“London is a splendid place to live in for those who can get out of it.”
–Lord Balfour of Burleigh, The Observer, Oct. 1, 1944
“I’m leaving London because the weather is too good. I hate London when it’s not raining.” –Groucho Marx
This is our last blog post for this experience, as we have our last few days in London. It’s been a pleasure to be here and to share these experiences with you. Thanks for taking the time to read them!
Sunday, Nov. 25
Worshiped at St. James this morning. It has been a real blessing and pleasure to get to get to know these folks. Pete Nicholas and Mark Jackson are the main preachers; both are bright, articulate teachers, and it is a pleasure to get to hear them. Pete Sinclair is their media guy, Andy Hood is their children’s minister, Jonathan Sanders is the worship guy, and Tom Woodbridge is the college minister. I’m going to miss our association with this group.
This afternoon, several students took us for brunch at “The Diner,” an American style cafe. Came home and began culling out and packing up.
Monday, Nov. 26
Slow morning; packed, ready for home.
Took one student to lunch with some staff members from St. James church.
Tonight, we had our last group dinner. It was at a restaurant over near Regent Street, so we had to run by and get a last look at the angels floating above the street!
Then back to our place for a slide show of the semester.
“It’s brilliant, you can’t ever get bored of London cos even if you live here for like a hundred and fifty years you still won’t ever know everything about it. There’s always something new. Like, you’re walking round somewhere you’ve known since you was born and you look up and there’s an old clock on the side of a building you never seen before, or there’s a little gargoyley face over a window or something. Don’t you think it’s cool?”
Richard Rider, No Beginning, No End, 2010
This is our last week here, and just like the quote above, we’ve spent a lot of time walking around and looking up. The detail on some of these building is amazing, and you always see something new. This is a week of independent travel for students, and a week when we wrap up our time here. Most of the students are gone on their independent excursions. The weather has turned cold, which seems only fitting, as Christmas is certainly in the air here. They do not celebrate American Thanksgiving here, but there are plenty of Americans here who do, so it’s not unheard of.
Sunday, Nov. 18
Worship with St. James. Really have enjoyed being with these folks.
This afternoon, Alice and I went out to see more “Christmas.” Went to Seven Dials, near Cambridge Circus and through Covent Garden to the Strand, all of which are beautifully lit up for the holidays.
Seven Dials near Cambridge Circus and Covent Garden.
Just down from Seven Dials is the Agatha Christie Memorial, on St. Martin’s Cross between Leicester Square and Covent Garden. Christie wrote the Seven Dials Mystery, among many other works, and The Mousetrap is the world’s longest running play. It is playing in a theater near here.
Monday, Nov. 19
My computer screen went out last week, and I took it for repairs on Thursday. We were told it would be 3 to 5 days, but we thought we would take a chance on “popping by” the store today (that’s British for stop by. You “pop in” or “pop by.”) Again, we were told they would let us know when we could “collect” it. (That’s British for “pick it up” or “gather ” it up. You don’t pick things up here–you collect them. You collect your children from school, or collect your belongings, or collect an order at at McDonald’s or Starbucks.) No sooner did we get back to the flat than the e-mail came that the computer was ready for collection! So, we headed back over, and stayed in that part of town to see some final sights and make some more memories! Went to John Lewis Company. Founded in 1864, they have been doing business on Oxford Street for 154 years, surviving the blitz and numerous economic downturns. It has a really pretty rooftop garden with an ice rink in it.
On the way home, saw a Bewley’s Coffee and Tea truck! We’re sure Alice is related to these folks somehow!
Tuesday, Nov. 20
Took a student to the airport who was leaving early for home. A trip to Heathrow is no easy thing! It took the better part of the morning.
Cold, rainy day here. Stayed in much of the day. Ventured out for coffee with the one student that is left here–a very interesting young man who is a songwriter and musician, working with a music group back in Nashville that has dealings here in London.
Wednesday, Nov. 21
Headed to the Cotswolds today for a few days in the beautiful English countryside. It was a disjointed journey: Tube to Paddington Station, caught a train to Moreton-in-Marsh, coach from there to Evesham, met at the station by the good folks at Evesham Car Hire. I feel much more comfortable with this car than I did the last time. It’s an automatic, and has navigation. And I love the navigation on it. This very proper British female voice says, “Now, please turn right in a quarter of a mile.” (Please, no less.) Plus, I have been here before, and know more or less where we’re going. I still have to think to drive on the left, and the roundabouts can be challenging, but so far, so good. We went to the grocery store, and got food for the weekend. It’s chilly and damp here, but perfect for relaxing in this comfortable cottage. Thanks to Ruth and LaGard Smith for sharing this special place with us. This was outside our window this morning. It’s a frosty morning here, but still beautiful. People in England walk, regardless of the weather. People in America run. We prefer walking.
Bridle path beside the Smith cottage
Thursday, Nov. 22
Drove though the countryside today. Wanted to make sure we a familiar with the area before we go to Blenheim Palace tomorrow. It is open for Christmas.
This evening, we celebrated Thanksgiving with a delicious feast Alice cooked!
Who remembered today was the day JFK was shot in Dallas?
