Day 25
From the
windows of the plane we could see the rugged Pyrenees Mountains that formed the
natural barrier between Spain and France as well as the Eiffel Tower as we
approached Paris. We landed at Charles de Gaulle airport in the late morning
and found out we would zoom into Paris on the RER line. From there we hopped on
the subway to the Gare Du Nord station by our hostel. This station was the
transport hub for center city so it was huge and took some time to decipher
where the proper exits, ticket booths, and subway lines were. Following the
directions given to us, we made our way to the hostel which was conveniently
located close to a couple markets.
From the
very beginning, Paris did not impress me as a city. The subway was inefficient
with several important stops closed, so it would often take a previously
unheard of 3 transfers to get where we wanted. Of course the station by our
hostel that connected to several different lines was closed, which likely cost
us nearly an hour of travel time. The streets were not very clean and an
unpleasant smell lingered throughout the Montmartre area. Many buildings were
dirty and dilapidated. We would find out later that the museums and other
sights were managed in a lackadaisical fashion where the security guards seemed
to do what they wanted without properly informing people. Closing times were
sometimes different than posted on the tourist information. Then there was the
somewhat snobbish nature of the Parisians, although we did not experience any
of the horrors that I had heard from others about waiters refusing to serve or
locals snubbing people asking for help if the spoke English. While I certainly
enjoyed my time and the sights were great, the whole time I had a feeling that
many things were non-sensical but Paris was too stubborn to change them. It did
not live up to its name as a city surpassing all others in romance and beauty.
Upon
entering the Vintage Hostel, we found Pat waiting in the lobby. It was
certainly the most interesting place I had greeted him before and it was great
to both see him after nearly a year in Albania and to inaugurate him into our
traveling adventure (although he had visited Belgium by himself for the first
couple of days before meeting us). After introducing him to Hans and catching
up a bit, I asked him to show us the basics he had planned for our time. He had
printed out a large map and had marked all the main sites. In such a sprawling
city, most of the sites were fairly spread out, so it would take time to get
around, especially with the troublesome subway system. However, staying for
over 4 days in one city would be very relaxing in comparison to the rate at
which Hans and I had been moving previously. We thought we had plenty of time
to see all the main sites.
We wasted no
time in introducing Pat to our market feasts which took on some new parts with
his presence. We discovered that Paraguayans are one of the most tasty, juicy
fruits in the world so we ate them almost every day. We bought a quart of
yogurt with fresh fruit along with sausage, cheese, bread, avocado, and dates.
After filling up the three of us stored our luggage and headed down to Saint
Chappelle, which is a small but beautiful church pulsing with color. The walls
of the upper chapel were covered almost entirely with stained glass. As with
icons, the windows told the stories of the Bible through illustration so that
the illiterate masses of the Middle Ages could understand the revelation of
God’s word. Unfortunately, there was scaffolding covering the whole one side
which certainly took away from the magical glow that would have enveloped the
chapel as the sun shone through.
After
wandering around the Palace of Justice, we headed to Notre Dame. The
approaching view of the Cathedral was partially blocked by bleachers that had
been set up across from the front entrance. We joined the long line to enter,
but it moved quickly and the visit was free. The interior of the Cathedral was
one of the most powerful I have seen. It was built from the 12th to
14th centuries making it older than many of its contemporaries in Europe,
so the architecture was early Gothic as opposed to the higher Gothic found in
many famous cathedrals. Early Gothic began moving away from the Romanesque
style that featured thick pillars and rounded arches in comparison to the
delicate soaring pillars and pointed archways of Gothic. Because of its earlier
design, it was less intricate and stunning than the Cathedrals we had seen in
Spain apart from the two beautiful rose stained glass windows at either end. Features
that distinguish Notre Dame from others are its flying buttresses and the
gargoyle statues all around the exterior.
By this time
it was late afternoon and Hans and I were exhausted from our little sleep and
travel. Although Pat was doing fine, I could barely walk around in Notre Dame
and I reached the end of my energy wandering around the docks hoping to get a
free evening boat tour on the Seine as part of our Paris Pass. After learning
this was not included, we headed back to our hostel, checked into our private
room, and relaxed for a bit before going to bed.
Day 26
The next
morning we ate a simple all you can eat breakfast and took some rolls along
with us before heading to the Eiffel Tower. We had hoped to get there before
opening time, but our sluggishness held us back for half an hour. The line was
brutally long twisting all around and it was unclear how the system worked. At
one point, a bunch of people started streaming from the line so I checked out
the situation and discovered that a new line had opened up so we transferred
and likely saved a good amount of wait time. After about 90 minutes of waiting,
we passed through security where Hans temporarily lost his ticket and the
security lady repeatedly sighed “no” in frustration when Hans and Pat removed
their belts for the metal detector (seemed like the thing to do).
The large
elevator stopped at the lower level with a restaurant before dropping us off at
the middle level where we had to get off and get in a different line for the
elevator to the top. We took our time gazing out over Paris from the top of its
most iconic monument taking in the scope and organization of the city. After
some pictures and pull-ups on the beams around the tower, it began to cloud up
and we saw dark rain clouds roll over the city.
When it
began to rain we went down to the lower level where Pat said he wanted to check
out the gift shop. Hans and I walked several paces past the shop entrance to
get out of the way of the crowds and waited by the stairs. After a while, I
went to check on Pat and he was gone. I informed Hans and we decided that he
would stay put while I searched around for him. I reported back to Hans and
neither of us saw him. After another search yielded nothing, we decided that he
must have gone down for some reason. We checked the lower level before exiting
at the bottom into the pouring rain. Luckily, the rain soon slowed to a drizzle
but we did not see Pat anywhere. Since it had been over an hour since we
separated, Hans and I decided that we needed to move on so we would not waste
the day and assumed that he would do the same before meeting that evening in
the hostel. Fortunately, we had laid out a basic plan for the day, so we hoped
we may run into him later.
By the time
we walked away from the Eiffel Tower the rain had slowed to a drizzle. We went
out to the field of Mars to take some pictures standing next to and jumping
over the tower before walking past the old military school where Napoleon was
trained and down to Napoleon’s tomb. The building looked like a Cathedral, but
it was dedicated to honoring Napoleon and other French military heroes. Under
the central dome the floor dropped down a level where you could walk around the
sarcophagus.
