CEILIDH

Sunday, July 6^th, was a special day that I had been looking forward to very much.  I was eager to lead worship and to preach, eager to see what it felt like to practice my craft in Scotland.  I woke up early—which seems to be a bit of a routine now.  The sun doesn’t set until near 11:00 PM and it begins getting brighter around 3:30 or 4:00 AM, so I have been waking up around 5!  After the normal Sunday routine of showering and some devotional time, I spent some time reflecting on the trip and all the many great things that happened recently:  the family’s visit, the meals, the incredible sanctuaries I had gotten to explore (St. Giles and St. John’s in particular), the warmth and kindness of the people, the great weather we were having, the recollections of many little things I have been observing in Will, Aubrey, and Sarah.  They are really taking it all in.  I felt very thankful and so by the time I made my way over to church, I felt like celebrating, giving thanks, and so worship was the perfect thing to do. 

I made it over to the church around 9:30 and noticed right away how cool the sanctuary felt.  It is such a tall structure inside that there can be quite a difference in the way it feels outside verses inside.  I did a brief run through and decided to leap a bit out of my comfort zone.  Rather than keeping the old iPAD on the podium, I opted to put in on the first pew and preach from the stage area where Scott usually preaches.  It felt good in a warm up fashion, and so that’s what I went with.  I like trying to achieve what some weeks feels impossible: staying with a carefully prepared manuscript and presenting the message in a way that is engaging to the listener.  Lifelong challenge to do this well, I think.

There is not a Christian Education hour to speak of before worship, but what does happen is people gather at the pub/restaurant next door, good old Wetherspoons, for tea and coffee and conversation.  So I headed over there and sat with some wonderful folk who I really enjoyed chatting away with and getting to know.  Harry stands out in particular because he is a golfer.  We had fun talking about the old game.  Ronnie, the guy who gave me his St. Matt’s pin last week and shared in the baptism of Jimmy, bought me a cup of tea and introduced me to the group.  We stayed and talked until just before worship.  I really enjoyed how people don’t rush through their time together.  They really seem to relish conversation and the moments they get to spend together.  It’s not about getting to the next thing but making the most of the person you have right in front of you. 

Worship went well, I thought.  There were close to 100 people present all scattered about the sanctuary.  Margaret played the hymns beautifully, and I felt right at home.  One of the highlights was listening to a gentleman read Psalm 46 and the gospel lesson from Matthew in the most beautiful Scottish accent.  I told the congregation that I could listen to most of them read the telephone book and think it was the holy word of God!  The sound of their voice is so pleasing to the ear.   Preaching with the teleprompter app a bit farther away was a positive thing for me, and my toughest critics—my wife and kids—thought so as well.  So, I may have cracked open a new homiletical chapter.  Who knows!

We finished up worship, and after I greeted some friendly folk at the door, we headed over to the fellowship hall for coffee, tea, and biscuits (cookies).  It was all warm and delightful.  I had to get mom, Lisa, and Neal to the train station for their day trip to St. Andrews by 12:30, so I couldn’t hang around too long.  After bidding them farewell for a few hours, we went back home and enjoyed a lunch of leftovers and made a grocery list.  Sarah and I did a Tesco trip while the kids played at the manse.  At the store we decided to make Pigs in a Blanket for the afternoon/evening event: a Scottish Ceilidh.  We went with it and rushed home to prepare them.  We later learned that our American Pigs in a Blanket are actually well loved “Sausage Rolls.”  Proper Pigs in a Blanket are wrapped in bacon here in Scotland! 

So the Ceilidh is something that is often done in the winter at New Year’s.  It is traditional Gaelic social gathering which involves food, fun, and dancing.  It was so touching for us to be treated as the honored guests for this special Ceilidh.  Will, Aubrey, and I wore our kilts, and Sarah wore Jill’s tartan sash.  It started at 4 pm and was held in the church’s fellowship hall.  The room was decorated with tables around the rim that were all set with plates and glasses.  We had a special seat, and there were about 50-60 people in total.  Many people were in their Scottish attire.  There was a band area and even a disc jockey (Gordon) on the stage.  Dear Ronnie acted as an emcee along with another guy whose name escapes me.  