Friday, Nov. 23
Enjoyed the morning at the cottage, then set out for some of the villages in the area. Most of these were originally market towns, the precursor to shopping malls. Places where farmers came to set up “stalls” to sell their wares. Now, they are mostly full of touristy stores and tea shops. This area is designated as an “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty” and thus protected on a national registry of historic places. You must use the Cotswold stone–a honey colored stone–to build anything. Hence, all the buildings and fences tend to match.
Went to Bourton on the Water, a beautiful picturesque town with the little River Windrush (which we would call a creek) meandering through it, and several foot bridges crossing it. It has been called the “Venice of the Cotswolds,” but is nothing like Venice. It is a Norman village, eventually occupied by Romans as early as 410 A.D. Today, among the gift shops, restaurants, and tea rooms, there are several old impressive Norman churches and other buildings. They are known for their Christmas tree, set in the middle of the little river. They were setting that up today when we were there.
Stow-on-the-Wold, a Norman town high on a hill where the last battle of the English civil war was fought in 1646. Fairs have been held by royal charter since 1330 and an annual horse fair is still held on the edge of the town. The first weekly market was set up in 1107 by Henry 1. “Wold” is an Old English term for a forest or an area of woodland on high ground.
We eventually made it to Blenheim Palace. It was much more majestic than we expected! This is Churchill’s ancestral home. He never lived there, but was born there when his mother went into labor while she was visiting! Of course he spent a lot of time visiting there, and there is a memorial garden established for him. The decorations were beautiful, but the drive home was stressful, bordering on terrifying. Through narrow, dark, wooded country roads, not sure what wildlife would jump out in front of us, heavy English fog, driving on the left side of the road and a nervous driver on the right side of the car, negotiating roundabouts (going around clockwise), with lots of traffic. You get the picture. Alice was praying the whole way, and I think I bent the steering wheel, I was holding on so tight. But we made it! I think I have PTSD, however.
Bourton on the Water
Blenheim Palace
Palace with lights projected on it.
Saturday, Nov. 24
Leisurely morning. Turned in rental car at Evesham. If you are ever in this area, be sure to ask me about the nicest “car hire” agency in the area. It is a small, family operated company with excellent service. They picked us up at the train station, and took us to pick up the car. When it was time to drop the car off, they told us to just go to the train station and they would have someone meet us there. This particular train station in Evesham was having work done on it, so we were to get a bus from there to the next little town, Moreton-in-Marsh, to catch the train. James, the young man from the agency, offered just to drive us the ten miles to that station. What a champ! It was fun to hear James talk. It is said that England and America are separated by a common language, and it’s true! James speaks some country version of British-Scottish cockney English. It’s almost like reading Uncle Remus in dialect. You get the gist of what he’s saying but you have to listen carefully. He recently moved from “Buhmingum” (Birmingham–and not Alabama) to Evesham to get his two “lit-uh chaps–they ah free and fowuh” ( little chaps, they are 3 and 4)” in a better environment. We talked about raising boys, and James said, “They’s goot kits, buh when’ere they’s nuwh-e, they’s RULLY nuwh-e!” (Translation…”They are good kids, but whenever they are naughty, they are REALLY naughty.”) But he laughs about my accent, too. He said he has “relations” in Canada, and “when’ere” he goes to see them on holiday (vacation), he may “pop in” to see us in Nashville. I tried to explain that Canada is not really close to Nashville, but not sure I made that clear.
Got back to London and to the flat fairly early, talked to some of the students who are drifting back from travels. We’re all ready to be home in America!
“I’ve been walking about London for the last thirty years, and I find something fresh in it every day.” Walter Besant, on his deathbed, 1901
This was our final week of classes, and a fun one! Christmas in the air here–one of the many things Brits do very well. The first Christmas trees came to Britain sometime in the 1830s. They became very popular in 1841, when Prince Albert and Queen Victoria had a Christmas tree set up in Windsor Castle. They have been popular here ever since–and in America as well. We’ve seen some magnificent displays this week.
Sunday, Nov. 12
Worship with St. James. It was “Remembrance Day” here, or Armistice Day, A big deal in the U.K.–much bigger than Veterans Day in the U.S. ON the 11th hour of the 11th day or the 11th month, the country stops for two minutes of silence. There are so many memorials and statues around London, and everyone wore poppies. Poppy wreaths were laid at memorials, including one by the Queen at The Cenotaph, or the memorial to the Unknown Warrior located in Whitehall. When we got out of church, bells all over the city were pealing, and it was quite impressive!
Went with Kate Minchew, our site director, to walk through the areas of Mayfair where we would take students on Tuesday for the Cross-Cultural class. This was our third attempt at this, with the previous two getting rained out!
Christmas windows going up everywhere.
9/11 Memorial in Grosvenor Square along with the FDR memoiral. We were touched by this. You hear a lot of anti-American–or more specifically anti-Trump) sentiment on the BBC today…not unlike CNN. (Are they owned by the same folks?) But there are many, many tributes and symbols of the friendship that exists between Britain and America throughout the city.
London black cab advertising Nashville
Monday, Nov. 13
Class this morning, rainy afternoon. Alice and I strolled through Exmouth Market near our flats, taking in the sights and smells of this wonderful food market.
