london again, for the first time story and photos by Brian Luke Seaward

returning to a land I had never seen

Because I grew up in New England, Beckham, James Bond (Scotland’s part of the UK), specifically in a town called Glastonbury, Sarah Brightman and the BBC World News. For a one might think a trip to England, “the Motherland,” country the size of, well, New England, England’s was inevitable for me. This was my recurring thought fingers have a far reach. Brits and Americans may be as the plane touched down at Heathrow’s International cousins, but twins separated at birth we are not. Airport on an overcast spring morning. Flying over Traveling to London, I found it easy to note significant lush hills and quaint countryside, I felt in a strange way differences as well as acute similarities in our cultural like I was returning home to a land where I had never bloodline. This, after all, was the reason I was there: to been. Initially, it was a business trip that brought me to expand my cultural and historic horizons. Beyond the London, but the chance to extend my visit so I could icons of a “once and future” empire, from Big Ben to sight-see in one of the oldest cities in the world was far the Tower of London, lay a city (and countryside) just too tempting. The added bonus to make an authentic begging to be explored. Minutes upon arrival I knew I pilgrimage to this sister village (Glastonbury), “across needed more than four days to do a visit to the the pond” as they say, sealed my fate. I was back home Motherland justice. again for the first time! Having traveled to several corners of the world, it’s quite easy to see America’s influence overseas. One need look no further than Starbucks, KFC, and McDonald’s situated in every city around the planet. But rest assured the British are no strangers to cultural global influences. In what seemed like minutes upon arrival, it became quite clear to me that America is awash with all things British: scones, Sting, Peter Pan, Jane Austin, Earl Grey tea, Sherlock Holmes, the Cutty Sark, The Beatles, Harry Potter, Monty Python, and Andrew Lloyd Webber, not to mention, David

journey www.authenticliving.com 1 Mind you, I didn’t get out and step into all of these places. Silke’s intent was merely to get me oriented to the city’s landmarks, all the while providing a rich background in history, politics and culture. Americans might remember some mention in grade school about the Magna Carta, but you’ve not heard anything until you fully understand the scope of British history, starting with the Norman invasion, moving through King Henry VIII’s fight with the Roman Catholic Church, continuing on through the black plague of 1665, the London fire of 1666, the Blitz, and pausing London may be the heart of all things British, but briefly for the untimely death of Princess Diana. Silke it’s quite safe to say that every nationality on the planet shared all of this and much more in three hours, a is represented in this urban residence, some many tutorial I am pretty sure that the people riding the times over. This became abundantly clear from my topless, double-decker buses didn’t hear to the extent I Portuguese cab driver, Polish hotel concierge, Indian did. bellhop, Jamaican waiter, and German tour guide. Our tour climaxed with a leisurely stroll inside Silke, originally a native of East Germany who Abby, the famed site of Queen Elizabeth escaped the communist regime in 1960 and is now a II’s Coronation and Princess Diana’s funeral. To walk devoted fan of the Constitutional Monarchy, picked me over (or near) the tombstones of historic figures from up 1:00 p.m. sharp at the Leonard Hotel (conveniently Mary Queen of Scotts to Winston Churchill (and scores located by the Marble Arch tube station). After brief more notables from classical composers Edward Elgar introductions, I hopped in her car and we proceeded to and George Frideric Handel to Isaac Newton) is head west toward Notting Hill (made famous by a nothing less than a lesson in humility. With each stone movie of the same name). I learned quickly that Silke you walk over, you stand in the shadows of greatness. was well-versed in the British film industry as she At the risk of seeming trite, Westminster Abby is a pointed out numerous renowned cinematic landscapes. must-see stop for anyone visiting London. One quick In three short hours we covered London from one end observation must be noted: The history of (white) of the River Thames to the other, including the Tower America is but a blink of the eye when compared to Bridge, the London Eye, Big Ben and the Parliament our elder cousins of Great Britain, something I was all- Building, Westminster Abby, Hyde Park, Kensington too-often reminded of during this warp-speed journey Park, Price Albert Hall, , through space and time. the Globe Theater, the Tate Modern Museum, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Hadrian’s Wall (pant, pant), the West End theater district, St. James Palace, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and Buckingham Palace—during the changing of the guard, no less. What was once a quite Roman outpost called Londinium, is now an exploding metropolis, expanding still further with over 20 construction cranes observed in one camera frame alone.

journey www.authenticliving.com 2 After a whirlwind tour, Silka dropped me back off at the Leonard for a well deserved, jet-lag-induced nap. I awoke hours later to make my way into the heart of for dinner. Great Britain may have lost its worldly empire, but what it lost in global dominance it gained in culinary delights: Indian, Ethiopian, Thai, Chinese, Peruvian, Italian, Greek, Jamaican, and Vietnam cuisine, to name a few. I ended the night watching the BBC news… in Greenwich Mean Time, no less.