We started off with food: mashed potatoes seasoned with onion and corned beef.  Each table got a large dish.  Then we got a light dessert of raspberries whipped with oat bits.  It was not too sweet but so good.  Will and Aubs were not fans, but they were so polite.  They later were served a dish of ice cream and loved that option!  We were next served bread, then a fruit and cheese tray but the real treat was being served single malt whiskey!  This happen just before Ronnie came to the mic to do a Robert Byrns tribute.  It lasted about 20 minutes and was so well done.  We all learned about Byrns’ life, work, and contributions to Scotland and to the whole world.  He is celebrated every January 25^th all over the world.

After the Byrns tribute, we enjoyed lots of story telling, poems by various people there, music of various sorts, but the best music I thought was the bag piper.  He played “Highland Cathedral,” and oh my goodness it was fantastic.  Then a talented guy named Andy (who played clarinet at church last week) came up and played lots of traditional Scottish songs using various recorders.  He also played a smaller set of pipes that were not as loud—incredible.  We did a sing along after that and then we got to doing some Scottish dancing.  That was a ton of fun.  The kids really enjoyed it and jumped right in.  We did basically ancient square dancing and reels that have been around for ages.  We all worked up a sweat and were laughing and smiling.  It was such a family oriented, enjoyable event.  The occasion ended with making a large circle and holding hands and singing “Old Lang Syne.”  There was such a genuine feeling of joy and celebration, and we left feeling our souls lifted to a heavenly place. 

Sarah and Aubs walked home, and I went to the station with Will to pick up the rest of the family, who had a marvelous day touring St. Andrews.  We got home and told one another about the adventures. It was a really fantastic Sunday.  

CASTLE AND THISTLE

Thursday, July 3^rd, our day began early in Perth with getting ready, eating, and catching a bus from Tesco to Edinburgh where we were going to spend the day.  We had a easy ride into Edinburgh and along the way saw gorgeous scenes of farms, hills, rivers, and lakes.  It took about 1.5 hours to get there.  We arrived at the city center bus station well before 10 and began a nice walk to the Castle at the top of the Royal Mile.  What a city, Edinburgh. It has a bit of a London feel because people are moving all about, traffic is a bit thick, and there are scads and scads of tall structures.  As soon as we exited the bus station on Princes Street, we were enticed to take pictures of nearly everything we saw. 

The views of the city are very striking.  The kids were quite enamored with all the tourist shops and wanted to stop at nearly every one we saw.  I was focused on getting us to the Castle as soon as possible, so that became the goal, and we walked pretty briskly that way and as we arrived at the Royal Mile (the road leading up to the castle), we noticed that the crowds were much thicker.  As we got closer to St. Giles Cathedral, we noticed lots of police, people dressed up in very fancy clothes—ladies with hats, men in suits and full dress kilts, roads blocked.  They were all going into St. Giles.  I thought it was a funeral and asked about it, and a local said, “No, it is not a funeral.  The queen is in town today and there is a service at St. Giles that she will attend.”  Are you kidding me!   I don’t get too wrapped up in all the royal hoopla, but I have to say that it was pretty cool to watch unfold right before our eyes. 

We got beyond the masses of people and actually got stopped before entering the gateway to the castle.  Just as we arrive we got to watch a kilt wearing regiment that was marching down to the church.  They were in full regalia and played music and were followed by a very distinguished group called the Royal Archers.  Awesome.  As soon as they passed, we dashed ahead to the castle, going through the stadium that is used for the August Tattoo festival, and into the castle gate ahead of the bigger crowds.  We got half off tickets and made it into the room to see the Scottish jewels just minutes before it all closed.  Talk about fortunate timing.  I chalk it all up to the providence of God.  We were absolutely in the right places at the right times.  After climbing a bunch of stairs, mom was about over it all.  But I am proud of her because she did it.  The castle was a real treasure.  