Tuesday, Nov. 14
Last Cross Cultural class today. Took students through Mayfair and down through the exclusive and upscale shopping areas of Bond Street Recency Street, Burlington Arcade, where the term”shopping” originated (no singing, no whistling, and no open umbrellas, thank you). Also passed many historical sites and homes, including the former US Embassy, the Brown Hotel where Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt honeymooned, Claridges, the famous hotel with connections to Buckingham Palace, and the homes of George Frederic Handel, Jimi Hendrix, and the Bee Gees. Name an upscale designer, and we probably passed their store. And we visited Flores Perfumery, who made and sells fragrances for Queen Victoria. Went up Saville Row, the “bespoke” garment center of London, and home to Eades and Ravencroft, robe makers to the Crown (and we’re not taking bathrobes). Across the street at No. 3 Savile Row is the former home of Aople Records, the rooftop on which the Beatles played their last concert. (It was shut down after about thirty minutes–too noisy.)
Went to Covent Garden Christmas light “switch-on” tonight. Different parts of town have different events when they turn on their lights, and they are all beautiful.
Wednesday, Nov. 15
Met class this morning to discuss walking tour. This afternoon, Alice and I went to Gray’s Inn Gardens, a park in our neighborhood usually closed to the public, but open for lunch time. A beautiful fall-like day.
As night fell, there was a magical witch from fall to winter! Fortnum and Mason Skating Rink at Somerset House opened this evening. It’s not all that cold, but several areas have–or will–open ice rinks.
Thursday, Nov. 15
Regent Street Christmas Light switch-on. Amazing display and photos do not adequately show the beauty.
Computer problems today. Took it in for repairs. Three to five day turnaround, du I’m having to use my phone to do this. Not sure how this is going to work!
Saturday, Nov. 17: Many students leave today for a week of free travel. Whew! Alice and I went exploring again. This time to Chelsey and the exclusive neighborhoods in that area. Went to the Museum of Natural History, by a Harrods to see the Christmas windows, and back down Piccadilly to see the Christmas lights. Hosts of angels floating above the streets–very impressive.
“It is not the walls that make the city, but the people who live within them. The walls of London may be battered, but the spirit of the Londoner stands resolute and undismayed.” -George VI
Sunday, Nov. 4
Worship at St. James this morning.
Met Weston and Jessica Langdon and took them to Columbia Road Flower Market, and this evening, took them around Clerkenwell, met friends at St. James, then down through the diamond and “jewellery” district, ending with dinner near St. Paul’s.
Refreshments at one of our favorite spots on Columbia Rd.
Monday, Nov. 5
Bonfire night, or Guy Fawkes Night here, but many celebrated Saturday and Sunday night with fireworks. (We heard them going off into the night.) If you are not familiar with Bonfire Night–as I wasn’t–it has occurred here annually since 1605 following a failed assassination attempt on King James I. At that time, England was Protestant, and those involved in what is known as the “Gunpowder Plot” were Catholic. The plotters, led by Guy Fawkes, wanted the country to return to Catholicism and thought that killing the king and his ministers would accomplish this. The plot was discovered when Fawkes and 36 barrels of gunpowder were found in cellars underneath the House of Lords, thanks to a letter from one of the group to his Catholic friend who worked in Parliament warning him to skip work that day. People across London lit bonfires in celebration of the king’s life being spared. The Observance of 5th November Act 1605, was enacted as an annual celebration that the plotters were caught. Now, it’s a night of celebration with bonfires and fireworks. Bonfire Night also symbolizes the beginning of winter, and the days leading up to Christmas.
Had our last small group dinner at our flat.
Tuesday, Nov. 6
Visit to Tate Modern. Originally a power station, this building now houses one of the largest collection of modern art in the world. To be honest, I was as impressed with the building conversion as anything else. It was originally designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the designer of the iconic red British telephone box. It is huge…and it is free.
Gradually, the Christmas decorations are going up, and the Oxford Street Christmas Light switch on was this evening. Really beautiful, and quite exciting!
Wednesday, Nov. 7
Class this morning, and visit to a priory (assisted living) facility this afternoon for tea. Had a wonderful conversation with a 93 year old man who remembers the blitz of London. Amazing stories.
Thursday, Nov. 8
This morning Jessica and Weston went to The Tower of London, and Alice and I explored the area around there. For some time, I have wanted to visit All Hallows by the Tower. Founded in 675, it is the City of London’s oldest surviving church (not a cathedral). John Quincy and Catherine Adams were married here in 1797.
We also prowled around the area and visited, among other things, the Tower Hill Memorial to men of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets who gave their lives at sea.
Across from the memorial is Trinity House, chartered in 1514 by Henry VIII. It is a charity dedicated to safeguarding shipping and seafarers. It is the General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales, the Channel Islands, and Gibraltar. Its primary purpose is to guide ships safely through some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, and is responsible for providing and maintaining navigational aids, such as lighthouses, buoys, and maritime radio/satellite communication systems.
All Hallows by the Tower
Tower Hill Memorial to those lost at sea in service to the country
Got to love the names of some of the pubs around London!
Met the Langdons at Borough Market for lunch. Then to Harry Potter: The Cursed Child, Part 1 this evening. Amazing show. Incredible special effects in a stage play.
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Friday, Nov. 7
Alice and I went out today to try to map out our plans for the class next week, as we visit Mayfair and that part of the city. Started raining, and decided to wait until another time.
Met the Langdons to see Harry Potter, Part 2 this evening.