Connected to
the sanctuary was a hospital that Napoleon had built for the injured from his
campaigns. The huge space currently serves as the military museum with displays
from the Middle Ages up through WWII. We thought Spain had a ton of armor, but
the collection displayed and kept archived was massive with countless suits of
armor, uniforms, and weapons as well as impressive collections from India and
Japan. I learned that the dreaded Cuirassiers were labeled this because of
their breastplate (a cuirass) and served as heavy cavalry armed with swords and
pistols under Napoleon. We studied moving schematics for the Battle of 3
Emperors and Waterloo. I had been wondering how the French feel about Napoleon
today and the museum revealed that he is treated as a hero with many faults
that brought excessive violence. He is rightly viewed as one of the greatest
commanders in history and as defining to the history of France inaugurating a
new modern society.
After nearly
three hours, we walked to the Orsay Museum but it was closed earlier than
written in my book. Since there was not much left to do nearby we decided to
hop on a boat tour on the Seine enjoying the city as the sun began to set. This
is certainly one of the best ways to view Paris because most of the main sites
are positioned along the river and there are a myriad of bridges that connect
across the river. The different perspective with the reddish sunlight
glimmering across the water was a relaxing way to see the city. Afterwards, we
popped back to the hostel to check for Pat before heading out to the Arc de
Triumph, only to find out that it had been closed early due to excessive heat.
Not only was this way earlier than posted, but the reason did not make any
sense because it was open all day while it was actually hot, then at night it
was closed. It seemed like the reason was to conceal that someone just wanted
to get out of work early and many people in line with us were angry and sensing
the same thing. Well, I guess we will just have to wait until tomorrow night.
Back in the
hostel, I was showering as Pat came in. We smiled at each other and he was
evidently as confused as we were how we got separated. The difference maker was
that after he finished in the shop, he figured that we had gone down awhile so
he went down without seeing us and waited for about an hour at the bottom. Hans
and I knew how easily we could lose each other in a city without any way to
communicate, so we always would stay together unless we made a specific plan to
meet up. Since we had not talked about this with Pat, he was not working under
these assumptions. He had visited many of the same sights we had (including the
Orsay that he got into on time as well as Sancre Coeur) but we had missed each
other repeatedly.
Day 27
The next
morning after breakfast we headed to the station to catch a train to
Versailles. Despite getting there at opening time, the line still snaked
across the huge square for a couple hundred yards in front of the palace
entrance. Models, displays, and videos showed that the royal residence at
Versailles began as a modest hunting lodge under Louis IIX. Over the centuries,
it was rebuilt and expanded several times until it became the over-the-top
luxury palace that came to symbolize the wealth and power of French Absolutism
championed by Louis XIV. Most of the palaces and courts of Europe came to be
modeled after the French style displayed in Versailles. Louis XIV made the full
power of the state revolve around him (called the “Sun King”) by centralizing power
and having the whole court regimented around his schedule that included the
court gathered to watch the king and queen eat dinner then Louis met with all
the officials while in bed.
We were
given audio tour devices that were very informative, so we moved through the
palace learning the function of each room and the significance of the
furniture, statues, and artwork. I had noticed before how prevalent the use of
classical themes and art is in royal palaces, but nowhere is it more widespread
and coercive than in Versailles. A huge beaming golden gate divided the common
people from the divinely appointed king and his court. A sun showed that all
life revolved around the power held by this king. Cowering eagles and lions
represented the empires that submitted to the authority of France. Zeus,
Hercules, and winged virgins symbolized the power, strength, and virtue of the
crown. Finally, there were statues of modern leaders in the style or adornment
of classical gods or emperors to equate them with greatness.
The most
important and ornate room is the Hall of Mirrors. This room was built to
symbolize French greatness and style to any invited to visit. Therefore, it was
a serious insult and scar on the French conscience when Wilhelm I was
proclaimed emperor in 1871 in the Hall of Mirrors after France was defeated in
the Franco-Prussian war. Revenge was taken after WWI when the French forced the
Germans to sign unfair terms of the Treaty of Versailles on the birthday of the
assassinated Archduke Ferdinand of Austria.
Before the
end of the palace tour there was a long gallery of huge paintings celebrating
all the great military victories of France throughout history back to the
formation of the Frankish kingdom under Clovis. I waited for Pat and Hans to
come through before we ventured out into the vast gardens. We walked down to
the right to the large pond where many were boating and we talked about video
games before looping around and back to the palace on our way out. While
walking back to the train we ran into my senior history professor, John Fea,
and his wife, Joy, who taught me as well. They were with their two daughters on
a European vacation and couldn’t miss the historical significance of
Versailles. Of course this was quite an unlikely surprise, so we caught up
briefly before snapping a photo and continuing on our way.
While
entering the subway on our way back, we discovered that sometimes old tickets
worked to pass the gate and so we just tried whichever ticket came first out of
our pocket. We headed to the church of Sancre Coeur built on the hill above
Montmartre. The night before, Pat had encountered some aggressive street
vendors who had grabbed him to try to get attention as well as a girl who
screamed for help, so we planned out advanced evasive maneuvers but they were
not hounding the area. We climbed the steps past a singing choir and got an
excellent view over Paris. The sanctuary of Sancre Coeur was not very large,
but its architecture and colorful mosaics gave it a beautiful eastern allure. The
stunning exterior includes several tall white domes giving it the feel of a
majestic Indian palace.
Now it was
time for the mighty Louvre. With 35,000 objects on display, over 650,000 square
feet, and about 10 million visitors a year, the Louvre is one of the largest
and most popular museums in the world. That night we hoped to see all the
highlights in three hours. We paused in the entrance courtyard to take pictures
with the glass pyramid before picking up a map to navigate the main
attractions. There were paintings by the Renaissance greats Raphael,
Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Titian, and Leonardo da Vinci, including
the original Mona Lisa. The most
important works of Eugene Delacroix, leader of the Romantic movement, including
Liberty Leading the People and Massacre at Chios, use expressive brush
strokes and vivid color to evoke emotion in the viewer praising liberty and
love. There was a rich collection of Greek and Roman sculpture, Egyptian
artifacts, and remains from the grand Persian palace at Persepolis. Perhaps the
most important historic artifact was Hammurabi’s
Code that serves as one of the first primary sources in my World History
classes and provides a wonderful window into life and government in Babylonia.
