An English Lesson
I love it when life throws you an easy pitch that you can’t help but hit out of the park. When things line up so perfectly that you wonder what you did in a former life to deserve such happiness. Such a thing happened to me recently and I am so grateful it came my way.
A Winter Dream
One of my best friends, Julie, was sick this winter and in a cabin-fever-induced desire for something fun and beautiful to do, started researching bucket list items. One of hers was to attend the world-famous Chelsea flower show in London. So with her friend the internet the beautiful blooms of a lush English garden came alive on her computer screen and she began to feel better. So much better than she found herself on the phone with Delta to book a flight after snagging tickets to the flower show. After texting her close friends with this wild hair plan, I decided that it would be very convenient for me to meet her in London and be her plus-one for the show. London is less than two hours away from my part of Italy, and cheap flights around Europe are easy to come by. So why not? Never mind that I wasn’t invited and maybe she wanted to have a solo escape to England. So I threw out the idea of meeting her there for part of her trip. And from there a wonderful plan emerged.
I’ll Meet You in London
Not only did I manage to insinuate myself into Julie’s flower show fantasy, I orchestrated tagging along for the entire trip. Because Julie is a stellar human being, she was on board with me glomming onto her trip. So it came to be that I booked myself a cheap ticket to London and was on my way to Piccadilly Circus to meet her.
I made my way to the hotel in a driving rain with occasional wind gusts that threatened to upend my umbrella. I can tell you that dragging a suitcase, holding an umbrella, and trying to follow directions on your phone is a lot to juggle. But I made it and was greeted on the sidewalk in front of the hotel by a tall-hatted, rotund doorman in full red-coated splendor calling me by my name and immediately relieving me of my bags. What a welcome!
Not letting a little rain hinder us, Julie I and set out to do some exploring. You learn very quickly when in London (or England in general for that matter) not to let a little rain deter you from your plans. If you do, you’ll miss most of what you came for. And the rain – well, it starts and stops, the sun comes out, then it pours down again. You just never know. So you go, umbrella in hand, raincoat zipped up tight, and make the best of it.
Walking around the busy streets, ducking into stores, ogling over cheese and pastries, gasping at the flowers stalls, we immediately fell in love with London. I don’t know what I expected, but I didn’t expect this. London is big and busy. Its sidewalks are jammed with people, its streets are crowded with cabs, buses, and cars. It’s loud and bustling and can seem very unwelcoming. But it’s anything but unwelcoming. It’s clean and neat, everything freshly painted and shined to perfection. But the best part is the people. The people are wonderful. They’re happy and helpful and smiling. They’re jolly. Just like old England herself.
Tired of the pouring rain, we took a cab to Westminster Abbey for the 5:00 evensong. Westminster Abbey, just across the street from Big Ben and the stately Parliament building, is a thing of beauty. Since 1066 it’s hosted coronations, funerals, burials, and weddings. We were so excited to be stepping into such a historic place to hear the fabulous choir singing their hymns of praise. But, alas, wouldn’t you know that on Wednesdays there is no evensong. Only a 45 minute church service that you cannot leave once you go inside. We opted out of that because 1) we didn’t want to go to church for 45 minutes, and 2) it was dangerously close to happy hour. So we only saw the magnificent cathedral from the outside. And then we went to happy hour.
Off With Their Heads
The next day – no rain! Cloudy and threatening, but no rain. It was glorious. We toured the Tower of London with an authentic Beefeater. Beefeaters have been guarding the Tower of London since the 1400s when it was the palace of Henry VII. It was interesting to learn that the Beefeaters live on the grounds of the Tower and there are only 32 of them. The Tower itself is perhaps most famously known as a notorious prison and was where many condemned were executed. Most of the executions took place on the nearby Tower Hill and were open to the public, but some of the more privileged offenders were offered a private execution within the confines of the Tower. People like Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, two of Henry VIII’s wives.
A Lesson in Parliamentary Procedure
Tours of Parliament were not available while we were in town, so we did the next best thing. We went into the gallery of the House of Lords and watched part of a debate on a bill. The Parliament Building (known as Westminster Palace) is grand and opulent. The staff are dressed in white ties and tails (one assumes that based on that dress code they are all male) and tend to every need of the members. I’m pretty sure they don’t have casual Fridays there.
Before entering the Halls of Parliament, we went through Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the Parliament building. A huge, ornate room with no furniture, it was used as a court for almost 700 years. Now it’s mainly used for ceremonial purposes and is where many monarchs have lain in state, most recently Queen Elizabeth.
A Blooming Adventure
The Chelsea Flower Show, the impetus for this entire journey, is an entry into a world of color and fragrance and grandeur. There’s nothing more beautiful to me than an English garden, full of splendor and blooms and height. The Flower Show offered everything you could imagine – meticulously planned gardens, vendors selling everything from seeds to waterfalls, displays of succulents and roses. There was even a microbiome garden that shamelessly promoted the health of “guts and butts”. A little overwhelming, a lot crowded, and immensely beautiful, we took our time wandering through the grounds, taking breaks and chatting with Brits. It was a lovely day and the capstone of a delightful London adventure.
Beyond London
Julie wanted to experience more than just London, so we ventured out on the great train system they have in England and visited Bath and Oxford. These are quintessentially charming English villages, with storybook timber framed buildings and gothic spires. Bath, known for it’s incredibly well-preserved Roman baths, is set in the foothills of the Cotswolds and hugs the river Avon. We learned that there are several Avon rivers in England because Avon is an old Celtic word meaning river. Not very original, but extremely descriptive.
Oxford is the famed university town and is home to the 36 unique colleges that make up this oldest university in England. Ancient, vibrant, historic, and youthful, it is a pleasure to walk around. We found a great rooftop bar and had drinks there overlooking the slate roofs of the old college buildings. Magical.
The Motherland
If you ever have an opportunity to visit England, take it. It’s a wonderful place filled with delightful people. I often wondered why they were all so jolly. After all, they have their problems like everyone else and the weather is nothing to write home about. They seem to have a joy about them and an attitude that exudes optimism. They’re just nice people. Friendly. Happy. Whatever the reason, it makes for a delightful visit. And the best part is they speak the same language as us. Well, for the most part anyway. We did have some trouble with the accent and some of the phrases, but I can tell you that it makes traveling to a foreign country much easier when the people speak English.
But the best part? That was traveling with my best friend and experiencing this marvelous country together. We had an incredible time. We never said no to anything and were on the go from morning til night. We savored everything and took joy in just being together. Two country girls from Georgia visiting their Motherland. Julie, thank you for letting me crash your trip. I don’t know when I’ve enjoyed an experience more. Is it too soon to start planning the next one?
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