Saturday, Nov. 8
Attended the Lord Mayor’s Show. This has been occurring since the 1600’s, and we just found out about it! It is part of the inauguration of the new Lord Mayor, but is–according to them–the world’s oldest, longest, grandest and best-loved civic procession! This was the eight hundredth and third year of the show!Who knew??? We happened to learn about it last week when we were exploring the area around St. Paul’s, and got tickets to sit in the grandstands there. Little did we know when we got the tickets that this was where the parade stopped and the Lord Mayor got out of his gilded carriage to receive a blessing and a prayer. The entire parade was a spectacle to see, with 150 bands, horse guards, and floats. We walked down Fleet Street after the parade, and it was rather exciting as all the bells from the many churches pealed in recognition of the new mayor. As I’ve said before, nobody does pageantry quite like the Brits! Incredibly weather, by the way.
After the show, we went to lunch, and then back out to Mayfair and the Marble Arch. Unfortunately, it started raining, so we didn’t get to show the Langdon’s much of that area, but we did make it back by Fortnum and Mason for them to buy souvenirs to take home. All decked out for Christmas, this is an amazing store. This is where we parted ways with the Langdons, as we headed back to our respective flats and they head back to Nashville on Sunday.
Hope everyone has a great week! We’re headed into our final week of classes here!
“…when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.”
Samuel Johnson
Big week. Halloween, Christmas lights going up, new retail area opening at King’s Cross! Exciting time to be in London.
Sunday, Oct. 28
Church at St. James
Monday, Oct. 29
Visit Churchill War Rooms in the afternoon
Royal Horse Mews; retiring of the horse guard and inspection of the officers
Tuesday, Oct. 30
No class today; we walked to see where Jessica and Weston Langdon will be staying when they get here this weekend. Found loads of interesting things on our walk.
Twinings Tea Shop, 216 Strand. Oldest tea shop in London–established in 1717, and operating here for 300 years! It’s really little more than a wide, narrow hallway, lined with shelves of different teas and tea paraphernalia.
Twinings Tea Shop. Hasn’t changed much in 300 years.
Two churches that are now “island” churches, in that they stand on “islands” in the midst of heavy traffic.
St. Clement Danes Church, home church of the Royal Air Force. This church was mostly destroyed by bombing during the blitz, now fully restored.
St. Mary le Strand, official church of the Women’s Royal Naval Service
Victoria Embankment Garden; Langdon’s flat just steps away.
Robert Raikes, founder of Sunday School
.
Cleopatra’s Needle, an obelisk originally erected in Egypt around 1450 BC. Moved to London in 1878. In 1917, a bomb from a German air raid landed near the needle. In commemoration of this event, the damage remains to this day and is clearly visible in the form of shrapnel holes and gouges on the right-hand sphinx that stands beside the needle.
Deserted Tube station. Spooky!
Old Roman baths, now closed. Also spooky!
The Old Curiosity Shop, supposedly the inspiration of Dickens novels. Built in 1500’s. At one time it functioned as a dairy on an estate given by King Charles II to one of his many mistresses. Made using the wood from old ships the building miraculously survived the the Great Fire of 1666 and the bombs of Second World War. Now surrounded by the London College of Economics, it may not survive the construction that almost engulfs it!
Memorial in Lincoln’s Inn Fields to Margaret MacDonald, wife of former Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald. The plaque explains that they married in 1896, and lived at 3 Lincoln’s Inn Fields from then until her death in 1910
Wednesday, Oct. 31
Andrew Baughn, former vicar at St. James Clerkenwell, and a friend from when we were here a few years ago, spoke in the Faith and Culture class today. Andrew is a brilliant man, and is working on a grant from the Templeton Foundation in America. He is studying “soulful enterprises,” or companies that operate with more than just a profit motive.
Met a few students for tea at the Sky Garden.
Halloween party tonight. Not much of a party–more of a pizza supper, but fun time. Halloween decorations all around.
Thursday, Nov. 1
Cold, rainy day. Went to find Alice some gloves, got caught out in the rain. Wet and soggy, we met a student for lunch at St. Pancreas station, and then to visit the British Library.
Friday, Nov. 2
Alice developed a “floater” in one eye which was really annoying, and went to see an ophthalmologist today. Turned out to be nothing to be concerned about; the doctor told her her brain would “adjust” to it in time and she wouldn’t notice it.
After the appointment, we walked through Regent’s Park, up Primrose Hill for some amazing panoramic views of London, back through Regent’s Park and Queen Mary’s Rose Garden, which still has roses blooming. We continued our walk all the way to downtown, and saw some pretty interesting parts of London, including All Soul’s Church and the British Telecom tower (visible from all over London)
Saturday, Nov. 3
Weston and Jessica Langdon arrived from Nashville. Spent the afternoon together, experiencing a little (well, a lot) of London. It’s going to be fun having them here. In the space of a few hours, we:
Ate lunch at Covent Garden; watched street performers
Got their Oyster (transportation) cards
Walked around the Strand and through Lincoln’s Inn Fields and by the Royal College of Radiology (for Weston)
Rode the Tube to Harrod’s
Went to Hamleys Toy Shop
Walked down a crowded Regent Street from Oxford Circus through Piccadilly Circus to the mall, then to Trafalgar Square, and back to their flat on the Victoria Embankment
Christmas decorations and ice rink going up at Somerset House, just steps from the Langdon’s flat.
