons from previous hurdles boost your jump today? What irritations can your healthy coping mechanisms help you overcome, recognize, or just not care about?

Please share your story by commenting below!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rebecca said:

Thank you so much for writing this beautiful post! I, too, spent a fair amount of time at ERC about a year ago. Reading your journey, your thoughts, your perspective is truly encouraging. Keep pressing on and living a beautiful life!

Cindy Wells said:

Emily this is a beautifully written article. I love the way you were right and I particularly love the content of this writing. I applaud your work and your courage in doing what you do. Being so far from home, the people that you, family and all things familiar takes a very special kind of courage. Identify with many things that you call me tonight and particularly the importance of self-care. I agree that this is not something that will happen without complete participation. I have a friend that I check in with several times a week for the sole purpose of how I am practicing self-care. We help hold one another accountable for this most important act. Thank you so much for sharing with me. Sending you a hug.

Cynthia said:

Emily, I am so glad that you are doing well. I pray that you keep on keeping on and live the life you so much deserve. I think it takes a very strong person to write about their journey with ED. It gives such insight and hope that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that recovery is very possible and does happen. I pray often for every woman and yes, the males out there that struggle with this disease. As I have found out, that ED does not discriminate, he will take anyone that allows him to enter. I have not been in your situation Emily but I do have a daughter that struggled with ED. Her name is Sam. She is doing very well now, thank God, but not before her battle nearly took her life, not once but twice. She had a relapse and was taken down an even darker road. I am so thankful to say that she is embarking on her 1 year anniversary since leaving the ERC in Denver. The treatment team literally saved my daughter. They are the most awesome and caring people I know. They definitely know what they are doing in order to get our loved ones on the road to recovery. I also thank her friends that she met there, all the support that they have for one an other. I have noticed that she has found her voice and even though there are still days when she questions herself and struggles, she is also getting stronger and stronger every day, every meal. She is living a life that she knows that she deserves. She too prioritizes self-care. That is one of the most important things that she did learn to do. She is allowed to exercise now and does it for the enjoyment instead of the need or feeling that she has too. I see that beautiful sparkle in her eyes now instead of that distant look and when she smiles, she literally light up the room instead of that forced smile I saw back when she was battling that terrible disease. As a mother I have to say that ED not only takes away everything from the person battling, it also takes away everything from loved ones that have to see their loved ones struggle. Our hands are tied and we are trapped feeling like we are on the outside looking in and wondering what can we do. It was a hard road, something we never in a millions years thought we would all go through, but it has not only made her stronger, it has made us stronger too. It has also showed us that we cannot take life for granted and that we should cherish every day with our loved ones, for we never know what we will be facing or be thrown with day to day. Sure we still watch for signs and are scared because we never know what will happen tomorrow, but we as parents are allowing ourselves to get back to living our lives too. We always pray that she stays focused and stays on that road to recovery, we stay hopeful because of our journey and where it has led us. Stay strong Emily and God bless you and keep you strong!! Thank you for sharing your story, take care, Cynthia

Erin said:

Emily, this post is lovely, genuine, heartfelt, and for me, timely. I will be celebrating my fifth anniversary of discharge from the ERC in Denver this year. It's caused me to become very reflective on how such a relatively short time in my life has had such a profound impact on all the subsequent ups and downs in my life. Even after leaving the ERC years ago and living in "recovery", that single experience is still so vivid, so impactful, and still emotional. I struggle to put those sentiments into words. But you've just that in this blog post here, and it's touched me so very deeply and sincerely. Thank you. Keep writing and keep inspiring. Sending you big heart from your fellow traveler.

