Long time no blog. Just been too busy. Back into London on July 7 for a day of shopping and an evening of theatre – saw Billie Elliot at the Victoria Palace. It was absolutely fabulous. So much talent – such a moving story. Cried my eyes out. God that kid can dance. Stayed at a boutique hotel in the Victoria Station area called the Georgian. Just about big enough to change your mind in... but perfectly adequate as we didn’t exactly spend a lot of time in the hotel. Up early the next morning to catch a bus (or should I say coach) out to Stonehenge.

This was a really awesome experience as we arrived at the site before it was open to the public and were allowed to go inside amongst the stones which is very, very prohibited these days – only a couple of opportunities a week – and we were among them. Very remarkable - the mystery persists: how did Stone Age people accomplish this? The plausible explanations developed just don’t answer all the possible questions. Not only how, but why? And where did they get the science and the ability to compute? And to what purpose? A beautiful marriage of science and faith. Mystery.

After leaving Stonehenge the coach carried on to Bath and we had the opportunity to visit the ancient Roman Baths. Also quite an experience as we stood inside the spa of 1,800 years ago. The water still runs very warm through the baths at a rate of several million gallons a day. What a spot. Though much of the Roman structure has been destroyed, what remains gives you a pretty good idea about how they took care of themselves in this “outpost” of the empire. Clearly they were well established a felt right at home in Britannia. Cool.

Back to London in late afternoon, and as we had a free evening on our hands, we decided to see another show and got last minute tickets to Wicked. It was light and fun and just gorgeous to look at, but not nearly the experience Billie Elliot was. Wish we had seen them in the opposite order – if we’d seen Wicked first we’d have been blown away by the costumes and music and sets and design... but we were left thinking: but where’s the story part of the story?

Friday, our last day in London, we had to make some choices since we were now down to hours and could not see it all. I went for the National Gallery and Dave for the Military Museum, and both were well satisfied. After four hours with the Masters, I was exhausted. Headed over to Covent Gardens for a wander around, a bite to eat and a sip of Pimms. I have no idea what this drink is, but it’s tasty and it makes me happy on a hot day. What the heck else could a person look for in a beverage?

Caught the train out in the late afternoon for Bookham (Leatherhead) for a visit with Dave’s cousins John and Anne, and early next morning headed north. We’ll be visiting a couple of days with Dave’s Aunt and cousins in Newark-on-Trent, take in the sites of Robin Hood’s legendary stomping grounds, and then we are on our way to Scotland. First stop, Hadrian’s Wall. Second stop, Jedburgh!

Catching up after the weekend

Some people just have the ability to make you feel like you have known them your whole life, and that’s what we found when we met Colin and Sandra Showell, Dave’s first cousin and his wife (pictured here in front of Salisbury Cathedral). Notwithstanding the fact we were two strangers landing on their doorstep on Saturday evening, by the time we left on Tuesday, we felt like very good friends and family. They have lovely children and grandchildren – and we landed into the heart of them!

Saturday was a full day! I drove from Oxford to Coventry, wanting to see the cathedrals – both medieval and new. So pleased that I did – it was a very moving experience. The old cathedral was bombed during the Second World War and was not restored, but the ruins were cleaned up as much as possible and were left to the open skies. Right next door a beautiful new cathedral was built – in the post-wars years, finally opening in the 1960s. The contrast of old and new, past and present is just awe-inspiring. The new cathedral is filled with the most extraordinarily beautiful artwork – including a remarkable stain-glass window that is so gorgeous. It was a beautiful, blue-sky day that made it a pleasure to be in the old cathedral – so peaceful and calm. Again, such a stark contrast to the ruined ancient monument you are seated within.

Left Coventry and headed over to Stratford-upon-Avon, thinking to spend the afternoon with the bard. When I arrived I found it was Stratford River Festival and the town was crawling with tourists (unlike me, who was there for the culture). Anyway, I did get to walk to the Avon and see the swans, take a picture of the birthplace of William Shakespeare and walk through town to the site of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage (0n left). Not particularly fulfilling – but I guess I won the jackpot with Coventry. How dare I complain?

Picked Dave up in Oxford and headed for Winchester to meet the Showells. And the rest, as they say, is history. Speaking of which, under Colin and Sandra’s tutelage we saw Salisbury and Winchester Cathedrals, St. Cross Church where we attended Sunday service, the Old Hall and King Arthur’s Table in what remains of Winchester Castle. If only Mrs. Lee, my grade eight teacher, could see me now.

Gardener's Paradise

I’ve just had two days of crack cocaine for gardeners – lengthy visits to Kew Gardens in London and the Blenheim Palace gardens near Oxford. I’ve changed my career plans. I no longer want to be a prairie horticulturalist – and even Australia is looking dicey. I think I should like to be an English gardener....

Blenheim Palace was extremely interesting for two reasons: One, the landscaping and gardens were the work of “Capability” Brown, the father of the modern English landscape garden, so it was such a classic view of the English countryside as landscaped, and two, Dave’s grandparents both served at Blenheim Palace during World War I; he as a butler and she as a maid. So this was a very educational, insightful and enjoyable day on Wednesday. Blenheim is located about 20 minutes from Oxford in beautiful country-side, which, I understand, is normally very green. But with the heat and drought here (!), the country-side is looking a little withered and burnt – still lovely to see. The Palace itself is everything one would expect – excessive, decadent and achingly beautiful. Home to the Churchill family, it was built following the Napoleonic Wars as a gift to the Duke of Marlborough as a little thank you from the Empire for his military victories. Winston Churchill, a cousin to the Duke of the day was born here and a good deal of the publicly accessible parts of the palace is dedicated to him and his story – which is pretty remarkable. The landscapes are sweeping vistas with strategically located bridges, ponds, statuary and follies. Secret gardens, rose bowers. Gorgeous.