We stayed in town this week, and plan to be here pretty much for the rest of the time here. No big travel plans–at least not out of the country. The weather is turning cooler, but is still pretty. It’s amazing that it’s not raining! That’s about to change, I feel.
Sunday, October 21
Went to St. James to church this morning. Always a good experience. I really love Pete Nicholas, one of the preachers there. Interesting man, interesting story, brilliant guy.
Monday, October 22
Students met Faith and Culture class at Inspire St. James church building with the staff from there: Pete Nicholas, Pete Sinclair, Andy Hood, and Jono Saunders. Heard about their work in London with Inspire St. James.
Small group diner at our flat. John had to retreat to another room so he could join the search committee for his replacement at Lipscomb, interviewing candidates
Tuesday, October 23
Cross Culture class had an outing this morning to Southwark Cathedral and Borough Market. Southwark is known as the “authors and actors” church. It’s the oldest Gothic church in London, and has been a place of worship for over 1,000 years. Borough Market is also the oldest food market in London, and is full of sights, sounds, aromas, and a plethora of food products. Bread, cheese, meats, sweets, vegetables, you name it.
Wednesday, October 24
Class this morning and tea with students at the National Gallery Cafe this afternoon, and a stroll through Covent Garden, all decked out for fall.
John had to miss group dinner tonight for a conference call with the search committee for his position at Lipscomb. Alice joined the group at a local restaurant and later, we had devo at our flat.
Thursday, October 25
Met visiting family of a student. Brought us Christie Cookies from Nashville!
Went to Harrods this afternoon. Beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Met Danae Melirrytos this evening for dinner. Many of you will remember Danae as a young girl. She is now a young woman living in London and works very near to where we live.
Friday, October 26
Chilly morning, rainy
Met students to go to Changing of the Guard
Royal Horse Mews
St. James Palace, palace of Henry VIII. Birthplace of Elizabeth I.
Fornam and Mason for gawking and cupcakes! (Only thing we could afford.)
Saville Row, famous for bespoke clothing, shoes, accessories.
Site of the last Beatles concert
Site of the invention of tuxedo
Robe makers to the crown
John Curry, one of our students.
Regent St, Carnaby St., Oxford St.
Fabulous Christmas street decorations starting to go up. Not sure when they will light them, but we’re told it’s not long after Halloween. Stay tuned for this!
Visit to Hamleys, the world’s largest toy store. Six floors of fun, even for adults!
Some of you hipsters remember Carnaby Street. (You know who you are: you still have your mod polyester bell bottoms, miniskirts, and go-go boots stashed away, waiting for them will come back in style.)
Alice and John with Hamleys magician
Saw this little guy meet his superhero.
Alice and John Curry on Carnaby St.
Saturday, October 27
Went out and walked to Oxford Street. Ended up at Covent Market (again). Love that place, but today was so crowed! Love browsing the stalls, sort of like a permanent upscale flea market. Beginning to decorate for Christmas. Ate lunch at a burger bar there, and our server was from Vancouver, British Columbia. Enjoyed chatting with him. He told us that Christmas starts here on November 1.
Turned very cold while we were out. I think Winter must be here!
Florence. We left early this morning on a coach to go to Stansted Airport, to catch our flight to Florence. We are swapping with the group in Florence; they will stay in our flats in London, and we will stay in Lipscomb’s villa in Florence. Got to the villa around 4:00, and went to dinner at a neighborhood restaurant.
Lipscomb’s villa has rather extensive boxwood gardens, which I rather like!
The extensive boxwood garden and plaza at Lipscomb’s villa
Sunday, October 14
Florence. Attended church this morning at the Duomo, or Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. This massive structure in downtown Florence was begun in the 13th century, and not completed for another 200 years! The dome, which dominates the exterior, was added in the 15th century on a design of Filippo Brunelleschi, a former watchmaker, of all things. It’s pretty amazing, both how it was built, and how it appears on the inside and outside. You can walk to the top of it, but we didn’t. The ceiling is, well, impressive.
This afternoon, took a walking tour of downtown Florence. It’s pretty amazing. About 1/3 of the world’s art treasures are in Florence, and we are getting to see most of them, so it seems! Impression fatigue sets in very quickly here.
The Ponte Veccio (old bridge). the only bridge not destroyed in WWII. Dates to the 14th century. Once butcher shops, now jewelry shops!
Monday, October 15
Siena and San Gimigano. Visited these two medieval cities in Tuscany. Built in the hills, many with original towers, which were the sign of wealth, but more importantly, power. Siena was once capital of Tuscany, and is still an important influence, and fierce rival of Florence, which is now the capital. They have an important horse race there, the Palio di Siena, known locally simply as Il Palio) usually held twice each year, on July 2 and August 16. However, this year they are having a third one this coming weekend and they were preparing for that. Ten horses with riders riding bareback and dressed in the appropriate colors of the different city wards they represent. We were told that the jockeys usually get thrown off, but it is the horse that is in competition and gets the winnings and notoriety–not the jockey. On the way there, we passed these beautiful mountains, which we thought were snow covered. Turns out, it was the Carrara marble quarries. Carrara marble is famous for a lot more than countertops; it was where Michelangelo got the marble to carve the David, among other famous sculptures.
