Remembering England --Just for Marci (but you can read it too...)

Well, I'm finally in the mood to post about our trip to London. :) We recently returned from a fabulous trip to visit my dear brother. So, what do I say about a trip across the ocean? It was long,... it was tiring,... it was wonderful! In general, the trip was great, even with rain everyday (except for the final two days), and the terrorist threats along the way. Yes, we were very close to the second car bomb that was found in London, and we had just arrived in Scotland when they tried to attack the Glasgow airport. Quite exciting! (Of course, I can only comment that it was "exciting" because none of the attempts were successful -- praise the Lord.)

Our time began recovering from jetlag in London,... hanging out in my brother's flat, and playing in the garden behind his building. His flat is on the third floor of a building in Nottinghill. We're not sure how old his building is, but as it has "settled" over the years the floor is now completely uneven. We laid a drinking glass at one end of his living room and it rolled to the other side of the room. Pretty funny. On another funny note, one of his "throne rooms" is literally that, you walk into a dark brown, mirrored room, and step up three steps to use the "throne." Also, quite a kick. Overall, though, it's a great flat. Comfy, and welcoming. A nice place to call home for a while.



Kate was soooooo excited to see Uncle. They have a very special connection. This was the first morning we were there. We got to walk him to work! What fun.


Our first weekend in Great Britain, we took the train north to Scotland, stopping for three nights in Edinburgh.




The first time I visited Edinburgh, I remember feeling like it was just another big city. In general, this is true, however, maybe because this was the first stop on this trip, I found Edinburgh to be a beautiful city, full of interesting history and extremely friendly people. Every bus trip we found ourselves on had wonderfully helpful Scots, giving us hints on where our stop would be, and what restaurant we should be sure to try. While I'm on the subject of restaurants, Scots definitely have a better handle on food than their neighbors to the south. It was a great delight to the palate to find ourselves in Scottish pubs rather than English! Here's Kate, enjoying her first Coke in Deacon Brody's pub, along the Royal Mile.

The first day in Edinburgh, we visited the great reformer, John Knox's house, and then went on to St. Gile's church, where he preached many a sermon during the reformation. The church is absolutely beautiful, especially the view of the stained glass windows inside. Knox was buried behind the church, and since time seems to roll on without too much thought to the past, the poor guy is still buried behind the church, but his grave happens to be under parking spot #23, now.



One of the best parts of Edinburgh has to be its castle. With buildings dating back to the twelfth century, and seven different gates to pass through before entering, this is truly an awesome middle-aged castle.





After Scotland, it was on to York, a must see on every history buff's list. While we are just wanna-be history buffs, we felt it a necessary stop as well, and most of us enjoyed a walking tour of the city our first day there. (Kate and I, on the other hand, walked 100 yards behind the group, while she screamed in her stroller, fighting her afternoon nap with every ounce of her being... definitely not our best day.)

York, though, is a very cool place. It still has its original city walls, with parts dating back to the days of the Roman Empire. Constantine was proclaimed emperor in York, in the fourth century -- pretty crazy for this young American to be in a place that old!



While the castle is the highlight of Edinburgh, the cathedral (aka. York Minster) is the highlight of York. The nave contains the largest collection of mid-evil stained glass in the world, and it is fortunate that many of the stained glass windows, dating back to the 14th century, were taken down and stored in local homes during the bombings of WWII, then re-hung for us to enjoy these many years later.


York has a few very cool museums as well. While traveling with a 2 year old, we only made it to one museum -- a uniquely laid out museum with more recent historical artifacts that take a look at real-life over the past 200 years. We actually bypassed what my friend would consider the coolest museum ever, where the history of the Vikings in York is told not only through ancient artifacts but also through the sights and smells of the past. I am not kidding,... when Marci and I visited York, we went through the Viking Museum, where you are escorted through recreations of Viking streets, and you actually smell what it might have smelled like then... I'll leave the rest to your imagination!


After two days in York, it was back to London, where we enjoyed a few more relaxing days with my brother. One quick day trip to the Cotswolds -- beautiful, frozen-in-time wooling villages from the 19th century. We had time to wonder the thatched roof streets, take some great photos in a local graveyard, and play around at the train station.



While in London, Mom and I enjoyed afternoon tea at the Kensington Palace, and we all enjoyed playtime at Princess Diana's very cool playground in Hyde Park. The first of our two days of sunshine!




Then there was church with Nathan, on Sunday. He attends a beautiful Anglican church located in the Inns of Court. The service was full of beautiful music, and a revering sense of the majesty of God.

Following the service, it was on to a very good meal at a local pub, a trip to see the inside of Nathan's office, delicious dessert at a local bakery, a quick stop at the V & A museum, and then back to the flat for a hot game of Spades. Whew! If you know me, this is just the sort of itinerary befitting a final day of my vacation!


And to the two year old,... what could be more fun than chasing pigeons, discovering caterpillars, and hanging out with important people. What a great reminder of the real beauty in life.





All in all, a wonderful trip,... beautiful memories,... and a heavy heart for the distance between us again. But really, what a great excuse to travel abroad! -- Thanks again, Nate, for our fabulous time.