When I was in high school I was captivated by the enlightenment that my English teacher provided our class. We not only parsed and diagramed sentences but we also explored literature and learned about music and art. Our teacher filled the classroom with newspaper articles and introduced us to periodicals like The Atlantic, The New York Times, and The New Yorker. He planned field trips to the theater and the local art museum. He made sure that we learned how to appreciate music and understood how to present ourselves in different settings. His goal was to make us citizens of the world.
I think of my English teacher whenever I travel. I do things that I believe he would have done if he had accompanied me and my husband. I smile when I remember how he wove all of art and history together to help us to understand humanity and the world around us. So it was with his influence in the back of my mind that I set out on a return trip to London, England, a place where I always feel at home.
The last time I traveled across the pond I found a great deal on an economy seat. Sadly the savings resulted in a torturous journey. The seats were small and cramped with so little legroom that I felt as though me knees were touching my chin. The two ladies behind us talked the whole night through so any idea of sleeping for a time became impossible. I just watched movie after movie hoping that they would eventually grow weary, turn off the lights and abandon their conversation but that was not to happen so I arrived in London exhausted before I had even begun my explorations
This time around we invested in premium economy seats and the upgrade in comfort was incredible. Our seats themselves were noticeably wider and we had enough leg room to stretch our legs. The food was excellent and actually served on real plates with napkins and silverware. The people in the area were quiet and respectful of each other. When the lights dimmed we all rested peacefully until the morning when a delicious breakfast was served.
We arrived at Heathrow Airport in the early afternoon and I was bouncing with energy which was fortunate since much of our time was spent walking to reach the Heathrow Express that would take us to Paddington Station. My gimpy knees threatened to halt the trip then and there but I was determined to ignore them no matter how much they screamed at me. Before long we were on our way on a train so crowded that we had to stand much of the way holding tightly to our luggage that kept threatening to roll away. Before long a very polite young man insisted that I take his seat. I was reluctant but his wife motioned me over with a welcoming smile making the rest of the journey wonderful as I anticipated the fun that was to come.
We had reservations at the Grand Hotel at Trafalgar Square which proved to be an exceptional location for launching our daily adventures. Our room was spacious and incredibly quiet at all times of day. We had a great view of Northumberland Street and were only half a block away from Trafalgar Square. It was a short walk to either Charring Cross or Embankment stations so transportation was not a problem. For our first foray we wanted to investigate the trains that might take us to Windsor Castle so we headed to Waterloo Station which was literally abuzz with passengers rushing here and there. We felt a bit lost in all of the hubbub mostly because we were still a bit jet lagged from our plane trip. We eased our anxieties with a bit to eat and went back to the hotel to rest up for our upcoming visit to the Royal Observatory and The National Naval Museum in Greenwich.
After a great night’s sleep we were ready to begin our vacation in earnest but first it was time for breakfast so we wandered to the Caffe Concerto which was located next door to the hotel. It was a delightful place with a staff that exuded cheerfulness. Of course we agreed that we had to try the full English breakfast that included two fried eggs, sausage, bacon, beans, a stewed tomato, hash browns, mushrooms and toast. I topped my meal off with cranberry juice and English breakfast tea and immediately knew that this place would be our first stop each morning for the rest of the trip.
The ride to Greenwich took a while. It is far south of the city of London along the Thames River. The Royal Observatory there is the site of the Prime Meridian, the reference line for longitude that divides the earth into the Eastern and Western hemispheres We placed our feet on either side of the line so that we might brag that we had been in two hemispheres at the same time, then we went inside to learn more about the work done by the many astronomers who had worked to understand the heavens. Among the men who resided there was Edmond Halley for whom a comet would be named.
Inside the museum was a section devoted to showing how important it had been to develop a seaworthy clock that would not be affected by the swaying of ships. Using the heavens and correct time sailors needed to be able to navigate correctly but it would literally be decades before a successful clock was invented by John Harrison. Each of his attempts to create a reliable marine chronometer is on display and his ingenuity was remarkable to see.
Our next stop was just down a pathway to the National Navel Museum, a delightful place filled with stories of sailors and their enormous impact on the economy and safety of the British Isles. It was literally a treasure trove of naval history including a huge map of the oceans and an entire section devoted to Horatio Nelson whose death in the Battle of Trafalgar would be memorialized with great honor.
Our final Greenwich destination was the Cutty Sark, once the fastest ship in the world. It had been used by the East India Company to bring tea from China to Britain, a part of history tinged with greed and war and sometimes questionable tactics. The displays were open and honest about the good, bad and ugly of what happened on those trips to China. It was sobering imagining life aboard the ship whose sole purpose was to grab the tea and get back as quickly as possible.
The day had been full and enlightening and we were rather tired once we were back at the hotel but we had not eaten since breakfast so it was time for a small repast. For dinner we settled on Italian food mostly because there was a restaurant just across the street. The food was great and the wine helped us to chill just a bit before a strolling down Whitehall Street to a shop where I purchased some tea which seemed fitting given the history we had learned on our first full day in London. So much more was to come and I found myself wondering what book my English teacher might suggest that I read to learn more about the British adventures at sea. I’m sure he would have had some ideas and might even suggest that we pair it with a bit of Gilbert and Sullivan and HMS Pinafore. I smiled as a realized that I had indeed become a citizen of the world all due to his enormous influence.
All It Takes Is A Little Love 