Stepping off of a 9-hour and 27-minute flight this August, I prepared myself for nine days of exploring the history and culture of London and its nearby towns. With a long list of sites to see, my family and I headed off into the classy yet diverse city.
Instead of just staying in central London, we took three day trips: Stratford-upon-Avon, Southend-on-Sea and Oxford. These mini excursions allowed us to enter three differing town atmospheres.
Trains from London brought us through the green landscapes of England, right past the 942-year-old Warwick Castle, then into Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford. Although old, half-timbered buildings dominated both towns, Stratford gave us a tour of Shakespeare’s life, while Oxford presented a city revolving around colleges.
Both fascinated me, but Stratford won my heart with all of the Shakespearian sites. I was able to walk through his home, past his school and into his church, right up to his grave. To follow in the footsteps of my absolute favorite historical figure was incredibly meaningful.
At the top of my list of things to do was to visit the coast. Having grown up in California, my beach experiences have mostly consisted of good-sized rolling waves, swimming and sand. Knowing cloudy England, my curiosity to experience its beach drew me to the shore of Southend-on-Sea, home of the longest pleasure pier in the world.
The sea, however, was not the stereotypical beach, but rather a long stretch of mud. This led to a slightly anticlimactic view from the 1-1/3 mile-long pier until the tide came in. Even then, the beach lacked crashing waves and surfers. Nonetheless, a journey to a foreign beach broadened my mind.
Crowds filled the high street, which provided a nice area for shopping and a snack. It felt wonderful to stroll through a beach city far from home and to soak up the atmosphere of an English society. The pier, though remarkably long, was not filled with shops and food. Instead, the right side gave room for a stroll, and the left held a train, which carried passengers to the end of the pier and back. At the end, the pier opened up into a large area with benches to sit in the breeze and gaze off into the waters.
Looking up at the clouds, I expected shade, and skipped sunscreen. Turns out that the sun, no matter where in the world, is fully capable of giving sunburns. When I caught glimpse of myself in a mirror later, I regretted wearing my necklace that day, as it left a pathetic tan imprint of a bird and postcard on my collar bone. Despite the rather odd ordeals, the visit to Southend was a definite highlight of my England experience.
In London itself, every day was filled with history, beautiful views, cool weather and museums. With every step I found myself somewhere significant, whether it be history or the location of an Alex Day music video. On the train ride back from Stratford, I glanced out the window to discover Wembley Stadium–a Mecca for sports and bands– looming above me. One day we walked to Abbey Road, another substantial destination for musicians.
The perfect dining resort in England was Pizza Express. The ubiquitous restaurant chain was always somewhere near, and available for a delicious dinner of Italian food. The menu, with its great variety, often provided my family with an affordable and filling meal. I am desperately hoping for the Pizza Express chain to spread to the U.S.
After long days of touring galleries such as the British Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Museum of London, I attended three theater events. The first was a West End play, “The 39 Steps.” Two years ago we saw the same play in New York, and were thrilled to discover it being performed in England. We snatched up tickets, as the hilarious Alfred Hitchcock parody was so wonderfully memorable.
At Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, we attended his play, “Henry VIII.” The beautiful costumes and over-all design were spectacular. Plays at The Globe truly encompass what Shakespeare is meant to be.
During my final night in England, we visited Royal Albert Hall for a Mozart and Brahams concert ? part of their BBC Proms season. While the music was nice and enjoyable, my true delight came from the location itself. In June 2009, my favorite band of all time, The Killers, performed for their first live DVD and album at Royal Albert Hall. It was beautiful to sit in the iconic hall where Brandon Flowers’ vocals echo off the walls whenever the album or DVD is played.
The experience of such a high note (no pun intended) made it miserable to wake up the next morning, knowing that I would be back on a plane within a few hours. I tried to maintain a positive mindset, not looking at my departure as leaving everything behind, but rather being thankful for every moment of the trip, no matter how cliche it sounds.
My trip this year led me to one simple conclusion: being in England goes beyond waking up on the right side of the bed; it is waking up on the right side of the world.
For more stories of summer experiences, read the Aug. 18 article, Oregon Coast: A summer vacation hot spot.
