Europe 2009 Part One

I know I haven't ever written about my 2008 trip to Europe, but I'll get to that sometime..... Today I need to begin the saga of the 2009 trip. So, here is Part the First:


You may ask, "Hey, Sherry, what did you do in Europe?" Well, let me tell you.......

Our first stop was in the great city of London. We arrived at Heathrow, met our tour group and took the bus to our hotel, which was in the suburb of Croyden, south of the city. We took the train and the tube in to town and went on a short orientation walk. I really enjoyed walking down Whitehall--it was one of the things I had planned to do anyway. It's the street with the U.K.'s monument to all the soldiers who died in World Wars I and II. The cenotaph sits in the middle of the road, and people leave wreaths of poppies to remember the war dead. I read once that if all the soldiers from the British Empire who died in World War I were to march down that street, four abreast, the parade would last two weeks. That's a mind-boggling thought.

We also passed the Queen's Horse Guards, very impressive in their shiny helmets and boots and riding very fine looking horses; the Banqueting House designed by Inigo Jones where King Charles I stepped out on a balcony in the 1600s and was the only British monarch executed by his people; and the intersection with Downing Street, where the British Prime Minister lives. I love, love, love British history, so London is one of my all-time favorite towns.

We stopped at Trafalgar Square--a very impressive monument to Lord Nelson who defeated the French at Trafalgar, then strolled past the National Gallery and the church called St. Martin in the Fields. I really want to go there for a concert someday, but didn't make it this time. From there our group split up and some of us decided to hike to St. Paul's cathedral via the Strand. It looked great on the map, walking past the famous tea shop, Twinnings, and past a pub where Samuel Johnson and Charles Dickens used to hang out, but in reality it was a looooonnnngggg walk. I'm afraid I overdid it for my companions on the first day and I felt guilty about that ever afterwards.....Still, St. Paul's was gorgeous inside and I'm thankful for the opportunity to see it. I was particularly impressed with the tomb of Lord Wellington, who finally and decisively defeated Napoleon at Waterloo. His tomb lists his many battles, and of course mentions his great triumph at Waterloo. Interestingly enough, Napoleon's much more lavish tomb in Paris fails to mention his final defeat. Hmmm.....

We ate dinner at a little restaurant near St. Paul's (and also near the Millenium bridge) dining on fish and chips with mushy peas (this is actually a well-loved British dish and it's pretty tasty, even though it really is mushed up peas--with mint no less).

I liked our hotel in London and the using the Underground and the train was no problem at all.

Our second day began with an attempt to visit Westminster Abbey. Unfortunately, it was closed for a private service, so I still haven't seen all the wonders in it that I want to see. Looks like I'll have to go to London again! Afterwards the three adults in my group set out to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Couldn't persuade any of the kids to join us, so they all went with Ms. Crane to climb the 200 or so steps at Tower Bridge. We really enjoyed the pomp and circumstance at Buckingham Palace. The British certainly do ceremony well. The soldier's uniforms are quite impressive, as are the matching horses of the Horse Guard. It's something everyone should see if they're in London.

The three of us had lunch in a lovely cafe near the Thames (I have a firm rule--I always sit down for lunch, relax and enjoy the local food). Then we met our bus for a tour of the city. It was well-done and interesting and we even had a few minutes to race through the British Museum at the end. Not nearly enough time, of course, but that gives me another reason to go back. I did get to see the Elgin Marbles and that was something I had long wished to see, so it wasn't a total loss.

We ate dinner in Soho, my first experience with Indian food--it was delicious. Then we traveled to Tower Hill to meet our guide for a Jack the Ripper walk. Once there, I realized that one of my students was missing. Paige had not noticed when we all turned in to the underground station, and was left behind. Luckily Alyssa soon received a text from Paige explaining what had happened and she was able to send instructions on how to find us. Just to be certain that Paige was okay, I took the tube back to the previous station and searched for her, but Kara then texted me that Paige had arrived and I rejoined the group, which had already begun the walking tour. That was problematic as we had already walked too far for the first day and Trudy was having trouble with her feet. I felt so guilty about it and there didn't seem to be anything I could do except keep trudging on. So, on we went and were most grateful when we finally reached the tube station. I think Trudy would have gone home that night if she could have, but we made it through. After the tour, she went on back to the hotel, and Joann and I took Kara and Kayte shopping on Oxford Street. We also thought about going to the London Eye, but decided against it. Shopping was pretty fun, and we had an easy route home from there.

On Day 3, we left London and began our long journey across much of Europe. Our final stop in the U.K. was at Canterbury, the city where Thomas Beckett was killed, and where pilgrims later came to visit his tomb. The tomb is not actually there any more, as it was destroyed in the 1500s when Henry VIII confiscated all Catholic properties in England and had the shrines destroyed. By the way, docents at the Cathedral told me that Henry VIII's men took 26 carts full of gold, silver and jewels from Canterbury Cathedral. (Makes you wonder if his motivation for ditching the Catholic church wasn't really Ann Boleyn after all, but the money and property he could confiscate from the church. I know, I'm such a cynic). Still, the Cathedral is the place of Thomas Beckett's murder, and a very historic cathedral. Canterbury is a pretty little town as well. Our lunch there at Pret a Manger (a salad/sandwich chain that is all over London--and probably everywhere else as well) was excellent. I highly recommend the chain, particularly since one seems to lack fruits and vegetables when traveling and they have wonderful varieties of both. Several of us got to participate in a brief prayer service in the cathedral and it was a peaceful, moving experience. I think I may just teach the Canterbury Tales this year, since now I've been there, too.

We then traveled onwards to the English coast at Dover, where we saw the famous White Cliffs, and boarded a ferry across the English Channel. It was my first time on an ocean-going vessel (even if it was just across a 20 mile channel) and I found that if I watched the water out the window, I felt fine, but if I focused on what was happening inside the boat, I tended to feel dizzy. Weird.....

Upon our arrival in France, we boarded our coach and drove to Paris. And, as Paris is a long story, I'll write about it in the next episode.......