Everyone's Eliot: A Milliner's Tale

 For a moment, Patricia Pentecost and I sit silent among the sounds of a distant drum beat, slurpy spaghetti, and murmuring. It’s Sunday and the first time Patricia (Trish) and I have sat down together during the entirety of the Port Eliot Festival, where Trish’s Just Seven hats are nearly sold out. Yet as Trish shares her favorite food with me (a freshly-sourced clam spaghetti from Pastaworks), we don’t have the “tired-to-the-point-of-hating-people” fatigue that is sometimes a result of nonstop “sales.” In fact, as we watch the Just Seven tent from smooth, honey-color wooden chairs a potential customer meanders up. I can imagine the perfect hat for her sun-bleached hair and want badly to help her place it on her head. Trish looks at the woman, too, and I think she feels the same. Instead, we sit back to allow Trish’s niece to assist the customer, knowing that the right hat always finds the most adoring head. Kind of like the Sorting Hat in Harry Potter. This is Port Eliot, after all.

I have been helping Trish in her Just Seven booth at Port Eliot Festival since Thursday, although she arrived on Wednesday to start setting up and won’t leave until Monday, after the Festival closing tonight. In case you haven’t been following along, THIS PART of my “Everyone’s Eliot” series explains how I came to spend days under the Cornish sky and butterfly-crested tent. As someone who’s worked events from cycle shows to vintage fayres, I am surprised at how easy and enjoyable the Just Seven Port Eliot has been. I think a lot of it has to do with the milliner and her superb product.

Typically Dutch, Trish is mum about the more difficult parts of her personal history until we’ve spent a few days together (and are under the spell of garlicy clams). “I never knew my father when he wasn’t sick,” she said, telling me about years growing up as a lower middle-class horse-riding girl in Holland. “I always wanted a pony. What little girl doesn’t? We could never afford one so I borrowed horses. When I moved to the UK I finally bought my own. She was such a lovely horse and we did very well together, show-jumping as a hobby. Then, the horse suffered a traumatic injury. I had to put her down. My Dad saw it all, and he bought me my first pony when I was 30 years old!” A young girls’ giggles spill from her mouth. I am so curious about this warm-yet-stoic attitude, a persona reflected within the dramatic folds, giddy adornments, and impeccable rendering of Just Seven pieces.

Every hat is one-of-a-kind, imagined by Trish and formed in an intensive process that she has practiced to utmost perfection (the Dutch are famous for being intelligent tradesmen, after all). She hand makes all of her women’s hats, from apt and colourful waterproof British caps to whimsical, high-billed, feather-tipped creations fit for Queens and witches. “The more expensive and high-quality fabric the easier it is to stretch and mould,” she describes. “First, I put a chemical on the fabric. Then I steam the fabric as I lay it on the blocks and form it. This can take anywhere from ten minutes to an hour.” I imagine that the hats folding over themselves again and again, with no start and no finish, must take the longest. “Finally, I let the hat dry for 24 hours.” This knowledge of how much and what kind of chemical to use is of the reasons Trish’s hats are so smart: Despite the fact that they’re peaked and pointed, the hats can be smooshed without losing shape. As an immigrant, Trish knows what it’s like to travel often. I think it’s also the reason one woman gladly buys two of Trish’s most theatrical pieces, secure in the knowledge that she can get them home in her camping bags. Or, maybe it’s the price (a hat that would sell for £130 in London is £55 in Plymouth and southwest England, even at privileged events like Port Eliot). Or, maybe it’s because Trish humbly talks about ponies for an hour with the avid racer. It is Port Eliot, after all.

Leaning casually in our seats, an empty compostable bowl in front of us, Trish and I observe the wandering crowd. “I love people watching,” she says. “There’s always interesting people everywhere, right? Everyone is interesting in a way. There’s a guy there with a shopping trolley – that’s interesting in itself!” she lightly laughs. “It’s interesting how people go about their business. Look at that guy pushing his kid in a makeshift wagon. I mean, why not just use a pram?” She notes these things in her very Trish way, non-judgmentally and amused. It is an off-hand delight expressed in her company brand, Just Seven. “I don’t know why, but everything in my life always involves the number seven. If they hadn’t been induced my sons would have been born on the 7th of the month. When I was house-hunting, I refused viewings for a house in Plymouth [UK] despite my realtor’s insistence. But when I finally saw how perfect it was and noticed the number was seven I just knew it was right.” This house now serves as her perfect studio and family abode. As she continues, listing seven after seven, I muse on her cool professionalism. Where an American like me would apply such synchronicity to the extreme, naming my company Always Seven or Completely Seven or Like, Totally Seven, the Dutch-English Trish coyly chooses Just.