The famous Siena horse race is around this plaza
San Gimigano actually has more surviving towers than Siena, and is a bit more remote. It is also the home to some world award winning gelato. (Who knew there was world-wide gelato competition?)
World’s best gelato (according to gelato judges) in San Gimagino
Tuesday, October 16
Cinque Terre. Left early for a day in Cinque Terre (literally “five lands), a string of 5 seaside villages (Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore) on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline that date back to the 11th century. In each of the towns, colorful houses and vineyards and olive groves literally cling to steep terraces, and the harbors are filled with fishing boats. The students enjoyed taking a dip in the sea, and we hiked the challenging trail between two of the villages–literally clinging to the trails! Amazed at how these trails were built high on the cliffs through the vineyards and olive groves. I’m not going to minimize this–we’ve been on some challenging hikes, but this may have been the most challenging! But the views were totally worth it! We knew about Cinque Terre, but this was our first visit. Now a national park, and a UNESCO protected area, it was cut off from most of the rest of the world, accessible primarily by water, until about 100 years ago when a railroad line was built to connect them. Even today, there is only one small highway that connects some of the villages. It is amazing that they have as many tourists as they do. I don’t know how they get all the food and items in the shops from the outside world. You don’t see trucks or cars certainly, so I guess it comes by boat. It is one of the most picturesque places we’ve ever seen.
Wednesday, October 17
Uffizi Gallery, Florence. The gallery is located adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the center of Florence. One of the most important Italian museums, and the most visited, it is the largest and best known in the world for Italian artists, and holds a collection of priceless works, particularly from the period of the Italian Renaissance. All the works of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are here: Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael–among others. The building was originally the offices of the Medici family, and it housed their collection. It was given to the city of Florence by Anna Maria Luisa, the last Medici heiress, who died in 1743. The gallery was opened to the public in 1765, and today is one of the most visited art museums in the world. We had tickets for 10:30, and didn’t get in until 11:30. But if you don’t have a pre-arranged ticket, it takes at least 2.5 hours to get in.
Thursday, October 18.
Venice has got to be one of the most picturesque places in the world (right up there with Cinque Terra!). We had a student who had never been and really wanted to go, and it’s a favorite of ours, so we were happy to oblige! Perfect weather, relatively low crowds, gondola rides, lunch on St. Mark’s Square listening to live music, gelato…couldn’t ask for much better!
Venice at twilight. So pretty!
Friday, October 19
We had the day off today. Students were traveling and resting, and whatever they wanted to do, so we explored more of Florence. The markets were pretty crowded today, so we snooped around and acted like tourists!
All the students returned from their free travel and tonight we had our farewell dinner from Italy. Same restaurant we went to when we first came here.
After dinner we all walked to the Piazzale Michelangelo, a hilltop square near the villa with a panoramic view of Florence.
This morning, cleaned rooms, had room check, lunch, and we were ready to go. Flight was delayed a couple hours, but we still got back to London around 7:30 this evening.
And with that, our week in Italy comes to a close!
There was a lot going on this week, in anticipation of our week-long trip to Italy next week.
Sunday, Oct. 7
Worship with Inspire St. James this morning. Met Ellen Marshall and several from Harding University. Some of our students who stayed in town this weekend also came. This afternoon, we went back to Columbia Road Market with students who had never been. Tonight, we had all the students in our flat for pizza.
Monday, Oct. 8
Faith and Culture class.
Visit to the Tate Britain museum this afternoon. Huge collection of primarily British art.
Tuesday, Oct. 9
Class this morning, and this afternoon, I got to meet with part of the staff of St. James Clerkenwell. This is the neighborhood church, and we have enjoyed going to services here. We are very impressed with the ministers and staff–a younger set than were here four years ago, and fun to get to know. They are doing a lot with faith and London culture. They are attracting a lot of younger people to church–something that isn’t easy to do in a city like London.
This evening we went to the old Drury Lane Theater to see 42nd Street. This is one of the glitziest, most glittering shows we’ve ever seen! I don’t know how many dancers are in this, but it looked like a hundred or more! (Lots of mirrors.) The sets, the costumes, the music, the tap dancing, the production numbers…pretty memorable. They did everything but dance on the ceiling.
Wednesday, Oct. 10
Today our Cross Cultural class went to Hampstead. This beautiful community was one of the first suburbs of London, and is quite a contrast from much of London today. It has one of the highest per capita incomes in the area, and has been–and is currently–home to many successful writers and artists. Hampstead Heath is one of the largest and most popular public spaces in London, and it is almost an escape to the country, while still being in London.
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View of London from Hampstead Heath
After Hampstead, we took four students to coffee at the Sky Garden, a favorite spot to take people for a “wow” look at London. It is a 3 story indoor garden atop an office building, and is the highest indoor garden in London. Best of all–it’s free! It is only steps away from the monument to the great fire of London, and St. Magness church, the site of the original Roman London bridge. It’s where London began! In fact, one of the later bridges ran right under the portico of the church, and there is a timber from the original London bridge–probably the oldest architectural artifact in London (around 2,000 years old).
Regular group dinner at a local establishment, and later devotional at our flat.
