An English Odyssey Part Three: The Tour of a Lifetime
The day started, in our new daily routine, with tea. Now well-known faces at our hotel restaurant, we were greeted with the warmth of a wait staff used to serving the needs of a diverse set of tourists from all over the globe. They were the Michael Jordans of service. Having had been in the service industry for a long time myself, I really appreciate folks who are all-stars of this incredibly difficult and unappreciated industry.
Today, we saw the “real England,” as our marvelous guide Richard called it. How does one begin to describe this positively radiant soul? The way that Eric Schlueder loves golf, Richard loves England. Like a man gushing over his children with pride, Richard was a proud Englishman who wanted to share with us as much of his beloved country’s sites as he could within the limited period we had together. The energy and joy for his work oozed out his pores like sunshine, and even the most cynical and sarcastic teenagers in the world would have felt their chilly hearts melted. On top of all of this, Richard had the gift of connecting with anyone from any of the countries represented on our bus.
Richard spoke English and French fluently (and I believe many other languages), and on the trip, he conversed easily with passengers on our bus, be they French, English, or American. He was a fountain of knowledge about various topics related to the history and geography of Great Britain. His enthusiasm and love of his country were infectious, and he was truly a delight to spend the day with.
Windsor Castle
Our first stop was Windsor Castle and the village that surrounded it. Windsor Castle is a favorite of the Royals. During Queen Elizabeth's lifetime, it was a vacation home for her. The grounds were like something out of a fairytale. It felt like stepping back in time. As was becoming common for me every time we encountered somewhere or something associated with the Royals, I had my usual mixed reaction.
When we stepped inside the Castle, we couldn’t believe the wealth that was on display. Both the houses I grew up in would fit inside Windsor. There were hundreds of swords and guns. Gold was used everywhere as decoration. Hundreds of paintings of past residents of the Castle decorated countless rooms. If there was one word for it, it was EXCESS. The Royals are supposed to be worth a minimum of 20 billion pounds. Seeing this Castle, I felt like that data point was an underestimation.
Stonehenge
Was Stonehenge worth it? I’m not sure. The pictures I took were amazing, and the history of the place is incredible. However, I didn't feel the energy some people say they’ve felt there. There were thousands of tourists around us, which I think might have disrupted any mystical energy that the stones exuded. The pure exhaustion of waiting in line for what felt like hours also got to me.
Buses can not get very close to Stonehenge. The site is protected, and buses would damage the stones. Initially, Richard attempted to use his charms to get us to the front of the line. Alas, poor Richard was not successful in this attempt, so we proceeded to the back of the line.
The area surrounding Stonehenge was different from what I was expecting. Fields of farmland and various flowers surrounded the stones. Our walk to the shuttle was very long. There was plenty of opportunity for people-watching. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the beautiful Southern Accent of a charming blonde woman chatting up some bus mates nearby. To pass the time quickly, I tried to talk to the French woman my mom had befriended on the bus. We both had marginal success communicating with one another. Eventually, when our mutual frustrations with being unable to understand each other reached a tipping point, we stopped talking.
When we could navigate around the other tourists, the stones were something to behold in person. The mystery of how the stones were moved to their current position over 5,000 years ago stimulates the brain. I’m glad I saw them, but I’m not sure I ever need to see them again.
Bath
Bath is a beautiful old city. A giant 1500-year-old church sits in the middle of the town, close to much younger local shops. Here, the old and the young exist together in beautiful harmony. We were here to visit the Roman Bath Museum.
Visiting the Roman Baths was a powerful experience for me. I felt a sense of deja vu, like I’d been there before in another life.
We finished our “Bath day” (pun intended) with a Cornish Pasty and some ice cream. I had crème brille.
The Journey Home
It took us three hours to return to London, but it wasn’t arduous. Richard showcased the landscape around us like a tour guide at an art museum, explaining great works of art and why he loved them. I wish I had the same passion for my country that this man has for his.
Richard had promised us a “Taste of England,” saying that there was just too much to see in the time we’d had. He absolutely delivered on this promise. We experienced an excellent sampler of this beautiful country that whet our appetites to see more. I fell asleep dreaming of Roman Baths and the beauty of the English Countryside.