At night we
returned to the Arc de Triumph. However, again we were near the entrance in
line when they closed it without warning. There had been a paper posted by the
door yesterday alerting people that it would close early, but there was nothing
tonight and people were upset. Several others, like us, had been there the
night before and some were leaving the next day but the guards just shook their
heads. At one point, Hans took a picture of one of the guards who then came
over and asked him to delete it. They got into a painfully repetitive argument
where Hans said he has the right to take pictures of what he wants and that you
can’t see the guards face anyway because it was blurry, but the guard insisted
until eventually Hans had gotten enough entertainment and deleted the photo. Stunned
at the unfortunate happening two nights in a row and the lack of reason, the
three of us went back to the hostel and had a round of warm beers before bed.
Day 28
In the
morning we packed up, ate breakfast, checked out, and left our stuff in the luggage
room. We returned to the Notre Dame Cathedral to climb up the famous bell tower
but the line would not open for an hour. After debating, we decided to visit
the Parthenon but that also opened later than posted, so I sprinted back ahead
of the group to get a decent spot in the line that started to build outside the
tower. The tower contained a surprising amount of steps and it felt like
forever until we emerged at the top. There was a gangway around the bottom of
the belfry where we got an up close look at the gargoyles and design of the
Cathedral exterior along with a view over the city. A short elevator took us to
the roof of one tower for great views in all directions over the city along the
Seine. We all agreed it was worth the wait, climb, and entrance fee to
experience Notre Dame like Quasimodo.
Next we
headed across the river, grabbed some expensive Parisian mini-pastries, and examined
the exterior of the Pompidou museum of modern art. The building has all its
mechanical systems on the outside looking like an entanglement of tubes, pipes,
and exhaust ports. Inside, the experience got more special as we ascended the
external escalators to the top and entered one of the exhibits. The immediate
question on all of our minds was, how can all this stuff be considered art.
There were slabs of concrete, scribbles of paint, pots, squares of paint,
random shapes displayed on the walls like it was something special. None of us
were fans in the least bit. We pondered how anyone could like this and decided
that maybe the purpose of these objects is not to be beautiful in their own
right, but to force the viewer to come up with an abstract meaning. Perhaps in
creative thinking about the mundane, we can begin to see everything in the
world around us as art. Meh!
After
wandering around that section of the city for a bit, we headed back across the
river to the Pantheon. This structure is crazy because it looks exactly like a
great Cathedral, but has nothing to do with religion. It was originally built
as a church, but was converted to a temple to the nation of France and the
figures who contributed to its greatness. The inside was decorated with statues
and paintings on the wall commemorating important parts in French history
including the baptism of Clovis, the crowning of Charlemagne as Holy Roman
Emperor, Joan of Arc and the crowning of Charles VII at Reims, and many images
depicting the French Revolution as the triumph of liberty. The mausoleum in the
lower level contained many of France’s greatest figures including Voltaire, Rousseau,
Victor Hugo, Emile Zola, Alexander Dumas, Marie Curie, and Toussaint Louverture.
Since Pat
and Hans wanted to see the catacombs (I had seen those in Rome) and I wanted to
visit the Orsay Museum, we decided to split and meet later in the day. I spent
most of my time at the museum in the Impressionist section that boasted the
most complete collection of Monet, Renoir, Degas, Manet, Sisley, and Cezanne. These
creators and leaders of the Impressionist movement used thin yet visible brush
strokes and focused more on the light, color, and expression than the precise
form to arouse a certain feeling. Most of the paintings depicted nature with
water and flowers complimented by humanity and civilization to produce a
pleasing mood. Before leaving I walked through most of the exhibits that
spanned from 1848 – 1915 and I got to see several works by Van Gogh and Rodin.
Crossing the
bridge with all the locks sealing the bond between lover’s, I next visited
L’Orangerie Museum that featured wall-covering paintings of Monet’s “Lilly pad”
collection in two central oval rooms. Resting in the center and looking around
at the blending of colors and change of lighting was a great way to cap my
Impressionist viewing experience. There was s uprising amount of colors used
including rich purple and red hues. Since Hans and Pat were supposed to be
meeting me, I went out to the entrance area, saw them, and talked to them from
the inside telling them I would be out after I breezed through the other
exhibits, but the security guards told me that the museum was closed and that I
could not go back in. Since the museum did not close for another 20 minutes, I
asked them what time the museum closed, but they just repeated that it was
closed and that I had to leave. I told them that I had been inside the whole
time, but it was of no use. The nonsensical and complacent nature of French
museum workers had struck again!
Pat and Hans
laughed at the stupidity of what just happened and relayed their own
frustrating experience. They had gone to the catacombs, were waiting in line
for over an hour, and were right near the front when they were told that the
catacombs were closed. Not only was it before the actual closing time, but
instead of cutting the line off, the guards had allowed people to wait assuming
they would get in when in fact they would just be rejected after wasting time.
However, Hans did not return empty handed as they found a Lego store and felt
the bags for all the figures he wanted including the legionnaire, musketeer,
tomahawk warrior, and the knight. Thinking it would not be far, they had to run
to meet me on time because they underestimated the distance to the museum.
We sat outside
for a while before walking through a huge open square with a Egyptian obelisk
at the center on our way back to Montmartre looking for a place to sample
genuine Parisian cuisine (French for “kitchen”). Eventually, we found a
restaurant along the street where we decided to share three dishes including
duck and escargots. After relaxing for a while, we headed to the Arc hoping to
get to the top for the view of the city at night before we left. The Arc was
still open (closing early again), but they would not allow us to take our packs
up or store them in the empty space at the ticket booth. Frustrated, Hans and I
protested but to no avail, so Pat graciously decided that he would run up and
snap a few photos before running down and waiting with the bags allowing us to
go up and stay for a while. It was a beautiful spot to be at night because the
view was straight down all the streets, since the traffic converged on that
point, and the Eiffel Tower shimmered for a while.