Thursday, Oct. 11
Beautiful day, and we didn’t have class today, so we took the opportunity to walk around our neighborhood. We live in Clerkenwell, a very interesting part of the city. It was the home to a lot of interesting people, including Oliver Cromwell, Charles Dickens, and later to social “reformers” and dissidents, including Wat Tyler, leader of the Peasant’s Revolt of 1381, and Karl Marx. In fact, the Marx museum is about a block from our apartment building on Clerkenwell Green. It is a very diverse neighborhood: we can see St. Paul’s Cathedral out our window, and the old Smithfield’s Market–the oldest meat market in London, and possibly Europe–is just a few blocks away. The area eventually fell into urban decay, but a few years ago, it became one of the first areas to experience urban renewal, and the area is now known for loft-living in some of the former industrial buildings. Much of the area is now known for architectural and industrial design firms. It is bordered on the west and within walking distance of many of the famous London landmarks and on the east by Shoreditch, a working-class community that is being rapidly gentrified, much like the Gultch and the 12-South area in Nashville. But about a half block north is the Exmouth Market, a fun, quirky little street that is filled every day with tents and awnings of various food vendors cooking right there. After lunch, these disappear, only to reappear the next day. Sidewalk cafes and unique little shops line this short section of street, and it’s fun to prowl around there.
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Private garden in Clerkenwell
Unseasonable warm weather today. This afternoon we walked to Lincoln’s Inn Fields, home of the famous London School of Economics, which almost engulfs a little building that has been rumored to be the inspiration for Dickens’ novel, The Old Curiosity Shop. The date on the side of the building is 1567. At one time it functioned as a dairy on an estate given by King Charles II to one of his many mistresses. Made using the wood from old ships, the building miraculously survived the flames of the Great Fire of 1666 and the bombs of Second World War. It looks today like you could push it over, but it is a protected building by a historical preservation order. But there is construction of high rise buildings all around it, and it seems rather precariously situated.
Got to talk with both of our boys today, so that was fun. We’re only 7 hours ahead of them here, unlike the 12 hours at home.
We went to bed tonight after seeing reports of Hurricane Michael hitting the Panama City area. Concerned about all our friends who have places there, and of the safety of the residents.
Friday, Oct. 12
Another Royal Wedding out in Windsor today! And once again, our invitation must have gotten lost in the mail. That’s o.k, since are getting ready to leave for Italy tomorrow. But we still took time to walk around and see some fun things, such as.
Savoy Hotel. The only place in London where you drive on the right side of the road. (Really, just a short driveway.) Perhaps the most elegant hotel in London, it has a rich history and it’s guest list of famous and notable people is as long as your arm–both arms put together. This was where Winston Churchill used to take his cabinet for lunch.
Somerset House. Formerly a home of royalty, now a center for the arts. Rich history here.
Holborn Bars. Not what it sounds like. It is a beautiful Victorian complex of offices and even an English language school. It’s not that old, but old enough to have had Charles Dickens as a tenant at one time.
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Covent Garden. We love to hang out in this little center of small quaint shops, street entertainment, artists, and St. Paul’s church (not the cathedral)…where Eliza Dolittle sold flowers in My Fair Lady. Lots of theaters within a stone’s throw of Covent Garden.
Hard to believe we are in our 6th week here! The time is flying by!
Sunday, Sept. 30
Went to church at St. James. Back to the Columbia Road Flower Market this afternoon. Took students with us. This is a real experience–so crowded with flower vendors yelling in their Cockney accents, “Free fuh a fivuh!!!” (Translate, “three bunches of flowers for five pounds.” It’s crazy fun.
Monday, Oct. 1
Class this morning; small group dinner at our flat this evening.
Tuesday, Oct. 2
Met John and Marcille Durham from Nashville, who stopped in London for a couple of days on their way to Ireland for extended vacation with family. Met them at their hotel around noon, but went early to find the U.S. Embassy–just because we’ve never been there.
Took the Durhams around the neighborhood in South Kensington, where they are staying. Went by Kensington Palace, then to Buckingham Palace, where they will view the changing of the guard on Wednesday.
Interesting note: On our Tube ride back to our place, we met another American from Indiana, who is a jazz harpist. She invited us to her concert on Thursday evening. We plan to be there!
Tuesday evening, we went with students to the Globe Theater to see Shakespeare’s “A Winter’s Tale.” It was different–for sure. For one thing, it was Shakespeare, so it was hard to get into the action, but eventually you catch on, and we ended up really enjoying it. After walking to the theater, standing through the 3 hour performance, and walking back–our “dogs” were barking! But we got there early, and got to stand right next to the stage, so we were “up close and personal” with the actors!
Wednesday, Oct. 3
Class this morning, coffee with small group of students this afternoon, and had a little time this afternoon to meet the Durhams for quick tours of the Monument (to the Great Fire), and St. Magness church, where there is a monument to Miles Coverdale–translator of the full English Bible in the mid-1500’s. This is also where the original Roman London Bridge came across the Thames, and the road passed right under the portico of the church. There is a timber from the original bridge in the portico there–over 2,000 years old–probably the oldest artifact in London. Then on to St. Paul’s, where we left them to attend Evensong, while we walked back to meet our group for the weekly group dinner at Byron’s–one of our favorite London restaurants! After that, weekly devo at our flat.