Watching one of her vintage bowler caps walk by underneath a sign displaying “Free Hugs,” I think she might be doing herself a disservice (the sign-bearer thought a classy hat like Trish’s might bode better with potential customers than the leopard-print, goggle-adorned helmet he showed up in). Trish’s hats aren’t “just” hats. She touches up even those that are not her own creations, like the vintage men’s caps, in a feat of millinery. She uses the same mold-steam-spray-set technique so that the hats shine nearly as brightly as their original incarnation. They’re the highest-quality vintage men’s caps at the festival and yet the lowest priced. Trish can afford to price them low because she’s so efficient at reworking them. No wonder they sell like frogs in a wizard’s market.

By now we’re totally relaxed, wiggling our pinkies to the drifting music. I discover one reason Trish chose to move from Holland to the UK: “British music is the best. Aren’t all the best musicians British? Right going back to Queen. Queen is my favourite.” I peer at Trish in her uncharacteristically flamboyant tulle skirt with butterflies (donned for Port Eliot’s eyes only) and touch my own Just Seven trilby, billed in white lace and a bejewelled feather, remarking, “I can’t see one of your hats at a Queen show…” At this Trish chuckles. “Well, there aren’t many Freddie Mercuries running around anymore!”

But there is Jimi Galvin, bassist of Mad Dog Mcrea, Trish’s second-favorite band after Queen and a local treasure. Just before one their Port Eliot set, Jimi moseyed into the Just Seven tent, unrecognized by Trish. As they conversed about Trish’s pieces, he commented how high-quality they were. Trish responded jovially, “They’re sure better than that one on your head!” Jimi chortled, “I’ve worn this hat on every gig for eight years!” Trish visibly struggled to contain her excitement when Jimi revealed his true identity. He left the tent with his old hat in his rucksack, walking directly to his Port Eliot stage in a shiny Just Seven. Later that evening Trish watched the show from the audience, glowing with pride.

Slowly, we pull ourselves from the chairs, disposing our rubbish in the bin (Trish might be British, but she’ll always have a Dutch care for cleanliness and order). In the Just Seven tent we find a father and son, returned a second time to try on an idiosyncratic blue felt wonderment. The hat is perfect for his job as a wedding poet. He spins the hat around, loving the fact that it has no front or back. “It’s like ten hats in one!” he remarks. The father eventually purchases his hat, a special present to himself at this fifth of his Port Eliot Festival attendances. Trish smiles serenely as he walks away. “The hats just sell themselves,” she titters. “He looks wonderful.”

Babes

 Dear reader, let’s play a game. I’m going to say a word. Now you think of a few related words that capture the essence of that word in your mind. Ready?

Beer.

BASEDtraveler.

Babes.

After the success of my series, “Real Ale University” and my burgeoning friendship with Plymothians of the shorter, jollier, chemistry-whizzier beer brewing scene, I’m slowly integrating in Plymouth’s CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale, a nationally recognized membership-based drinking club). The local chairman loves so much the ideas of connecting international citizens and women with the beer scene that he invited me to host a booth to sell my Plymouth Primer there. Cursed with infallible energy and idealism, spurned by the nature of my Pilgrim upbringing, I took his offer a step further. “Why don’t I do a ‘Beer for Babes’ booth!” I shouted [chug]. “That’s a great idea!” he replied [chug]. The plan was set. Simple as that. Cheque, please.