After
hanging around for a while, Hans and I returned to Pat then made our way to the
bus station to board our bus for London. The station turned out to be a huge
multi-functional facility that seemed to be closed when we got there so we
walked around and asked directions until we found the parking lot for
international buses. The cheerful British driver asked for our confirmation
numbers and I handed him the information, but apparently I did not record the
correct number. However, seeing the information that I had showed that we were
at the right place, so he said we would wait until the other groups came and
then he would know we were the remaining group of 3. This friendly and logical
approach may seem logical, but it was it was refreshingly unexpected after our
experience with the enlightened Parisians. Soon we were seated, on the road,
and Pat scared away the kid sitting next to him with his neck pillow, ear
plugs, and eye cover. Surprisingly, Hans was not very sentimental about
leaving, but I think it was mostly because he was not impressed with the
atmosphere of Paris either.
Day 29
Early in the
morning we arrived at the English customs station at Calais before arriving at
the port to board our ferry. These British customs officers were hard-core
asking a flurry of questions and taking their time on each person. One guy who
I met in my hostel while in Istanbul told me that he was deported from Britain
because he did not have a return flight or other transportation arranged to
leave Britain. My officer actually asked for the official confirmation or
boarding pass, but he was satisfied by the information I had in my packet. It
was intense but it was refreshing to see someone actually taking their job
seriously. One Korean girl was panicking because she could not find her flight
confirmation and they threatened to not allow her in. Our new bus driver made
fun of her panic by yelling at her “Ching-Ching-Chung, hurry up China-girl!”
Eventually
all was sorted out and we were soon woken up again because we had to exit the
bus during the ride across the channel. With my eyes under a sleeping spell, I
fumbled to a table in the lobby upstairs and fell asleep leaning on the table
along with Pat. The journey took about an hour and a half and I woke up just in
time for our approach to the cliffs of Dover and the swirling green orb that
guarded the coast. Although I was asleep most of the time, it was cool to ferry
across the English Channel being in historic company with invasion fleets
during the Hundred Years War, the Spanish Armada, and German U-boats during the
World Wars.
I hardly
remember finding my way back to the bus because I was basically sleepwalking.
The next time I woke up, we were parking at the bus station in London. We had
decided to proceed immediately to Oxford, so we found an electronic ticket
machine, bought our return tickets, and were soon on our way to Oxford with
almost all young people. Pat had chosen to stay at King’s College where the
Great Hall was used as the model for the hall at Hogwart’s in Harry Potter. Not
feeling that it was worth the cost, Hans and I stayed at a nearby hostel that
oozed with rationality and safety right from the beginning because of the
procedures, common area, and combination locks on each of the rooms.
After
getting settled, we met up with Pat in town near his college. I had considered
joining a tour to visit the colleges, but Pat told us that he had been granted
“Resident Guest” status at Christ Church College which allowed him to bring
visitors onto the grounds for free. We took advantage of this by walking around
the common square, visiting the Great Hall, and touring the Cathedral. The
Great Hall contained three long rows of tables, a high wooden beamed roof,
portraits all along the walls, and a stage at the front just like in Harry
Potter. Cathedral was fairly small but dynamic with several unique nooks, a
medieval tomb, and a student practicing on the old organ. This is the only
college chapel to serve as a city Cathedral or the seat of the bishop. It is also
the burial place of philosopher John Locke and where John Wesley was ordained.
Since we
hadn’t eaten much since the night before at the restaurant, we were famished.
After weighing some options, we found something that perfectly fit the bill; a
buffet lunch at Pizza Hut for 6 pounds. We could hardly believe our luck as we
got a table right away before the masses poured in. All of us shoveled down
slice after slice complimented by salad, pudding, and pasta. It was stunning
how much we ate and Pizza Hut certainly did not profit from our business.
Having
already gotten an in-depth look at the most anticipated Christ Church College,
we wandered around the city peeked into St. John’s, Trinity, and Keble colleges
that were just a sampling of the 38 colleges that make up Oxford University.
The area was full of wonderful old buildings and we noticed that it was
graduation day for many of the students who were wearing their robes and
walking with their families. We passed by the Bodleian Library which is the
main research library at Oxford and is one of the oldest and largest in Europe.
After checking
out the colleges we took a nap on the grass at the student park. Then we looped
around the park and wandered through the southern part of the city before being
part of another random encounter. As we were crossing the street, we heard some
call Pat’s name and we turned to see Brittany Almond who was in our class at
Messiah. This was the most likely of my encounters since she had studied abroad
at Oxford in school and had decided to return for her master’s studies. After
catching up we continued on our way then decided to return to rest and wash
before meeting later.
Hans and I
chose to climb up an old lookout tower in the city center that gave us a better
grip of the scale and division of Oxford. Then we descended to meet Pat and
journey to the Eagle and the Child pub where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien
would meet along with other Inklings. I expected the “Rabbit Room” to be packed
and reserved, but when I asked, the bartender said there were no reservations
and you just had to claim a table. So we strategically stood for a few minutes
in close proximity before one group got up to leave. We sat down and that was
it; we were sitting in the same place as some of our favorite writers had sat
to discuss their writing, religion, and philosophy. We ordered two rounds of
beer (ciders, stouts, and porter ales) at surprisingly cheap prices and capped
our night soaking in the atmosphere of the moment. It was revealed by some
hardcore fans who had come to pay their respects that there was a secret book
where admirers wrote thanks and shared thoughts about the Inklings. It was a slightly
transcendent “further up and further in” moment. Note to self: I need to
re-read the Chronicles of Narnia at some point.
Day 30
The next
morning Hans and I ate breakfast before returning our sheets and checking out
to receive our deposit back. We met Pat in town by the tower before going to
the bus station for our return trip to London. One all of the buses we rode in
England we needed to wear seatbelts because they have strict safety laws about
public transportation. After arriving we bought some huge and delicious falafel
wraps outside the bus station before making our way to “the Tube”. The subway
system amazed us with how expensive it was, with a one way ticket being around
5 pounds. It was significantly cheaper
to get an unlimited Oyster Pass card for a week to swipe each time we entered,
but this was still around 40 pounds. However, from our first time in the Tube
we noticed that it was much more efficient and logical than the problematic
metro in Paris.
We got off
at Earl’s Court station and found our way to our hostel, Saint James
Backpackers where we checked into our private room with a triple bunk. We had
not laid out our strategy for touring the city, but all the main sites closed
early in the afternoon, so our best option was to rush to the British Museum.
We had about an hour and a half before closing time so we saw some of the Greek
and Egyptian highlights while spending most of our time in the British/European
pre-modern sections because much of the English/Nordic objects were new to me.
The most historically important artifact is the Rosetta Stone, which allowed
scholars to decipher the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics because it is written
in 3 languages including Greek. This was a great museum to visit because there
was great English descriptions, the layout was simple, and there was a huge
diversity of objects making up one of the largest permanent collections in the
world.
Since we had
been in England, we soon realized that almost all the tourists were English
speaking and of a much more uniform stock than our fellow travelers in Spain
and Paris. England, as the mother country of our Founding Fathers, is a
significant part of our cultural heritage in America today. Assumptions or ways
of interacting that I had taken for granted before spending a significant
amount of time abroad that were always changing from place to place now seemed
to settle. It is easy to notice a worldview different than ours, but feeling at
home in a foreign place is a sense that settles over time. It is hard to put a
finger on and it was beyond the return of rationality, but for the remainder of
our time in England, I felt lingering sense of shared identity with the people
and places we went because, although my family background is not English, much
of that place continues to be alive in my culture.
After
staying as long as we could, we exited the museum and visited some shops before
heading back to the hostel. We stopped at the local market where we bought an
assortment of vegetables and fruit along with eggs, sausage, and bread in order
to take advantage of the common kitchen at the hostel. Since we had a decent
chunk of time before bed we decided to humor Hans by playing the game he had
been working on with his Lego mini-figures. Each figure had its own unique movement,
attack, defense, and HP along with equipment perks. Attack success would be
determined by a dice roll. Hans and I further worked out the rules before we
moved the mattresses to play on the floor. We each chose two pieces and it was
a fight until the last man standing. Since there were three of us, it was
difficult to get us to commit to standing ground in battle, but eventually Pat
and I eventually knocked out Hans before Pat’s knight struck the victory blow.
Day 31
That morning
we needed to pick up our 4-day London Passes that were costly, but would give
access to most of the sites in the city. It is astonishing how expensive the
sights were. The first sight we used the pass for was the Tower of London which
would have cost us 12 pounds (around $18). At the pace we move and how many
sights we see in a day, we were planning on stretching our days to the maximum
saving over $50 each during our stay. At the Tower, we were summoned by a
Beefeater, one of the 38 ceremonial guards of the tower who must be a decorated
serviceman, to gather for a very informative and amusing tour. He used British
mannerisms and sarcasm to full effect to engage the sizeable crowd.
The tower was
originally built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century during
his efforts to establish and fortify his position as king of England after his
watermark victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The white tower at the
center of the complex was the first stone keep built in England. It was first
used as a royal residence, but more recently served as the holding place for
people who went against the interest of the crown and many of them were
executed on the hill outside, most notably Sir Thomas More. There were many
terrible ways to torture and execute people including hanging until close to
the point of death before cutting them down and repeating this process several
times. Inside the courtyard, nobles and royal relatives were secretly executed
including Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Gray.
After our
tour, we hoped to see the Crown Jewels but the line looked like nearly a two
hour wait. We decided to skip it. At this time my back was very sore, so when I
was waiting for Hans and Pat to finish in the bathroom I wandered into a nearby
room finding a place to sit. After feeling relief, I looked around and noticed
some glimmering objects through a nearby doorway. I got up to check it out and
soon realized that I was in the exhibit housing the crown jewels. Since I was
there, I decided that I should see the famous crown, orb, and scepter in the
main room. In the crown of Queen Victoria was a 186 carat diamond that used to
be the largest in the world. They were quite shiny, but not worth the hype
because there gilded objects to be found all around. Upon exiting where I had
come in, I realized that there was a sign that said “do not enter” that I
ignored because I was just focused on finding a bench.
When I found
Pat, he asked where I had been. I smiled and eventually said I was checking out
the Crown Jewels. Of course, he did not at first believe me, but realized I was
serious when I told him what happened. Hans then wanted to know what happened,
and when I told him, he said he was going to see the Jewels. Pat told him that
it was not right because all those people outside were waiting for hours to see
them, but Hans felt he was not hurting anyone and it was worth it. I was
impressed with Pat’s perspective and decision not to go but I had expected Hans
to pounce on this questionable opportunity, especially since I had already seen
them. We waited for him before going into the White Tower where the royal
armory collection was held displaying the armor of many past kings.
Next, we
headed over to the Tower Bridge and visited the museum inside. We climbed up
the one side and walked across the covered walkway at the top that held
displays of other important bridges. The bridges was built for both form and
function as it allowed more traffic across the river while being able to lift
up to let ships down the river. From the top we got a great view of the London
skyline including the unique modern skyscrapers that co-exist wonderfully along
with the historic buildings.
We decided
to head over to Buckingham Palace and check out the HMS Belfast docked along
the Thames on the way. This battleship served in the D-day invasion of
Normandy, sunk several German vessels, and fought in the Korean War before
being turned into a museum. It was like a floating town with a myriad of rooms
for sleeping, food preparation, medical treatment, navigation, weapons storage,
and loading mechanisms along with all the turrets and torpedo launchers.
We learned
that all the tickets for Buckingham Palace (15 pounds, not covered by the pass)
had been sold out for the day, so we hustled over to the Churchill War Rooms
before it closed. This museum was an underground command bunker where many of
the rooms had not been changed since the end of WWII when it was sealed. The
location of the bunker was secret and was not bomb proof. This is where the
national war council met and contained living facilities for Winston Churchill
even though he insisted on living above ground. He would work for over 18 hours
a day with almost no break. The main exhibit was dedicated to the life of
Churchill and revealed how he fell out of popularity with the public in his old
age battling the Labor Party.
From there
we walked by Big Ben and boarded the hop-on ferry that took us to the Tower
Bridge. During that 25-minute span we were able to so most of the highlights in
London from the Thames River, the lifeblood of the city. Since it was a nice
time to be on the water with the sun setting, we had gone away from our hostel,
and the return was free we then rode the boat back to Parliament. Despite being
exhausted, Hans and I drug Pat along on our walk to Trafalgar Square, which was
an evening hangout spot with a large column memorial to Admiral Nelson who died
at the Battle of Trafalgar. His impressive command in the battle lead to the
destruction of most of Napoleon’s fleet ending the possibility for an invasion
of England. Then we headed back, cooked another dinner, and went to bed.
