The Power to Explore
Every traveler has a home of his own, and he learns to appreciate it the more from his wanderings. - Charles Dickens
Most of our group had been on Rick Steves' tours in the past, and one of our favorite things is the mix of schedule activities with the group and free time to explore sites of greatest interest to you, which can be parks, museums or good old fashioned pubs. Arriving in London early and taking advantage of free time, we found some things to do on our own. They reflect the different interests of the diverse members of our family: fashion and textiles at the Victoria & Albert Museum (Jody and Jill's favorite), strolling Hyde Park on a sunny day (popular with Justin & Lex), the Natural History Museum (Elyse's fave), and the quaint campuses of Oxford (loved by all).
Victoria & Albert Museum
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The epitome of fashion and textile collections, the Victoria and Albert museum was a must on our to-do list. Using our Rick Steves' Guide, we did a self-guided tour. Our experience with British museums is that they give you unexpected and amazing treasures from around the globe, such as:
Our favorite part of the tour was our unofficial tour guide Lex, who read passages from the Rick Steves' Guide at each stop we made. He was very professional, but did make one small (and rather funny) error while explaining the famous "wooden" tapestries on display. After putting on his glasses, Lex realized that the tapestries were actually "woolen." |
Oxford, England (about 1 hour from London by train)
A visit to see Justin at school was the original intent of our trip across the pond. The boy we once nicknamed "Pookie" has transformed into Justin, a young man who is president of his college's "middle common room" and wears a cummerbund on a regular basis. His college, Worcester, is an amazing collection of gardens and ancient buildings. The Worcester College chapel has beautiful stained glass windows, a stunning tile floor and a Noah's ark full of animals decorating the end of each pew. Strolling across the campus, you can appreciate why Worcester is known for its gardens. The grounds have a beautifully manicured courtyard, ancient rose bushes, and an enormous London plane tree. Every morning, a flock of groundskeepers bustles around preparing for the college's Tercentenary Ball. Their methods sometimes seemed as old as their surroundings. We saw one using a broom to sweep the sidewalk that made you feel that he might hop on and take a spin around the college.
Like a more orderly Middle Earth, Oxford combines structure (keep off the grass!) and rigorous academics with medieval architecture and an overabundance of towers (including Magdalen Tower, the alleged model for Lord of the Ring's titular towers). Each of Oxford's 38 colleges has its own chapel, dorms, class buildings and central quad, and most have some claim to fame. Our first UK lunch was at The Eagle and Child where "Inklings" J.R.R. Tolkein and C.S. Lewis met to discuss religion. We also strolled the scenic Christ Church College, home to Harry Potter's dining hall, and All Souls College, which has a mere seven students.
Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens
Visiting Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens was a perfect beginning to our time in London. After strolling through Chelsea and South Kensington, we arrived at the park on a warm afternoon. We dipped our feet in the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain as hundreds of kids splashed around nearby, and had lunch alongside the Serpentine. Then we walked past the horse ride (no motor vehicles allowed) and enjoyed rose gardens fit for a queen. The highlight, however, was watching Lex sit on a stone wall alongside 25 school children who didn't quite understand the concept of personal space.
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Read: Lord of the Rings, written by Oxford professor J.R.R. Tolkein, then dine at his favorite ale house The Eagle and Child
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Watch: War Horse, a film and play about World War I, before seeing the exception puppets on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum
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Listen: Adele Live from Royal Albert Hall, hear Britain's reigning queen of pop before visiting the legendary concert hall near Hyde Park
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Taste: Unique desserts like Turkish delight, treacle tart, and Cadbury chocolate - the U.S. equivalents simply don't taste the same
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