Yep, dear expat-locals, that was a foreshadow. Later, after the debacle I will next describe ensued, the CAMRA chairman did admit that he “chuckled a little” about the drama I brought upon myself. I haven’t laughed yet, but at least I can write about it.

After deciding my Beer Festival theme, I posted this message to what I thought was a local CAMRA group:

My company, BASEDtraveler, is hosting a booth at the Plymouth Beer Festival taking place at the Plymouth Pavilions on 10 and 11 July. We call it "Beer for Babes," a women's-only tasting table. We will have a selection of food and beer available for ladies to come try and discuss. I find that women are reluctant to try beer because it feels like a "man's-only" space. We're going to break down that barrier, one sip at a time!

I need knowledgeable women and men to help me run the booth. They will offer samples, invite women to take a seat, manage the supply of food, and work directly beside me (I am also selling my book at the event). If you're passionate about beer and want to help ladies become so, too, then please direct message or email me at emily@BASEDtraveler.com

Thanks!

Do you remember Hurricane Ivan? Within seconds, then minutes, then hours, members of CAMRA from across the nation rained knowledge upon me. Through a slew of comments and responses, they debated the level of sexism portrayed in my idea, how it might relate to other racism and stereotypes, the use of the term “babe,” the BASEDtraveler brand, and my personal respectability (zilch). When I thanked them for encouraging discussion around the topic, they “LOL’d” in my face. Here’s some of my favorite replies:

Hint, calling something "Beer for Babes" is one more reason women feel like beer is a men's only space. *cough* fuckwit.

Are you also hosting an auction where you can buy wives in exchange for camels? That's the kind of primitive shit you're promoting.

The name is definitely the main problem - closely followed by the condescending tone.

What was more confusing is that the diatribe was riddled with British colloquialisms. I knew I was being insulted, but couldn’t quite figure out how…

I’m sorry but this is ridiculous you’ve missed April first by a fair margin! (I know! The Beer Festival is scheduled for July…?!)

My first response, relatively early in the conversation, was to thank them for encouraging discussion. Surely this was just a few people who had too much time on their hands; the Spice Girls’ manager was going to chime in soon, no? Here’s the response I got for my initial expression of gratitude:

It's a bit sad when people are blatantly this opportunistic. Amazing that having people call you an idiot is now regarded as an encouraging discussion. Who wants to bet someone lost friends in high school for trying to sell them all Amway? (What’s Amway?!)

I don't even get who you are or why you want to be organisation a beer tasting considering your business is a life style business, very unusual - I'd be interested to know what beers you would be sampling maybe something like Batemans? :https://www.facebook.com/Basedtraveler?pnref=lhc (What’s Bateman’s?!)

Then respondents started sharing my status on other people’s pages, inciting more angst among their friends. When I returned to my phone a few hours later, I was baffled, and a little teary-eyed. It was two hours since my first post and I had been called multiple times to defend myself. I apologized for the delay in my response, explaining that I was meeting with members of Plymouth City Council. I then detailed that “babes” is in my American vernacular, much like “rad” and “awesome.” I and other BASEDtravelers have found communities in beer culture across borders; we love groups like Barley’s Angels and CAMRA. I linked back to my Real Ale University story as “where it all started” and apologized sincerely for my misstep. I was baffled and humbled and grateful for their insights. Obviously, the issue was in the word “babes.” Could they help me come up with a new name?

The eye of the storm revealed itself—for a moment:

As a female brewer, as well as drinker, happy to help in any way I can.

That's the one Emily - Thanks for taking the time out to let us understand more fully what you were offering. I think to be fair to yourself that explanation is great and gives us an understanding of what you were getting at - so in way of thanks for the explanation and understanding - I'd like to offer any help I can!

I am part of London Beer Ladies and again it's not discriminating against men, it's just encouraging to ladies…(12:49PM)

We have tried various themes along the "diversity" theme in Nottingham CAMRA, including sessions where one of the big bars is staffed by women only in an attempt to encourage female drinkers to engage & discuss where they may be a bit "reticent" with some of the more "typical" male bar staff. I'm all for trying to breakdown barriers (real or imaginary!), be more inclusive and most of all have some fun. 