A Side Trip to Glastonbury “Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” all the There is no better way to sight-see than with a close details (real or imagined). Under a sapphire sky, we friend with whom you can share the experience. As zoomed by Stonehenge toward the once and future luck would have it, a close friend happened to be in Camelot. John assured us as we drove by this London and I invited her along for the second day of collection of impressively arranged stones that we my UK adventure. Jessie, a native Brit now living in would stop at the monolithic calendar clock on the way Boulder, Colorado, had never been to the quiet hamlet back. “One chapter of history at a time,” he said with a of Glastonbury and was eager to join my pilgrimage. smile. John, our driver and tour guide, walked into the hotel The first landmark you see miles before you arrive lobby five minutes ahead of schedule. I took the last in the town of Glastonbury is a rather large hill (tor) bite of my scone, washed it down with a sip of Earl with a 30-foot tower set atop of it (The tower, I was to Grey and we were off. The game plan was to escape learn, played a significant role marking the end of the the city limits and head southwest into Somerset Roman Catholic epoch of politics in this quiet hamlet.) County. Glastonbury, so it seems, is the home (perhaps A short hike to the top of Glastonbury Tor reveals a one of many) to the remains of King Arthur and his stunning 360-degree vista of the lush English lovely wife Guinevere. The Da Vinci Code not countryside. While some suggest the mound is withstanding, it was time to search for the Holy Grail manmade, others hint to a more metaphysical nature; a ourselves and John was all too eager to impart to this portal to another dimension. This, after all, was once of the selected sacred sites for the Harmonic Convergence in 1988. At the base of the Tor is a Celtic carved stone marking the headwaters of the river of Avalon that once fed the healing waters of the renowned Lady of the Lake. The lake is gone but the river still trickles its memories throughout the region. While many Brits know of Glastonbury as the site o f E n g l a n d ’ s “Woodstock,” a yearly summer rock festival, the Glastonbury Cathedral is what brings tourists to

journey www.authenticliving.com 3 this hamlet in the off-months. Suggested to be one of afternoon. Shoppers on a mission darted like piranhas the largest cathedrals in England before it was pillaged in and out of stores, jam-packed from Marble Arch to under the decree of King Henry VIII, Glastonbury Tottenham Court Road; I learned quickly it is best not Cathedral is still a site of etheric beauty. Complete with to get in their way. After a few friendly brushes with a burial marker for King Arthur, this sacred ground is the locals, I found myself standing at the gates of one complemented by a thorn tree said to have come from of the world’s most impressive collections of human the staff of Joseph of Arimathea, who was rumored to artifacts ever assembled under one roof. have fled Jerusalem with Mary Magdalene after the It’s one thing to see ancient artifacts discussed on crucifixion of her beloved husband. Dan Brown would the History Channel, but there is no substitute for surely be proud! Before we departed my hometown’s personal experience. The Rosetta Stone surpassed all beloved namesake, Jessie and I walked into the heart of expectations, as did the Egyptian mummy exhibit, the Glastonbury, paid our respects to those who traveled sculptured remains of the Acropolis and all the other thousands of miles west to start a town of the same meticulously documented exhibits at the British name in Connecticut, and ended the visit by buying a Museum. With tongue in cheek, I noted that death chicken pastie (pot pie) for lunch, something I am quite flanked my London visit like bookends (Westminster sure one cannot get in the town I grew up in, even today. Abby to the Egyptian Mummies). Next time, I will try A quick drive through the English countryside to a different theme, perhaps Shakespeare? the renowned city of Bath was only superseded by the When all was said and done, my time spent in last leg of our journey; a stop to the famed Neolithic London was only enough to barely whet my appetite. It World Heritage Site, Stonehenge. It’s hard not to be is no exaggeration to say that one could spend months impressed with this structure, if nothing more than to visiting all the museums, gardens, parks, theaters, appreciate how these cut stones (each weighing several galleries, restaurants, palaces, and churches in London tons) traveled hundreds of miles from Wales to this site Town. I trust my next trip will prove equally —several thousand years ago. Theories abound compelling. AL regarding the mode of transportation, with no clear answers. The stones’ secrets remain shrouded in mystery. Luck was on our side as a setting sun shone bright on both the stones, with the moon waxing toward its full potential, to a sparse crowd of no more than 25 people (usually crowds swell up to a thousand or more at a time). Even our guide, a skeptic at heart, agreed that the Celtic Gods were smiling on all of us, as this special day worked its way toward dusk. My last full day in London was a cerebral feast of history. I began and ended this adventure at the British Museum in search of the famed Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies, and relics of the Acropolis. Rather than take the tube, I decided to walk down east toward the museum. I can honestly say, one has not fully experienced London until you have Brian Luke Seaward is an award winning encountered Londoners shopping on a Saturday photographer and author who loves traveling the world in search of the dynamic landscape. He is the author of several books including the Lodging: The Leonard Hotel: www.theleonard.com/public.htm popular best sellers, Stand Like Mountain, The Tube (Underground Subway) Map: www.afn.org/~alplatt/tube.html Flow Like Water, The Art of Calm and Guide Books: I found LONDON: DK’s Eye Witness Travel to be among Stressed Is Desserts Spelled Backward. the best travel guides for this City. It has wonderful color photos, maps When not traveling, he resides in Boulder, and all kinds of rich historical background. London Walks (second Colorado. He can be reached at edition) by Celia Woolfrey is also a great guide for specific walks www.brianlukeseaward.net. through this magnificent city on the Thames.

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