There were and are numerous overlooks to see nearly every side of Edinburgh.  The castle is steeped in history and lore.  There were a good many people there, but it was not overly crowded at all.  We all loved seeing the jewels, the crown, the royal scepter (this one didn’t contain the whopper of a diamond that is in the one at the Tower of London), and the “Stone of Destiny,” a large rock slab that used to be kept at Scone Palace in Perth.  It is used during the coronation service for a monarch.  We have learned a lot about the cultural importance of continuity since we have been here.  Since America is such a young country in comparison to Great Britain, I think there is something to be said for the importance of continuity. 

We took our time at the castle and enjoyed all the rooms and chambers.  We even saw an old apartment where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to a son, and we saw a royal eating hall, some old armor and weaponry, and some huge pieces of art (oil based portraits of Scottish royals).  One special portion of the grounds stood out to me: just beneath the oldest structure of the castle, a chapel of St. Margaret, a beautiful stone structure that could only hold about 25 people with the most gorgeous stained glass windows, was a plot of ground dedicated to the memory and service of the service dogs who worked with soldiers and military personnel.  The pet cemetery was a delightful surprise—so well manicured and definitely beloved by those who came across it.  After spotting it, we all enjoyed visiting the Margaret Chapel and considered that sacred stone space of worship perched high above the city one of the holier sites we had seen.

We made our way down the castle and out of the compound just as the Queen’s royal fanfare was breaking up.  Talk about timing!  We caught the band a bit more and then visited a large  tartan weaving shop and kilt maker.  We had fun looking through everything and even managed to find a Billie Kilt for Aubrey (Spirit of Scotland tartan) and one for Will (Black Watch tartan).  They were very excited for a reasonable price, and the quality of the fabric was much better than the other touristy shops.  Lisa and Neal enjoyed learning about the MacLeod clan of Skye (our family’s clan), along with Neal’s family clan on his dad’s side: the Weavers.  By now we were all hungry and Aubrey led us to a little pizza place for some food. 

We spent the afternoon enjoying street entertainers and the shops, but the highlight for me was seeing St. Giles Cathedral just after lunch.  That church is a gem of the U.K. but especially important for the Church of Scotland and Presbyterians all around the world.  It was John Knox’s church, and we saw a statue of him inside.  I had a few moments to wander around by myself, and I was nearly moved to tears by the beauty of the worship space—much like the splendor of Westminster Abbey in London.  The stone pulpit really took my breath away when I discovered that around the base of it were scenes from Jesus’ teaching late in Matthew: “I was hungry and you fed me…naked and you clothed me…in prison and you visited me…”  I couldn’t help but thinking how important it is for preaching to be grounded in the grace of that teaching.  I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to preach in that space.  The chairs were still in place from when the Queen was there, and it was all hard to take in. 

We gathered up the whole family at one point in the sanctuary and found our way into a small portion of the building called the Chapel of the Thistle.  This was amazing, a place of worship and meeting for a very select group commissioned by the crown as people of goodwill and service.  This is a place of knights of serve in the Order of the Thistle appointed by the Queen her self, and she had been there early that day to make knights of two new people!  There was a tour guide there who looked a bit like Mr. Bean, and he told us all about the knight’s swords, crests, symbols, and armor.  We learned about the importance of service to God, to our world, and to easing the suffering of others. 

We then headed to the Museum of Scotland, kind of like a smaller version of the Smithsonian.  It was all free, and it was much like the Museum in London just on a smaller scale.  We enjoyed our time there, but it was clear to me that the walking and the hills was taking a toll on the family.  We stopped for a snack in the atrium and enjoyed the sunlight coming through, the people passing by—especially the little children—and the ancient treasures.  The kids had taken about all the castles, churches, and museums they could stand and so we let them guide us back.  They loved wandering in trinket shops of every kind, and so we let them do so.  We had a bus to catch back at 7:10 to Perth, and so we took our time wandering back to the station and made our way into a very lively pub near the station for some refreshment before ride back.  The kids got sodas and loaded nachos, and we enjoyed a pint of beer and wine.  We were right in the throes of the after work crowd, and so lots of people were coming and going.  The bus ride home was uneventful, but we made it back with sore feet and happy hearts.  Mom’s knee was really bothering her, and so we got home and all grabbed food, and propped up our limbs and combed back through all we saw that day.  A great day in all aspects, a real dream come true for me as a pastor to see such a site of significant history.   