Except I was still confused by some replies. Was that British sarcasm?: You go babe.

Then, as members of the group started the homeward journeys, curiously logging in to their cell phones on their daily commute, the wolf pack reared its ugly head again.

Base = amphetamine. Based = off your face on the aforementioned drug. So they are effectively saying "drugged up travellers."

I watched in horror. Here was my business, my baby, my character, and my cute idea, damned damned damned. Was I seriously so wrong? So out of tune with British culture? This beer festival thing was just a fun excuse to drink beer with chicks! Why can’t women be “babes?” Gosh…now I don’t even know what babes means!

What was one do when they don’t know the answer? Phone a friend. Well, a few friends, all Plymothian. They elucidated the situation:

1) The national CAMRA page is much less forgiving than the local page. It’s a testament to the laid-back and willing nature of Devon, Plymouth’s south western country. My housemate said, “It’s just unfortunate it went national. I think you wouldn’t have gotten the same reaction if it was local. They weren’t intending to be helpful. If it was someone from the area who could have actually helped you things might have been different.”

2) “Babes” is not a bad term although it wasn’t used as frequently in the UK as it is in the States. “It makes me think of Baywatch,” my friend said.

3) The idea is still a good one, but changing the name would probably make me and other Brits feel more comfortable.

When talking to my friends and colleagues about big decisions in personal and professional life, I often tell them to consider, “What’s the worst that can happen?” Well, folks, here you have it—this post is probably the worst thing that could have happened to my idea, my psyche, and (momentarily) my company. Attempting Gandhi-like poise I tried my best to turn the situation around. Whether or not that attempt was successful is up for debate. Two new friends who noticed the post reached out to me directly in personal messages, offering good ideas. On the other hand, I did manage to personally infuriate one of the most well-known brewesters (female beer brewer) in London in such a message. Summarily, I’ve decided to rename my table “BASEDtraveler’s Beer & Bites for Beginners.”

Somehow, I’m not too upset by this incident. Maybe it’s my expat-local resiliency. Maybe it’s my ignorance. Maybe I’m accustomed to making a fool of myself. And maybe it’s my love for a good story. I actually feel a little like Buzz, the toddler in the video below. Who knew that one little action could cause such a surprisingly delightful fallout? 

Au Revoir: Visit Roscoff the Right Way

Overview: A fantastic benefit to living in Plymouth is its location as a Brittany Ferry port, offering cruises by car or foot to the spa-and-tourism hovel of Roscoff, France. I visited Roscoff for +/-24 hours on my way further into the country. Making my journey at the end of March, I assumed an afternoon and large part of the next day provided ample time to explore the little port town.

Over the course of a Friday night and Saturday day I learned that:
1) Roscoff is an ideal staycation for Plymothians (especially those with spare euro), backpackers on their way into France, and as a lay-over if to road trip further into Europe…
2) IF one travels at any time other than a Friday evening and Saturday day between October and April.

Why? First of all, a windy, sweeping, chilly rain fell almost incessantly during my visit. My sweet server at Ti Saozon (details below) explained in broken English, “This is the north.” I marvelled that only six hours ago I was across the English Channel in “the south,” i.e. sunny Plymouth.

Secondly, France closes during the following times: Saturday afternoons, Sundays, Mondays, mornings, and the months of October-April. Most hotels, museums, visitor centres, and shops shutter doors or seriously reduce hours during those months.

Learn from my mistakes. To help you, my fair readers, I’ve spent more time researching Roscoff upon return than I did before I left. It is not an easy city to trip research, especially in Google-translated English. Information on hours, openings, schedules, and activities is spread across many websites or simply missing. The Roscoff tourism page (linked below) claims that it is “less affected by seasonal change” than other French destinations, which shocks me…Do other destinations disappear completely in low-season?

