Our Favorite Things
When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford. - Samuel Johnson
There was rarely (if ever) a dull moment during our tour of London, so we wanted to highlight a few of our favorite locations and experiences on the trip. Tellingly, each member of our group had a different "best of" moment, illustrating all of the joyous moments our time in London had to offer.
Rick: My favorite tour event occurred on the final day of the tour –
the amazing London Eye. I liked the breathtaking views of so many of the London
landmarks that I had earlier seen up close. The sun was shining and the
visibility was perfect. It was also great having the whole tour group present
in such a beautiful setting. It was a wonderful way to finish up the tour and
say goodbye to our many new friends.
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Jill: Not only was the trip to Windsor a trip into another world, it was a trip back in time. We traveled by train from hustle-bustle London to the quaint town of Windsor with its cobblestone streets and gorgeous flowers everywhere. It did not take much imagination to picture this town 100 or more years ago because with the exception of the motor vehicles it would have looked the same. It was the clearest day we had in the UK with the bluest skies that were the perfect backdrop for Windsor Castle and its beautiful grounds. Growing up when I dreamed of castles and kings and queens, Windsor Castle is what I imagined. We saw the changing of the guard, all full of pomp and circumstance, which probably has been the same for hundreds of years. St. George’s Chapel seemed intimate and cozy in comparison to St. Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. I could live at Windsor Castle. I wonder if the Queen has a flat to let?
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Lex: Although I greatly enjoyed many aspects of our trip to London, my favorite thing was Wimbledon. As a long-time tennis player, I had been wanting to go Wimbledon for as long as I can remember, but I thought I would never have the opportunity to do so. When we arrived at Wimbledon I found it to be one of the rare occurances where the reality exceeds eagerly anticipated expectations. I believe we got the full Wimbledon experience: waiting in the queue; enjoying the stately tournament grounds with the amazing amount of flowers everywhere; being in sunshine, rain, and everything in between; strawberries and cream on Henman Hill; seeing several good singles and doubles matches; almost seeing the Bryan brothers until being rained out at the last second; seeing Martina Navratilova play doubles after being questioned by the chair umpire about the amount of color on her skirt.
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Justin: My favorite activity on the trip was the Karma Indian Restaurant. Really all I need to say to justify this choice is "food!", but there is a much deeper level of reasoning. I had only discovered Indian food about a year prior to our London trip, but once I did there was no turning back. Karma was awesome, because I got to share my new found love for Indian cuisine with family. I think it is fair to say that they shared my "love at first sight" reaction. And what travel experience can be more valuable than one that changes the way you live after you return home.
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Jody: The Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London was the highlight of my trip to London. Arriving early at the Tower, we met Crawford “the Beefeater” who explained in great detail the Ceremony of the Keys. The group of resident yeomen warders, whose job it is to guard and protect the tower, proceeded with great purpose to collect the keys and marched on to unlock the doors to the Jewel House so that visitors can view the Crown Jewels. We were the first to see the exquisite crown jewels and learned so much about the history of the crowns, when they were worn, and by whom. The jewels included the largest flawless cut diamond (weighing in at 530 carats), the legendary Koh-i-Nor (said to bring bad luck to any man who wears it), and the Imperial Crown of India encrusted with 6,000 diamonds (plus magnificent rubies and emeralds). Spending the morning surrounded by millions of dollars of jewels, rooms filled with royal armour, and men dressed in fuzzy hats is my idea of fun!
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Elyse: I’m a big museum fan, so I knew I was going to love the one-two punch of the British Library Galleries and British Museum. What struck me was how much both museums encapsulated the cool things about London: the scale of history, the sense of multi-culturalism, and the way in which Britain’s past and future are wound up with the rest of the world. I loved seeing relics from all over the globe, but I most enjoyed hearing how these items were connected to Britain through Imperialism, trade, or “collecting mania.” I also enjoyed reflecting on all of those British things that are a part of our daily lives, like Newton’s scientific laws, British Invasion music, and a love for tea and coffee. I guess it was comforting to know that, when we left to fly home, we weren’t really leaving England behind.
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