England – August 16-24

This week we have experienced the iconic overcast, foggy weather of the London and Cotswold region of England. We’ve only been rained on briefly including one downpour, but the clouds have remained throughout most of our stay. While there have been many adjustments and confusions in the navigation of hotels, transit, and exhibits, we have gotten along very well through it all. Strange how we can adjust and find comfort in such a short time. Perhaps it is our collective un-conscious that remembers and makes it feel like coming home here in England. I’ll have more to say about adjustments as we dive into Nepal. Suffice it to say we have enjoyed the people, the language, the humor, food and drink of the land of Eng.
Landing at Heathrow at 10:45pm UK (4:45 pm Midwest) made it fairly easy to begin. We were wide awake and not too drowsy when we landed. It was an easy trip through the tube to our hotel on the outskirts of Heathrow (the Hilton Garden). We got assistance from a very nice tube employee who got us the best deal on fares (the Oyster card). His pleasant nature has been the norm for our interactions since. The English we have met are truly gracious people, doing their best to get along. We had a deep sleep in our comfortable bed at the Hilton with a little help from Tylenol PM. We slept so long in fact that we missed breakfast in the hotel. One thing to remember in England is that shops and restaurants have limited hours and you have to pay attention to the time.
Our hotel in London (Henry VIII) was much more austere than the one at Heathrow. The space was so tight that we had to move and pack in turns. The staff at the hotel were incredibly kind and helpful though they couldn’t improve the size or the ventilation in our room.
We made our way around London using the Tube. The Oyster card is a pass that provides easy movement with a proximity reader opening the gates in and out of the trains. It can be reloaded as need be and cashed out when we leave. How great is that! We also made use of the Hop-On-Hop-Off double-decker bus. It provided a commentary to listen to through headphones as we passed historic spots. True to the name, we hopped on and off to visit some of the interesting sites and used it to get from place to in a pinch.
One of my favorite activities during our time in London was a 4 hour bike tour of historic sites, led by a witty and capable man who had served as the Queen Mother’s medic for a time. He was a walking encyclopedia of information with a political bend that suited us. He was clearly a fan of the Monarchy and gave us great insight into the relationship of the Queen and the Parliament. I was a little intimidated at the prospect of riding a bike through the streets of London but he was adept at navigating the alleys and bike paths to keep us safe. Biking is so much better for seeing sites and people. We even managed to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.
Our journey into the English Countryside took us into the Cotswolds. While London is full of notable sites, we have been relieved to be in a more tranquil environment for a time. While in the Cotswolds we have sampled some incredible food, wine and beer from some of the many fine restaurants.
One day we took a train and bus trip to Oxford, Woodstock and Blenheim Palace where Winston Churchill was born. We switched between guided tours and wandering the palace and the gardens surrounding the palace. What an incredible life Churchill led. Seems that there were expectations for leadership from the time of his birth as he grew up on the grounds of the battle of Blenheim, in the family of the Dukes of Marlborough. This was a battle fought in 1704 between British, Austrians, Hungarians, Hanoverians, Prussians, Danes and Hessians against the French and Bavarians. Today, it is difficult to imagine the combination of privilege, insulation and expectation that were his life. The Victorian architecture and “gardens” (a park really) of the Palace were quite the sight.
 We returned to London for our final full day and half in England. We toured Westminster Abby and attended the the Globe Theater where we will see King Lear. Westminster Abby has been the home of coronations and funerals (most recently Princess Diana). It is a veritable who’s who of graves of writers, scientists, kings and queens. Curiously Charles Darwin, the nemesis to the stories of of creation, is also buried in the Abby.
The Globe has been rebuilt in the style of the original round. We attended an evening show. The crowd was a fun loving bunch. We enjoyed the show as the day dimmed into night. To top it off we walked across the Thames on a bridge leading to St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Being in London for the second round hasn’t been intimidating as before. Now we are familiar with our station (Paddington) and the area around it. Getting to the Globe was easy on the Tube even though it is on the opposite side of the Thames from where we stayed.
The most challenging part our travels has been the luggage that is our constant companion. Traveling to Nepal required more provisions than a simple trip to Europe. As we packed this morning, I was reminded of each piece. I was determined to bring my camera and some computer equipment with me for the journey. It seemed a shame not to have it available for telling the story of our trip. There is no doubt that the DSLR camera, lenses and chargers, computer, iPad and the like add to the pounds of my baggage. My only concern at this time is whether the weight and the manner in which I’ve divided it will be acceptable at the Jet Airways counter tomorrow evening. There may be need for a rebalancing of the load even though I’m under the total weight for my fare.
This afternoon we are off to Heathrow where we will board for Kathmandu via Delhi, India. It will be a long flight. Tomorrow we will arrive at our much anticipated destination, dream. No more speculation.
To see many of our photos from England, click here: