Merton College

　　My daughter looked disappointed to have her favorite purse stolen and seemed to need a change of mind. We visited Merton College. The entrance fee was 3 GBP per person. Buildings were what I had imagined and didn't let me down. I was very happy to be there where lots of intelligent students from past centuries had spent their youth. What's more, the Japanese Crown Prince had studied there about transportation on the Thames.
　　Passing through the gate, there was an isolated bench, which is shown in the left lower corner of the 2nd picture below. Judging from its description, the bench seemed to be donated to the college in memory of a donor's father who had been enrolled in the college. I'd seen similar benches in a park in Toronto and I wrote about them here (Link). I like this custom, though it's rare in Japan. Mr. Theo Gadian on the description plate would have been a good father. We were able to walk around the grounds except private areas. Every building had its unique solemnity and I was overwhelmed.
　　We saw a few squirrels and my daughter was into shooting them for some time. The last building was the Cathedral, which was smaller than that of Christ Church, but the magnitude of the pipe organ was great. I uttered, "What sound does it make?" The last picture shows a plaque hung on the wall near the entrance. It was the list of the successive wardens of the college. I'd like to pay my respect to the endeavor to keep or protect their tradition even through the change of dynasties and big warfare.

 https://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2012/07/on-algonquin-island.html

  


 




お気に入りの財布をすられて落胆している娘を連れてマートンカレッジへ。気持ちの切り替えが必要。入口で一人３ポンドを支払い入構。建物は期待を裏切らず、中世の建物そのもの。過去数世紀にわたって若者たちがその青春時代を過ごしたこの場所（日本の皇太子殿下もそのひとり）に立ててとても嬉しい。

エントランスを抜けると中庭があり、ベンチが一つ、ぽつんと置かれていた。かつてここに在籍した父親を思って子供達が設置したものと思われた。同じような椅子をトロントで見かけたことがある。市民が利用できる公園にいくつも置かれていた。このような習慣をちょっと気に入っている。この椅子に書かれているTHEO GADIANという人は良い父親だったのだろうなあ。構内では立入禁止と書かれていない場所は自由に見て回ることが出来た。どの建物も重々しい。伝統の醸し出す雰囲気に圧倒された。

娘はと見ると、野生のリスに夢中。可愛いと言って追いかけ回していた。３～４匹ほど見かけたが、３０分くらいはリスの写真を撮っていた。野生のリスの話はロンドンの記事の中でまた。最後に入ったのが大聖堂。クライストチャーチカレッジの大聖堂に比べるとこじんまりしているのだが、圧感はパイプオルガン。どんな音が出るのだろうか?最後の写真は大聖堂の入口横に掛かっていた銘板。じっくりと見て欲しい。学寮長の一覧だ。王朝が変わり、大戦争があっても、伝統が守られてきたことに敬意を表したい。