Day 32
Each
morning, we ate a breakfast of cereal, toast, peanut butter, jelly, and
hard-boiled eggs. We checked in at Parliament but their hours are often
changing due to debates and we would have to come back later, so we crossed
over and got in the line at Westminster Abbey before it opened. The abbey is
the royal church where coronations have been performed for the last millennium
beginning with William the Conqueror, but is most famous as a burial place for
royals and other famous Brits. Notable people buried here include: Geoffrey
Chaucer, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Jane Austen, Oliver Cromwell, Margaret
Cavendish, Handel, Charles Dickens, Alfred Tennyson, Ernest Rutherford, David
Livingstone, Edward the Confessor, and Henry III. There is the Tomb to an
Unknown Soldier that represents the countless unknown masses that sacrificed
and contributed to the development of Britain and is the only tomb that may not
be walked on.
We received free
audio guides for our walk through the abbey. We started in the central nave,
proceeded to the choir and the altar, then around to the left. There was an
amalgamation of burials all along the apse with statues, coffins, and chapels mixed
together. The chapel of Henry VII in the back has a gorgeous pendant fan vault ceiling
and is the chapel of chivalric the Order of the Bath. There were several small
chapels including one dedicated to the RAF, particularly to those who defended
the city in the Battle of Britain. There were several elaborate tombs including
those to Elizabeth I and her sister, Mary Queen of Scotts. Exiting the apse on
the right was the Poet’s corner dedicated to memorials and burials of famous
British writers and musicians. Before exiting, we visited the cloister
including the chapter house and strong room then caught a glimpse of King
Edward’s chair that has since been used during coronations.
From there,
we rushed to Buckingham Palace and heard drums while we were still far off. We
arrived just in time for the beginning of the changing of the guard ceremony
that was led by shiny armored cuirassiers. The whole area was completely packed
with people and there were several security guards on horses who marched
through the crowd yelling for people to stay put. The three of us separated to
try to find the best spots we could and I was able to shimmy all the way up to
a few rows behind the gates. From there I could stand on my tip-toes or hold my
camera up to get a fairly clear shot into the square where the military bands
(new and old) dueled and the soldiers marched. The whole process lasted about
half an hour with much fanfare, flags, and music.
When the
guards allowed people to cross, I used my kaffiyeh to hail Hans then we met Pat
who had gone ahead to buy our ridiculously expensive tickets. They put us into
a huge line of people that slowly proceeded through airport style security
since the palace was still in use. However, the only time where visitors may go
inside the palace is during July and August when the royal family is on
vacation. We passed the courtyard then entered up there grand staircase that
any guest would climb before meeting the queen. There was the throne room,
several art galleries displaying the royal collection, and all the living and
bedrooms for the royal family. Despite its use in modern times, the palace was
still full of classic art to show power and right to rule including the Rape of
the Sabines statue that I have found to be one of the most common in Europe.
For this
year, there were several rooms dedicated to the coronation of the Queen
Elizabeth II, since it was the 50th anniversary, with all the
costumes and decorations on display. The development of media has changed the
royal image and this was the first coronation that was televised. The palace
was very elaborate and certainly one of the most beautiful I had seen but it
didn’t blow me away because I had been expecting a lot of the most famous royal
residence in Europe. Before leaving, we walked down a path of the palace
gardens which are curiously large because it is situated near the center of
London. We had each wandered through at different speeds and Pat had been
ahead, but when Hans and I met up at the exit he was not there. They would not
let us go back to look, but eventually he came out while I had gone in search
of a more discrete place to stretch my aching back.
Our next
stop was planned for St. Paul’s Cathedral. We had decided not to go on the
London Eye mostly because it was 20 pounds which felt like robbery but also
because we hoped to get similar views from the cathedral’s dome that we had
spotted throughout the city. The interior was expansive and open built in the
typical cross shape with a central nave for seating. The way to the second
highest dome in Europe after St. Peter’s Basilica was a slow ascending spiral
staircase that felt more like a hill than a staircase. There was a level where
we could view the church from above at the base of the dome before exiting to
the walkway around the dome outside. From there, we entered a stairway between
the outer and inner layers of the dome and climbed to the viewing point on the
lantern 335 feet above the ground. Although we were rushed along, we hid
between the columns for a few extra seconds of viewing and picture taking from
one of the best views in London.
When we came
down we visited the crypts where there are tombs for the architect Christopher
Wren, Admiral Nelson, Duke of Wellington, and T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia). As
these sights closed down, there were people gathering for a special service.
Significantly underdressed but exhausted, we decided to remain for a while
to feel the warmth of a Cathedral in use as a choir sang hymns. Although
similar in almost every way except for its rejection of Papal authority, the
Anglican Church has a distinctly British feel distinct from Catholicism.
We had seen
a lot but the day was far from over. It was time to head back to Parliament for
the slot when people could sit in on the debates since there were no tours
while we were there. This was certainly a different way to see the historic
sight still in use. Britain, like the US, has two houses of legislation: the
House of Commons and the House of Lords. We were seeing a debate in the House
of Lords which throughout history has often been the stronger house because of
the high rank and landownership of its officials. The power dynamics of
Parliament have been changed through the past five centuries, most notably
under the Protectorship of Oliver Cromwell and the Liberal movement during the
20th century. The House of Lords now has little oversight of the
government or legislative power because they can only delay, critique, or have
the House of Commons reconsider acts of legislation. As always, members are not
elected but are hereditary or appointed by the Monarch or the Prime Minister
providing a non-elected check to government. Until 2009, when a Supreme Court
was established, the House of Lords also served as the final court of appeals.
The much more powerful House of Commons is elected, fixed at 650 members, can
write and pass legislations, and can force the Prime Minister to resign through
a vote of no confidence or by removing supply.