ON THE MOVE

The past week has been a bit of a whirlwind.  Last Thursday, June 26^th, we celebrated Aubrey June’s official 11^th birthday.  We were in London and were wrapping up our adventure there.  Of course, we rested well and ate like royalty at the hotel, and then we gathered all of our stuff and had a lazy stroll through the Museum of Natural History—just minutes away from where we were staying.  There were skeletons of every animal known to humanity, replicas of wooly mammoths, dinos, and things that just make your jaw drop.  It was great, and it was free!  

We caught one more conveyor belt sushi lunch and made out way to retrieve our luggage for a brief taxi ride to South Kensington station to go to King’s Cross to catch a train for Cambridge, our next stop. 

All went well to King’s Cross, and at that station we got to see a little Harry Potter fun: Platform 9 and ¾.  We took some pics, let Will have a field day at the gift shop, and then we made our way to Cambridge, about 40 minutes away.  The ride was fast, but the seats were few—a theme we experienced more fully as we headed to Scotland. 

We arrived to Cambridge rather late in the afternoon, and the countryside was gorgeous (rolling green pastures and hills, a whole lot less concrete, animals here and there, just picturesque).  We settled in to a little B&B on the outskirts of town—too far to walk in—but peaceful and quiet: Silverwood Lodge  It was owned by a man named Arthur who was a bit of a free spirited man of about 70 who did his PhD in the area in computer programming and used the building of the B&B for years to run his business.  He sold it off in 2007 just at the right time and turned the investment into another money maker.  We had a little guest house off the main house and found ourselves able to kick off our shoes and sprawl out a bit.  

There were large hens roaming about the property, and in the large backyard little rabbits would dash across the grass.  The kids had fun watching for them.  It wasn’t quite shaping up to be much of a birthday afternoon for Aubrey.  I had imagined our wandering around Cambridge and doing some punting boats and all that, but we discovered from our gracious host that we were in the community of Water Beach and a few minutes walk away would lead us to the town center and a good pub called The White Horse.

So after a bit of settling in and chilling out, we went for a marvelous walk down a little back road by a rather sketchy looking Indian restaurant called Balywood into Water Beach and found a small village with a green grassy square at the center, not much bigger than a football field.  Since pubs are such family friendly places, we went in and were welcomed very warmly and began to feel like we had stumbled upon a bit of a treasure.  Aubs had her heart set on fish and chips, and this place looked like it could deliver.  We had a lovely waitress who was a school teacher by day and waitress by night, and she just made a fuss over us and Aubrey in particular.  She brought her chocolates and made her feel like a princess.  She introduced the kids to a fun UK drink called “J2O,” which is fruity and fizzy but has less calories than regular sodas.  Score!  I got a rather yummy local ale, Sarah had some wine, and we had a wonderful meal together celebrating the greatest little 11 year old in the world.  The pub had a play ground out back and there were other locals there having a pint, chatting away, kids running about, and it was great.  The food was fantastic as well—fish and chips, Sarah got some sort of mushroom, spinach, and cheese dish, and I got scallops. Yum!  I also got some tiramisu, and that was mighty fine.  We walked back as the sun was setting and we crashed hard that night after Sarah and I took a little time to do some laundry at the B&B.  London was so nice and warm, but our clothes really were ripe. 