Expected Duration: Ensure a visit occurs on a weekday that is NOT a Monday. I.e., take the ferry overnight on Thursday evening and return in the afternoon on a Sunday. Or, take any of the 8AM morning ferries to arrive around 3PM.

Expected Costs:

Transit- Basic ferry fees are £35/ person on foot in daytime with no cabin. For two people and a vehicle, the cost is around £130.  Additional costs include overnight trips, cabin rental, and meal deals.

Accommodation- The cheapest Roscoff hotels are around 30€/ night. Learn from my mistakes: Spend more. Rent a nicer hotel room in or within walking distance of the city centre. They run from 70€-120€/ night. While exploring I found what I think is a campground on an onion farm. I am unsure of the cost or viability; links provided under “Resources” below.

Ferry to Ile de Batz- 8.5€

Food- I didn’t find it very easy to get good deals on food in Roscoff. There was little variation in menu prices. The place to save is drink, which you will do frequently. Order the local cider for 3€ per glass (versus wine for upwards of 7€). Purchase bottles of cider for 3.50€ from the grocers in the centre ville instead of the tourist attraction shops, where they run from 7€+. I found an awesome bar outside the train station (Le Sailor) where wine was .90€. The water in this bar was 2.70€. One can guess my drink of choice. There are more details on ferry food in “The Plan” below. I found a tourism pamphlet in Brest that claimed a Wednesday Farmer’s Market, perfect for cheaper picnic picks, but I am not sure if it runs in low-season.

Money exchange- Birttany Ferries offer a service at port and for a fee. Instead, exchange £ to € at the post office in Plymouth for free. I also used my British debit card to pull money from French ATM’s for a standard service charge. Cards are accepted most everywhere I visited in the region.

Optional costs include the onion museum tour, renting bicycles, and water sports.

Solo-Savvy: Yes, but more so in the high-season. Ask yourself: Do I feel more relaxed when traveling alone? During high season you will find plenty English-speaking travelers to chat with and ample activities. Conversely, I recommend bringing a friend if visiting in the low-season. I received funny looks when dining alone for dinner (of course, I smiled coyly and provided funny looks right back). Find a tag-along who speaks French. Bretagne/ Brittany is notorious for its lack of English speakers.

Requirements: In low-season, one MUST bring water-resistant clothing. I found cool sailor-style jackets in Roscoff for a steep fee. Outdoor walking shoes are helpful especially if exploring the Isle of Batz. Bring a swimsuit and towel. Sport-specific gear can be rented from the water sports centre on the harbor.

A Background on Roscoff and the Bretagne (Brittany) region:

Roscoff is located in the “department” of Finistère, northwestern Brittany. It has 1,000 kilometers of coastline. The French term for Brittany is Bretange and these terms are used interchangeably. The popular term for Brittany as “Little Britain” is a misnomer. Yes, many of the homes in the region are owned by Brits (especially along coastal spots like Roscoff). However, a surprising number of people here do not speak English. There exists a regional dialect and plenty of French colloquialisms. It’s a heavenly place for those interested in architecture and churches. Over the 16th and 18th centuries towns competed to build the most elaborate churches, churchyards, and religious sculptures. They built enclos pariossiaux, which mostly consist of a triumphal entrance, stone cross, ossuary (bone container), a church, and a walled courtyard. The little church in Roscoff city centre is a perfect example. Unfortunately, most churches I visited shut their interiors to the public (maybe because of the beggars sitting inside the entrance).

The Port of Roscoff is called Port de Bloscon, situated about a 10-minutes’ walk eastward of the town centre. It was originally formed to transport produce between the UK and France. Eventually, it expanded to promote British tourism to the north of France. I wonder if so few people here speak English because such promotion only took off in the 1980’s.

