London and Day Trips:
Ancient History & Traditions for Fun Today
Westminster Abbey (photo by Joan above) is a must-see in London. Did you know...
The Abbey is much more than a big church. It contains 450 tombs and monuments, and 3,300 people are buried here, e.g., poet Geoffrey Chaucer, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, composer George Handel, and novelist Charles Dickens. Founded in the year 960, the Abbey is where the coronation of every English king and queen coronation has taken place since William the Conquerer in 1066. And 16 royal weddings have been held here – though not Harry and Megan's (more on that later).
The Abbey is much more than a big church. It contains 450 tombs and monuments, and 3,300 people are buried here, e.g., poet Geoffrey Chaucer, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, composer George Handel, and novelist Charles Dickens. Founded in the year 960, the Abbey is where the coronation of every English king and queen coronation has taken place since William the Conquerer in 1066. And 16 royal weddings have been held here – though not Harry and Megan's (more on that later).
In the Abbey, you can "stand on" Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin (above; all photos are by Joan except as noted otherwise), and Steven Hawking. That is, you can step foot on or near the markers of the tombs with their remains.
In St. George's Chapel (photo above), you can stand on the very spot where Prince Harry and Megan Markle exchanged vows. The Chapel is on the grounds of Windsor Castle, where Queen Elizabeth lives. The Castle dates back to the 11th century. You may think of a castle as one big building, but Windsor Castle actually is many structures sprawled out over 13 acres: a palace, towers, St. George’s Chapel, other major buildings, and a small town.
You can stand up and walk around in a glass-enclosed “passenger capsule” (photo above left, from http://oinsweden.blogspot.com) on the London Eye, the biggest Ferris Wheel in Europe. Unlike the swinging benches on a typical Ferris Wheel, the Eye capsules have the space of a sun room. Pete and Joan (photo above right) did not feel claustrophobic in their capsule – not at all scary! You get a fabulous panoramic view of London sights such as Parliament, Big Ben, and the Thames River, which you can see to the left of Pete.
You can stand (or sit) with your beer at a 650-year-old pub, The George Inn, in the picturesque medieval town of Lacock, a day trip from London.
> You also can stand and bathe in natural hot springs twice as old as Windsor Castle: ancient Roman Baths in the town of … Bath! (No photo.) You can visit there on the same excursion with Lacock. Today, the baths are fed by the same mineral-rich thermal springs that relaxed the Romans in the first century AD. Just walking around the old village of Bath is fun -- charming, artsy, and culinary.
> You also can stand and bathe in natural hot springs twice as old as Windsor Castle: ancient Roman Baths in the town of … Bath! (No photo.) You can visit there on the same excursion with Lacock. Today, the baths are fed by the same mineral-rich thermal springs that relaxed the Romans in the first century AD. Just walking around the old village of Bath is fun -- charming, artsy, and culinary.
>You don’t appreciate how astounding it was for the ancient people to build Stonehenge (photo above) 4-5 thousand years ago, until you stand close to the actual carved stones. The largest ones are 30 feet tall and weight 25 tons (about 12 cars) each. Stonehenge is also on a day trip from London.
In London, Afternoon Tea is a culinary and cultural event. Here are Joan and her travel companions enjoying this centuries-old tradition. Delicacies include a wide variety of finger sandwiches, scones, and desert bites, along with four different types of tea. We are in the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon at the Fortnum & Mason (est. 1707) department store. Well, F&M is a “department store” like Rolls Royce is a “car.” At the F&M Tea, you are served by gracious, formally dressed waiters. They encourage you to take your time and try more varieties. Not cheap, but you can relax, eat, and drink for quite a while -- and, the experience is bucket-list worthy!