Much of the
building was surprisingly desolate and in disrepair. Only certain wings of the
building were functioning. The chamber of the House of Lords is lavishly
decorated with red padded seating and a throne for the monarch to sit in on
sessions (rarely used). The Lord Speaker sits in the center in front of the
ceremonial mace that is a symbol of royal authority in the chamber. A bill is
read or a topic opened and officials stand as they wish and talk when
recognized by the Speaker. We sat on a small balcony above the chamber during a
discussion about government oversight of welfare programs. Only about forty officials
were present and the debate was lackluster so we all slowly became tired. After
I dozed off for a bit, we decided we had been there long enough, so we got
permission to leave from the attendant and exited.
Needing
energy, we found a cramped mini-market where Hans and I bought a bananas and
yogurt. In the shadow of Big Ben, we proceeded to eat with our hands like
barbarians which was disturbing to Pat but normal to us. It was now late in the
afternoon and we headed to the Globe Theater where we had arranged to see the
Indian Tempest. We navigated our way through the streets along the Thames and
passed a full-size replica of the Golden Hind, the ship used by Francis Drake
to sail around the world twice and pirate gold from Spanish galleons. It was a
rainy, foggy evening so when we arrived at the theater we found a spot against
the seating area where the roof provided partial cover for the otherwise open
standing room. Before the play started we took in the fact that we were
standing in the midst of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater (although rebuilt). I got
yelled at for standing on the step leading to the seating section and Hans for
having his camera out.
This play
was certainly a unique experience. The Tempest was re-imagined with rich Indian
imagery and playfulness with masks, shadows, and figures danced across the
stage stimulating a mystical East meets West feel bolstered by the drizzling
rain. Most of the actors were Indian and, although most of the lines were
delivered in English, there was significant dialogue in Hindi, Malayalam, and
French. However, the life of the play was not found in words but in the
spirited movements, sounds, and visuals breathed by the magic of Prospero and
Ariel. Although difficult to follow at times, the same messages about power,
slavery, loyalty, love, and ignorance come across culminating in the final
scene where Prospero breaks his staff and decides to leave behind his life of
magic suggested to portray Shakespeare’s farewell from the stage. In this
version, an interesting question was raised as Prospero left his book of spells
to Caliban who fell asleep with the joy of freedom and a new beginning. The
theater usually finds a way to tug at the spirit allowing the audiences to
leave invigorated.
Apart from
our brief, barbaric afternoon chow-down we had not eaten much all day and were
looking forward to something hearty and tasty. We wanted to try fish and chips
and get another taste of falafel so we slowly found our way back to the bus
station and grabbed both just before closing time. We planned our last day in
London deciding that Pat and I would go to tour Wimbledon Tennis Club while
Hans returned to the British Museum. Having been up and constantly on the move
for 14 hours, we were satisfied with our accomplishments and instantly fell
asleep.
Day 33
Pat and I
ate breakfast and boarded the metro that would take us out to area 3 in the
suburbs of London. It was still spritzing rain as we walked to the tennis club.
Wimbledon is the oldest, most prestigious, and only tournament played on grass
and at a private club. Club membership was by invite only and yearly dues are
around 500 pounds, which is surprisingly low all things considered. We soon
joined our scheduled tour that took us through the grounds including the
tournament courts, Henman Hill, center court, interview room, and players
entrance. I was able to actually eat breakfast at Wimbledon by sneaking a
hard-boiled egg in and pealing it in my pocket before eating it as the group
passed onto the next location. We were all able to sit and get our picture
taken behind the podium where all the tennis stars get interviewed by the
media. The club facilities were extensive and luxuries and everything was green
and purple. There were almost 30 different courts for different uses with many
of them only used for the tournament. Even in off-season, there was a
pretentious “tea and crumpets” British vibe. At the end we walked through the
museum with displays of all the winners, trophies, and equipment used
throughout the ages.
On the way
back, Pat and I somehow walked past the metro station without noticing. After
feeling we had not been here, we turned around and found our way back to the
hostel and waited for Hans. When he returned, we debated our options while
eating leftovers for lunch and decided to visit Windsor Castle. We needed to
buy an expensive area 4 ticket that at first dissuaded us before we found out
that part was covered by our London Pass and we got a group discount. We
sleepily boarded one train before transferring to another that took us to the
town of Winsor. As I was organizing my stuff after getting off I realized that
my London and Oyster Passes were missing so I ran back onto the train and
looked where we had been, but they were nowhere to be found. This was upsetting
because I would not be able to visit the castle and I had no idea where they
could have gone. The man at the station contacted the train conductor but
nothing was ever found.
Windsor
Castle is the oldest royal residence still in use and was originally built with
wood by William the Conqueror as part of a network of castles surrounding London.
While Hans and Pat went inside the castle, I decided to wander through town
down to the bridge over the river where a weasel was drawing the attention of
the workers before returning to sit at the exit to wait for Hans and Pat. It
began to rain so I covered myself with a rain jacket looking like a true
vagabond. Eventually, one of the police officers holding an MP5 submachine gun
came over to ask what my deal was. I asked him about the economic condition of
the country and that was all the invite he needed to begin complaining about politics
and immigration that were weakening the country and plunging it into recession
with the rest of Europe.
It seemed to
me that England was doing notably better than much of Europe because
unemployment and begging was much lower. The city remained clean and I did not
sense the same anti-conformist subculture that had been present in other
countries. However, the recession was affecting the cost of living for those in
England where everything is more expensive. The most interesting topic was how
Britain has been cutting its military budget significantly. We discussed how a
smaller, but well-trained and specialized military fits our modern world where
unilateral action is unacceptable and negotiating bodies keep peace. England
must shed the obsession with flexing military muscle, but saves a ton of money,
works more responsibly on diplomacy and peace, and is still able to conduct
effective counter-terror operations with Special Forces and intelligence
networks.
Eventually
Hans and Pat came out and we walked around town a bit looking for souvenirs
before navigating the trains back to our hostel. During our transfer, officials
had come out onto the platform to check everyone’s tickets to keep people
honest since they had not checked on the way out. We were confused about what
they were looking for until we realized that this part was covered by our
passes. Since I had done the talking and the others showed him their passes, he
did not ask for mine, which was fortunate since it disappeared. That night I
transferred my photos to my hard drive and copied them all for Hans. Hans found
an eastern market and we relived our days in the Middle East with olives,
dates, hummus, pita, and yogurt. Before bed we played another round of Lego
deathmatch with adapted rules, but Pat got lucky rolls and won again. However,
during his victory celebrations he slammed the centurion on the ground and
broke his helmet, so he promised Hans he would send him a new one leading to an
exchange of letters in ancient Greek, Elvish, and Albanian.