Thursday, Oct. 4
Britrail passes ended last weekend, so many students start traveling today; many going to “the continent,” mostly to Paris. Things are quiet here. We didn’t have class today, but Alice had an infected cuticle that required medical attention. We made an appointment for that this afternoon (she got an antibiotic and it’s going to be fine). This morning, we went out to Portobello Road to look around. It is in the Notting Hill neighborhood, which is fairly upscale, but the shops on Portobello Road are definitely not. They consist mostly of quaint stores selling curiosities and antiques (some junk). On Saturdays, it becomes a huge “antique market” (read: flea market) and is extremely crowded, but on weekdays, not so much. Parts of several movies have been filmed here, most recently Paddington Bear. They also have an Alice shop which is crammed so full of oddities that one can barely move in it. But’s it’s fun to prowl around out there.
More of the beautiful hanging baskets that are everywhere!
There are many things we’ve noticed that the English do particularly well: trains, subtle irony, window boxes and gardens, front doors, pageantry, uniforms, ceilings in church buildings and palaces…and of course, tea time! They can make the most incredible sweets and treats to go with tea! Scones and clotted cream, yes, but that’s just the beginning!
Remember Jan Aldridge Clark, the jazz harpist I mentioned earlier? We went to hear her tonight, and she was great! Definitely not something you hear every day! She was not only jazz, but also a classical-swing-rock-latin-blues-jazz harpist! Everything but country, and we invited her to Nashville to add that to her repertoire! And I wouldn’t be surprised if she did. She was so gracious to us–you would have thought we were long-lost friends who had flown from Nashville to hear her tonight! Some of the students who stayed in London joined us for the concert.
Friday, Oct. 5
This morning, didn’t have a lot of plans, so decided to try to see the changing of the guard while the weather is still pretty. Didn’t get there soon enough! Still saw enough.
See comment about pageantry and uniforms above. Nobody does it better than the Brits!
See comment about window boxes above
Saturday, Oct. 6
Tonight we went to see Motown the Musical. It was wonderful! Surpassed all expectations.
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Got a call at 1:00 a.m. from T-Mobile. I think (hope) we got finally connected to data after six weeks of attempts!
Saturday, Oct. 6
Rainy and chilly today. Students were mostly gone, so all was fairly quiet here. Perfect day to stay in, grade homework, and prepare for next week. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Worshipped with St. James church today. Great lesson, great experience. Very uplifting.
Went to Columbia Road Flower Market this afternoon. One of our favorite places. Only open on Sundays. It was cold and rainy as we started out, but went in for tea, and it was beautiful by the time we were ready to leave.
Monday, Sept. 24
Class in the morning, Buckingham palace in the afternoon. The palace is only open through the end of September, so we decided we’d better take that in! It is stunning! A place fit for a queen! So glad we got to see that. No pictures inside the palace, but the tour ended on the terrace and garden where she hosts her famous garden parties. Pretty nice digs.
On the way back to the flat, we rode down Piccadilly where they have flags and banners out in anticipation of the Tennessee Titans coming in late October.
Tuesday, Sept. 25
Cross cultural class took a boat cruise up the Thames to Greenwich, home of so many sites of interest. Home to the Prime Meridian Line, the Cutty Sark, the Royal Observatory, the Royal Maritime Museum, the Royal Naval College including the fabulous Painted Hall, Greenwich Market, Greenwich Park and the O2 arena. Greenwich is a center of science, culture, royalty, history and the maritime world, but its worldwide recognition nowadays is due to Greenwich Mean Time.
Where east meets west at 0° latitude.
Royal Naval Academy, designed by Sir Christopher Wren
Wednesday, Sept 26
Class this morning, coffee with students this afternoon, and group dinner tonight.
Thursday, Sept. 27
Left this morning for the Cotswolds. LaGard and Ruth Smith graciously offered their cottage in Buckland to us for the weekend. I was not sure we would be able to do this, as we didn’t realize you need to reserve rental cars at least 72 hours in advance. We found a place this morning that would rent to us that is not far from Buckland. This will be an adventure; my first time to drive on the left side of the road, and the right side of the car! I’ve not taken to that yet. Pretty nerve racking.
This afternoon, we walked down a bridle path to a neighboring village, and enjoyed the quiet of this serene, bucolic pastoral setting. Later in the evening, we went into the nearby village of Broadway. It is known as an artist’s community, and lots of galleries and shops there. We needed the serenity after the frightful drive in!
The Smith’s cottage. We think Snow White might have lived here. Love Ruth’s garden!
Friday, Sept. 28
This morning, we were sitting in the Smith’s beautiful cottage, enjoying the quiet and our coffee, and Alice heard dogs barking. She looked out the window, and this was happening:
A fox hunt, right at the end of the driveway! That’s not something you see every day!
We went into the village of Broadway and enjoyed walking through the shops. This afternoon, we walked to two neighboring villages through picturesque meadows along foot paths, crossing styles, and walking past gardens, orchards, stone churches and church yards, and ivy covered stone fences.
Saturday, Sept. 29
Found our way on back roads to Evesham. Very proud of ourselves! Returned rental car, and walked to little Evesham train station where we ran into this chap. Now what is the likelihood of that? He said he had never been to Nashville, but just bought the hoodie. But not just Nashville–Oak Hill!
Train back to London through the Cotswolds. Great weather, great week. Great weekend, especially!
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Eye on London 