Roscoff is recognized for a few things outside its tour-worthy characteristics. It’s a popular seawater therapy location (the first started in 1899). According to a tourism site, it is “believed to be a place where [people] recuperate well…the combined use of seawater, seaweed, and fresh sea air of our region have proved to be extremely beneficial.” Today, such therapies translate to thalassotherapy (Wikilink below), a type of spa and massage. Several bright and modern medical facilities are located in Roscoff, too. Foodies love Roscoff’s onions, featured in many of its crepe recipes and the Roscoff seafood soup. Finally, a yummy local cider blends bubbles, sweet, and crisp flavor.

The Plan:
Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries asserts a 45-minute pre-arrival window. I was chastised by “Geraldine” for arriving only 30 minutes early. Show your passport twice upon arrival and send your bags through security. In Plymouth, you must walk through a metal detector, too. Once loaded onto the ferry, choose a campground: The front of the boat affords big windows and relative quiet outside meal-times but does seem to rock more than the middle. There is a mad-rush for breakfast. BEWARE: I watched many travelers attempt to use their meal deal tickets while still in port only to be told the ticket applies when in-motion. Food on the ferries is expensive: Soup runs at £3.50, the salad bar is £6-something, and the most popular option, a full meal + alcohol + dessert, is around £14. However, I recommend eating on the Ferry. It’s tasty, healthy, and a boredom buster. Beverages can be purchased at the “self-serve restaurant” and an on-board bar. I guesstimate that 75% of travelers probably imbibed adult beverages. I, however, felt a little too queasy to do as much…

The ferry rocks. While two on-board stores host a worthy selection of souvenirs and travel items they are prohibited from selling seasickness medications (I bought an adapter for only £3.99). One of the stores sells ginger biscuits claiming seasickness reduction. I found eating helped to settle my stomach; the biscuits, priced at only £.99, may be worth a try. Another suitable seasickness distraction is the very well-priced cinema, where movies like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel II are played at a super affordable £6.50. Maybe the lady who let her young boy vomit into a seasickness bag in the middle of a public eating space ought to have considered this option….or at least taken him out to the back deck for some fresh air!

What you absolutely will not be able to do on the ferry is access WiFi. After two hours of trying without success to log on and I gave up. I crawled up on a bench to sleep instead. In fact, I found myself feeling very groggy. I slept like a baby (or like I wished a screaming baby near me would). Rock-a-bye baby?

Final logistical notes regarding the ferry: Payments can be made in Euros or GBP; electrical sockets are French; staff are French but speak English.

Accommodation
The port is a simple 10-minute walk from the city centre. French signs are easy to interpret and list specific hotel names.

Learn from my mistakes: Many hotels in Roscoff are closed until April. The cheapest hotel I could find while there was Hotel Regina (linked below), which I highly recommend NOT staying at. Unless you like overpriced and cold rooms without kettles, clean linens, and working showers. When I appeared at the front desk wrapped in a blanket, the hotelier offered me a space-heater. I kept it on the entire time, figuring that because I was the only person in the hotel, I could use as much electricity as I wanted.

There are deals to be had in Roscoff. They do not result in cheap accommodation but heavily discounted or perk-included bookings. Places to look for such deals are the Brittany Ferries emails, TripAdvisor (there’s a link to TripAdvisor on the BASEDtraveler main page), and the Visit Roscoff website (below). I thought the Hotel-Restaurant d’Angleterre looked nice (when it opens in April). It may be tempting to book a space at Roscoff’s famous Hotel Thalasstonic. I popped in to check out the scene. It’s a clean and modern and a spa haven, full of British hen-do’s and elderly people. From my brief visit I don’t think it’s worth the cost, especially during winter when the private beach and outdoor hot-tub cannot be enjoyed. Do not purchase anything in the Hotel’s shop, as the same products are sold at city centre grocers for literally half the price.

