| | We were in the UK, specifically Oxford for a work meeting that Luke had, and also we got to spend a couple of days visiting some sights in London since we had to fly to and back from that airport anyway.
The British Library was my favorite in London. I am normally not such a big fan of museums, but the Library has exhibits of significant manuscripts; for instance, really really super old fragments of Scripture and various old Bibles, Da Vinci's scientific notes, the Magna Carta and original Beatles lyrics scribbled on envelopes and cards. :) Plus Jane Austen's writing desk and original musical scores from people like Beethoven and others. That kind of stuff is fun for me, much more than paintings and dinosaurs.
We also went to see Westminster Abbey, which is one of those great big fancy stone churches that when you're inside them, you can't believe how people could possibly build such big, ornate structures before all of our modern technology and materials. This place also has memorials to (and some tombs of) a whole bunch of famous people. (Luke was most interested in the famous scientists, including Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin.) We actually were in the right place at the right time to participate in a short prayer service that took place inside one of the areas that is normally closed off to visitors. After touring the church, we went to eat fish and chips ;)
Oxford had a great covered market -- it's sort of indoors but also sort of not. They had everything there from more traditional butcher, bakery and vegetable stands (and a wonderful cheese shop) to souvenir shops and cafes. We got to visit the pub where CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien used to hang out when they were in Oxford, go to Italian, Bangladeshi and Slovak restaurants, and eat English cooked breakfasts (which were very interesting: eggs, baked beans, bacon [thicker than the bacon we're used to here], cooked tomato and mushrooms!)
Oh yes, I also took the opportunity to spend the week talking in a British accent. Now that was fun. |
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