Kew Gardens are home to the Royal Botanical Society and have been under development since 1759. It has the largest collection of plant specimens in the world and some of the most beautiful landscapes you can imagine. It’s over 350 acres and it contains all the classic constructs of English landscape gardening. As luck would have it, I had just finished a class in landscape gardening this spring and everything I learned was on display – so glad I’d taken the class because I knew and understood the concept, history and theory behind so much of what I was seeing, and the people who were behind the developments. I had a fabulous five hours in the gardens.

Dave was so sad to have missed this occasion; I know he dearly would have loved to have tread every mile in the humidity with me ... too bad for him! Oh well, he got to see the 165 pictures I took. Some of which are posted.

And not the least of the excitement was that I drove myself from Oxford into London. On the wrong side of the road. And home in rush hour traffic. Remember I used to have brown hair? Not so much anymore. It was worth it!

Well, the 24th anniversary of my 29th birthday passed without international incident, although there was that one moment in Harrod’s when I tried to hold up the ladies wear department (finding myself just a little short of the $3,200 they wanted for the blouse I tried on). Dave isn’t going to deny this, I think, when I tell you he spent much, much longer in Harrod’s than I did. Megan you are going to be sooo excited when you see the tiara!

What was really WAY more interesting than an afternoon in Harrod’s was the morning at the Westminster Abbey. They got stuff over here that is old. I mean really old. Kings and Queens that fill the history pages also fill the chapels in Westminster. Poets, playwrights, scientists and soldiers. Remarkable. But the architecture just makes your heart soar. No doubt you are right Dr. No, we really should find the cheapest possible way to build everything in Calgary, because, who will care about art and beauty and holiness and Calgary in a thousand years? Imagination should be banished because investing in grace and awe just throws good money after bad. And you are totally correct, future generations will continue to pay for what we build today. But here’s the thing, Londoners and Parisians, and Romans and Viennese have always believed they lived in eternal cities. And they have always known there is a price for that. In Calgary, we just believe we are herefor today to make a buck – and that privilege, apparently, should come for free.

Hey, that soapbox reminds me, I also saw Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park.

Photos posted come from three different millennia – all constructions found in London:
Cleopatra’s Needle; Westminster Abbey; Millennium Eye.

Body still not on London time. Wake most of night and slept ‘til mid morning, so missed valuable sight-seeing time! Ah, well. A lovely day in every other way. After a somewhat dazed and confused morning, we got some food in us before lunch and boarded a city tour that included St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London. St. Paul’s was very beautiful, as I expected it would be – the double pleasure came in discovering it is the home of one of my favourite liturgical paintings - Light of the World by William Holman Hunt. It was just so awesome to be able to see the original. Stunning architecture. Overwhelming history ... and not too many pigeons. Where is the lady who feeds the birds, tuppence a bag?

The Tower was spectacular and I haven’t climbed that many stairs in a long time – sorry Mr. Stairmaster. Can’t wait to see the next season of The Tudors, having just seen from whence Anne and Katherine were dispatched. More walking – more bridges. Tower, London, Millennium. Also saw the Thames flowing in two directions at the same time – out to sea and in with the tide. Remarkable.

Glorious weather. And beautiful English gardens. Happy.

Landed in London

Landed safe and sound in London as scheduled on Sunday morning. So unusual for flighing these days, it was actually an OK experience. Quarters were cramped but I'm a small person. Left on time, arrived on time, no food poisoning. What's not to like about Thomas Cook? As we are just, just passed the summer solstice and we flew a course that went over the Arctic Circle, we were in daylight all the way. Left Calgary at 2:45 in the afternoon and arrived London at 7:00 am with no dark along the way. Is my circadian rhythm confused? Yes it is. Awake at all the wrong times. Writing this just after midnight.

East transport from Gatwick into central London via train! Dang, why didn’t Calgary think of that ... bring millions of people to town each year and give them a means of actually arriving instead of leaving them stranded at the airport?

London is wonderful! The weather here is hot and the sky is blue – perfect touristing weather. I believe all of Europe is on vacation and London was the destination of choice. On Sunday, Dave and I walked for hours and it was a rare thing to hear English spoken. Different on Monday when the workers returned to the city. So many visitors – must have something to do with those iconic pedestrian bridges. Wait until Council hears about this.

On Sunday we made the circuit of the major landmarks and just looked and looked and looked as we criss-crossed the Thames. Love the easy flow of architecture from ancient to modern; classic to space age. Hard not to be overwhelmed by the sheer size and number of those historic constructions that are such a part of Canada’s story too – they are, well, monumental!

After a full day on foot through London we ate dinner at a lovely little restaurant by the Thames – wouldn’t you guess our first meal would be fish and chips – yum!

Every good trip starts with a send-off party

Thanks to Shelly and Michelle, I had the appropriate send off - Indian food at Moti Mahal, and lots of laughs. I am trying to get myself packed but I figure the less I bring from here, the more room I'll have for shopping there. I don't have to worry about what to wear when I go to visit Buckingham Palace because Liz will be in Ottawa when I'm in London. Coincidence? I think not!