Day 34
Our last day
together would be spent on a much anticipated tour of sights to the west of
London. We made our way to the Victoria bus station and boarded one of several
tour buses with Evan’s Tours. Our tour guide was a charming fellow with
pulled-back hair with a nice hat to go along with his suit. We soon found out
that he really knew his stuff because he had studied for years on his own. He regaled
us with historic tales and gave examples for the surprising diversity of
accents and forms of the English language. The accent found in London
originated when a lord from Germany became king and all his court attempted to
imitate the way he spoke. English was originally brought to the isle by
Germanic people and it was influenced greatly by the Viking invasions, the
French influence as a result of the Norman Conquest in 1066, and an influx
Latin because it was the language of the church and scholarship.
Our guide
discussed how English history (as any) can be told from different historic perspectives
including: Catholic, royal, immigrant, and Protestant. Religion and politics
were strongly connected as Catholics tended to support the conservative order
based on Church hierarchy and the Divine Right of Kings while Protestant’s reforming
spirit carried over to supporting individual rights and representative
government. A prime example is how people view Oliver Cromwell, a Puritan who outlawed
pubs, music, and dancing when he took dictatorial control. He led Parliament in
the Civil War against royal authority, but likely went too far in his use of
power. The variety of perspectives have taken on a new dynamic with the influx
of immigrants. The population of London is now estimated to be 40% Muslim giving
the city a highly cosmopolitan feel like New York.
We discussed
the differences between England, Great Britain, the UK, the provinces and the
US including the differences in measurements. England is the country, Britain
is the island that includes Scotland and Wales, and the UK four is the union of
countries of Britain along with Northern Ireland. The Republic of Ireland is
not a part of the UK and it uses the Euro as its currency. As we drove through
the countryside, he informed us that England remains 63% farmland to maintain a
stable food supply for their large population on the isle.
While
driving through the country and listening to all the information from the
guide, I increasingly noticed how each part of the country had a much deeper
sense of history than what I could ever experience at home in the US. The land
and some settlements have been inhabited for several millennia, countless historic
buildings or objects remain from through the centuries of British history. Much
of London and all the sites we visited on the tour were older than the English
colonies in America. Some of the objects we had seen were among the oldest of
their type known in the world. In the US, it is very easy to feel that the
present is the only reality at play, but in England you could sense layers of
history and how they all weaved together to create the present. As a historian,
it was inspiring to sense these layers that most of the world could experience
regularly.
The first
stopping point on our tour was the cathedral of Salisbury. It boasts both the
tallest spire and the largest cloister in Britain. It also contains the world’s
oldest working clock from 1386 and the best remaining original copy of the Magna
Carta. Seeing the huge cathedral on the approach was impressive, but
unfortunately there was scaffolding for reconstruction covering a large swath
of the exterior. Inside is wonderful with a long central nave featuring a new
baptismal font that reflects the ceiling of the cathedral. In front of the altar,
the columns supporting the spire are visibly bent under the weight because the
church was not originally designed with such a tower. Since Salisbury far from
London, it was not packed with visitors allowing us to soak in the grandeur. The
Magna Carta was housed in the chapter house and was beautifully written on
lambskin parchment in beautiful shorthand Old English that looks like it had
been typed on a machine.
Out in the
open meadows of the countryside, just 8 miles north of Salisbury, stands the
iconic prehistoric sight of Stonehenge. There are hundreds of similar sites
that are just as old, but the reason Stonehenge is so popular is because of the
mystery: we do not know how it was built. The site was built between 2,000 –
3,000 BC, the stones are from 150 miles away, and there is no evidence of any
scaffolding or instruments used. Our best guess is that the massive stones were
naturally transported by melting glaciers and the builders put them into place
by sliding them on ice and possibly using ice ramps in order to hoist the heavy
capstones stones to the top, which would leave no evidence to find. Stonehenge was
likely used as a religious center, burial place, and solar observatory. The
shadows cast by the rocks act as an advanced sun dial to tell not only the time
of day but the time of year or season. We walked on the path that surrounds the
sight without being able to get close to the stones for about an hour before
returning to the bus.
It was a
significant drive up to the city of Bath featuring some great views of the
knolls and hamlets of the English countryside. We also passed the small town of
Pennsylvania that may have been inspiration for the naming of our Keystone
state. On the river Avon, it is a beautiful vacation town with white buildings
and quaint squares. Bath is famous for having perhaps the best preserved Roman
Baths in the world. The sight was built on a spring that provides a constant
influx hot water that is forced back to the surface after trickling deeper in
the earth for hundreds of years. The main bath area surrounded by a two-tiered
columned balcony is impressive and there are several other ruins or displays
showing the areas use in Roman times. After we finished at the baths, we found
our way to a fish and chips place that our guide had recommended and were able
to chow down next to the bus right before we left. We had a delicious sampling
of different fried fish along with faggot chips that prepared us for our naps
during our long ride home.
Although our
time and freedom was greatly limited, we all really enjoyed the tour and it was
possibly cheaper than if we had tried to do it on our own. We packed a lot into
one day and got so much supporting information for what we were seeing and
about English history in general. Back in London we decided to go out to the
local pub to relax on our final night, but the pint of London brew that I had
was not very enjoyable. That night Pat worked on finding out how to catch his
very early morning flight and we looked at balancing our finances. It turned
out that we had done quite well at keeping the overall spending equal, so there
was little we needed to do to even things out.
We were all
going different ways. I was going to fly home into JFK, Pat was flying to
Munich for a couple days, and Hans had several more days before needing to be
home so he would fly to Dublin, Ireland. Pat left early, then I said bye to
Hans and used the subway to get to the airport. Because I lost my Oyster Pass,
I had needed to put a small balance on another one and Pat had given me his, so
I wanted to get back money on both of them before going to my gate. After some
confusion with the trains between terminals, I was nervous about being late so
I asked the people in line in front of me if I could pass, and everyone was
understanding including some smiling believers who blessed me. I soon boarded
my flight and that was that. An adventure for a lifetime and the open-book of
life was anticipating my return.