Exploring
First and foremost, one must walk to the end of Roscoff’s bridge to the middle of the channel. You will see the bridge extending off the local harbor into the channel. It crosses most clear and turquoise water, where marine life mingles with seaweed and shells in low-level tide pools. The bridge eventually disappears beneath the surface. I believe the bridge previously took visitors all the way to the Ile de Batz, a small island a 15-minute now serve by an affordable ferry from Roscoff. Ferries to the Ile run at regular intervals throughout the year. Most people spend their day walking, although there is a restaurant, guest house, tourist information centre, and hosted events there. (Links below).

Here’s a list of other activities and attractions in Roscoff:
Tourist Information Office: This is the best place to stop to learn what’s available in the city during your visit. The building faces the harbor in the city centre.
Jardine Exotique: People on Google say, “Magnifique jardine.” A ten-minute walk from the city centre toward the ferries. Its website is broken but I found tour information on the Tourism Bretagne page.
Sante Barbe Chapel: Less than 30 minutes’ walk from the city centre, this petite place of worship offers gorgeous views.

Onions & Johnnie’s Museum: Somehow I didn’t notice this museum as I walked around town. Moreover, I can’t find specific details online, just a vague mention on the Bretagne Tourism website. I assume it’s still operational but really can’t be sure.

Thalasso: Yah, go for it--- get a Thalasso massage! During low-season only the Thalado Hotel offers them but in high-season other locations do as well. If you don’t want to go all-out, get a haircut instead. Two very cute and busy salons/ barber shops are within the city centre. When in Rome…

Take a stroll: Follow the well-marked tourism signs in English and French through the city and out past the medical centers. Look for them on walls on free-standing. You will pass a house Alexandre Dumás stayed in and Our Lady of Croaz Batz, the local enclos pariossiaux. Walk along the promenade, learning about the medicinal heritage of the city, and past a closed cemetery (which struck me as morbid considering it is right next to the hospital). Next to the Thalado Hotel is a perky creperie and beach. End your tour there or continue to walk into the neighborhoods and past the nautical research center.

Eat and Drink: Roscoff’s best all-weather attraction! Absolutely visit Ti Saozon, a delightful creperie owned by a fabulous husband/ wife duo. They have a life-size replica of the wife’s grandmother’s grandmother perched in the French chic café. Grandmother founded Ti Saozon and looks very determined indeed. Order a bottle of cider and the day’s special crepe (3.50 and 8 Euros respectively). Finish with a sweet dessert crepe (everyone does). The place was still busy when I arrived at 9PM. If possible, reserve one of their delicate, spindly tables.
Another must-visit is Café Ty Pierre, located directly on the harbor. Despite the fact that it’s always busy, the laid-back yet efficient service staff provided effective service to diners on the outdoor terrace (smoking allowed) and in the cozy, contemporary interior. With free WiFi, ample beverage options, and great people-watching, it’s a good place to spend a few hours. This is where I tasted Roscoff’s fish soup (soup di pouisson), which I expected to be something of a stew. To my surprise, it is a smooth and blended fish-and-tomato-base tasting soup, warm but lacking in sustenance. While people on TripAdvisor say it’s the “best fish soup in Roscoff,” I recommend ordering one of the more substantial menu items for lunch. 

Escape from Roscoff
Roscoff is an excellent stopping-off point to access other parts of France. The train station, located next to Hotel Regina, offers regular services into larger towns like Morlaix where further connections are available. Trains here are a regional service called Ter from stations called SNCF. The train to Roscoff was a funny, miniscule single coach. The station was much busier on a Monday afternoon than a Saturday afternoon so consider booking tickets in advance if using weekday transit. I paid 18€ for a train to Morlaix and a connection to Brest. Do note, as well, that on my return journey the train was undergoing construction. I was re-routed on a bus then two train connections. If on a schedule be sure to check with staff as early as possible.

Get this: I met many travelers in France of all backgrounds and characteristics who hitchhike around the country. I heard only positive things about the experience. One of my friends managed to scour the East-West completely in two days, a shocking feat. Keep it in mind…