Last month my schedule opened up, and my mom, using airline miles as bribery, suggested we head off to England.  I had gone with her when I graduated from high school, and spent some time studying abroad my junior year of college.  Through those experiences England has become one of my favorite places.  With very little arm twisting, I agreed and we were off.

Have I mentioned that the flight to England is nearly eight hours long?  Halfway there I had this idea that I was actually going insane.  My mom and I were laughing hysterically about everything, and my mind was feeling a bit cagey.  Then we landed, early actually, and I hurried down to wait for my luggage.  Unfortunately, the nice airline people thought my luggage would be more comfortable in Detroit, so they retained it there for an extra 24 hours.

After dealing with this dilemma, I stepped out of the airport (an easy step with no luggage to carry) and into the English sunshine.  That’s right, I said sunshine.  Despite my crazy journey and arrival, God had blessed us with a beautiful day.  And He proceeded to bless us with one of the very best trips I’ve ever had.

Here’s a few of the reasons it was so spectacular (go see them yourself!):

1.  War Cabinet Rooms/Winston Churchill Museum—As a history buff, when I read about the rooms located in the basement of the tax building, where Winston Churchill and his cabinet planned out World War II while German bombers were flying overhead, I knew I had to visit.  When I got there I was pleasantly surprised to find that in just February of this year, they had opened the Winston Churchill Museum adjoining the War Cabinet rooms.  This museum will absolutely take your breath away.  Most everything is set to motion sensors and begins as you step into place.  There are videos from Churchill’s early days, through his army career, and into his time as prime minister.  For the literature enthusiasts, you can take a peek at Churchill’s Nobel Prize in Literature, along with his vast collection of writings.  Or you can just view his army suits, history of his family, and letters from his wife.  The museum is so full of interesting bits, too many to name here.  I could have easily spent an entire day there.

2.  Westminster Abbey and Poets’ Corner—Though I’ve been to England a number of times, and had done all the touristy London views, I had yet to go inside Westminster Abbey.  The church where Kings and Queens were crowned and generations of royalty laid to rest, the church is alongside Whitehall and Westminster, where the houses of parliament meet.  I wandered through, seeing the ornate graves and beautiful architecture.  Then I found myself at my intended stop—poets’ corner.  As an English literature major I stood awed and overwhelmed surrounded by men and women who had the ability to make music out of language.  Lord Tennyson, whose famous Lady of Shalott was the study for my senior paper, lies next to Robert Browning, whose love story with poet and wife Elizabeth Barrett Browning has captured my attention and made them my current favorites of the Romantic era.  My poor mother eventually gave up and went to sit in the nearby chairs as I walked in circles over every single monument.

3.  The Tower of London and The Ceremony of the Keys—Built by William the Conqueror and home of the crown jewels, the white tower housed England’s kings and queens for hundreds of years.  The tower prison, located within the boundaries has held many infamous prisoners prior to their executions, such as the wife of Henry VIII, and Thomas Moore.  The beefeaters tour (soldiers who are guardians of the queen) is the best tour I’ve found in all of England.  Men dressed in bright red soldier’s garb walk you through the tower telling some of the more famous stories.  It seems being quite witty is a requirement!

And then, for all those who, like myself, wonder what goes on in these palaces and castle walls when all the tourists leave for the night.  The Ceremony of the Keys, which has been done every night for hundreds of years, is the locking of the gates of the Tower of London.  Visitors are allowed inside by written invitation only to watch the night sentry perform the age old ceremony, escorted by young military men and ordered to a stop by the tower guard.  Allowed to continue, this key bearer’s arrival is signaled by a bugler, and welcomed at the governor’s door.  All this to keep the crown jewels, and the beefeaters living in the walls, safe and sound for another night.  Make sure you apply for this several months before going.  Invitations are limited and highly in demand.

While those are just a few of the amazing things to see, you’d be dreadfully bored if I went into how amazing it was to see Blenheim Palace (where Ever After was filmed), to visit Oxford again and see my old school friends, the extraordinary views from Windsor Castle, or the true princess feeling that accompanies a trip to Warwick Castle.

So instead I’ll give you a few England travel tips:

1.  Always take the bus and walking tours, preferably as soon as you arrive.  The bus tours acquaint you with the layout of the city, and all the major tourist attractions.  Though my mother and I had been several times, we spent our first day taking the London city bus tour.  While doing so, we had out the bus map, and circled and marked the places we wanted specifically to visit.  We then knew what attractions were close to one another and were able to better chart out our trip, even though we’d done much planning beforehand.

2.  See Big Ben, Whitehall, and Westminster at night.  Big Ben, the bell which rings inside St. Thomas’ clock tower, and Westminster are the famous images portrayed on movies and postcards, and are home to the British parliament.  While you’ll absolutely see them from various angles during the day, make time to walk past them once the sun has set.  The golden hue of the buildings seems to reflect the moonlight and appear to glow.  It is both beautiful and inspiring.

3.  Prepare for the weather.  The best advice I received came from a British coworker of mine.  Her advice: take a scarf and thin gloves.  She was absolutely right.  The weather in the London area seems to stay in fairly even temperatures, 40 to 80, and no matter which end it happens to be at on your journey, adding a scarf and gloves can keep you warm if it is leaning towards colder/rainy, and you can easily take them off if the weather turns in the warmer direction.

4.  Spend the money and see a play or two.  England is known for quality theatre, so visit a few venues.  My all-time favorite was Les Miserables at the Palace Theatre, though I saw a gorgeous production of Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre.

England is beautiful and full of history beyond what our minds can fathom.  I laughed when my mom stopped in at a bakery in Piccadilly Circus that had existed since the early 1700’s.  I said there was something very comforting about buying tea from a place older than your country.

My luggage eventually arrived, the weather stayed beautiful for seven of the ten days I was there, and the exchange rate didn’t kill me.

ninetyandnine.com

© 2005, Sarah k. Holland

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Sarah k. Holland is a copy editor for ninetyandnine.com who is an unemployed educator once again, and can’t wait for God to take her to the next step in His plan.  When she wishes, it’s that He’d tell her what that next step was.