The next day, now Friday, June 27^th, was moving day.  We needed to make the trek north to Scotland. We had a lazy breakfast and discovered that our host, Arthur, needed to go to town for the Apple Store, and so he agreed to take us in, let us look around a bit, before we were to catch our train.  Perfect!  We rode with him and learned about his “Brady Bunch” style family.  He is retired, but his wife is still teaching at Cambridge.  They lived near the university, and they had a whole bunch of children scattered about with a 12 year old at home.  Arthur was very in-the-moment, his hair and clothes a mess, but he had the wonderfully warm smile and eagerness to help us see a little of Cambridge.  So we wandered around for about an hour as Arthur did his errand.  I had talked up Cambridge, but the fam had to see it for themselves.  It was amazing—the architecture, in particular.  Will kept saying that he felt like he was in a Harry Potter book. 

  

He and AJ found a fun candy shop, and we got some neat very British treats.  I opted for Lemon Sherberts—this lemony, tart hard candy kind of oblong shaped with a sweet and sour lemony gel like center.  It was spot on.  We saw a bit of King’s College chapel but didn’t go in because the price was high and our time was thin.  We saw people in punting boats, and we discovered that the day we were there was commencement day.  That was cool: we got to see all kinds of academic pomp and circumstance just from afar. Very British, very proper.  

We linked up with Arthur, made our way to the train and had a lovely ride from Cambridge to Peterborogh, about a 40 minutes trip.  We sprawled out with a table to share—perfect.  We got to Peterborogh to catch the fast train for Edinburgh and had a little wait outside.  No problem.  We boarded that train, got our luggage tucked away in the car, and could not find a seat! So for the next 3.5 hours, we squatted, leaned, let the beverage cart by about 8 times, fell asleep, laughed at the military guys near us who were loaded down and in the same boat as we, and toughed it out.  We hit Edinburgh by 5:20 and were ready to get the heck off the train!  Scotland was busy and lovely, and we were hungry and had to pee!  We found a Subway, and Aubrey about began to sing the “Doxology!”  It was cute.  We linked up with Scott just a short walk from the station, and seeing him, giving him a huge hug, was just too good to be true.  The moment we’d all been waiting for had finally arrived.  We were in Scotland and with our host/exchange partner!

Scott took us back to Edinburgh, and we were just blown away by the beauty of the countryside, especially after we crossed the Fourth River with the big red bridge.  We checked into our B&B, met our happy and lovely host Sharon and her husband Bruce, and went just up the hill—not far at all—to the manse.  Scott, Jill, and the girls really rolled out the welcome mat for us.  They live in a lovely place up on the hill that has the most gorgeous views of the mountains and a little of Perth.  The air is crisp and clean and cool, and we had a fun time getting acquainted.  The Burton’s hearts were so heavy—sadly—because of a close friend’s death only a couple of days before.  More about all that in another post.  Aubrey and Sara hit the trampoline in the backyard and became giddy together.  Will did as well, I think.  Scott, Jill, Sarah, and I jumped right in to learning about the manse, hearing about the week, and getting to know one another.  These are the kinds of folk, we felt like, we had known for a long, long time.  Lovely people, and they even got Aubrey a pig for a birthday cake.  So thoughtful! Thank God, we finally made it.  It all seemed so surreal.  

SAINTS, SHAKESPEARE, AND CONVEYOR BELT SUSHI

Tuesday, June 24^th, was a very full day of terrific touring fun, Aubrey likes our new blog routine and so we begin with her. 

Aubrey’s perspective

Today was great from the famous Westminster Abbey to conveyor belt sushi with an old friend of my dad’s from South Carolina. We started out after a nice breakfast at the hotel and took the tube to Westminster Abbey. It was cool ~ not necessarily fun ~ but interesting and beautiful.  From there we went to see the changing of the guards, which would have been great if we could have seen them better, but that’s OK because we saw a little bit of it and of what we saw it was fantastic! Then we went to a trusty food place [it’s trusty because we went there yesterday and it was good food] called PRET and went on a boat to eat it. We got off the boat and went to Shakespeare’s globe and learned how they did costumes and battles for some of his plays. Finally we hooked up with one of my dad’s friends who lives in London, and we had conveyor belt sushi. For those of you who are wondering what conveyor belt sushi is, it is where there is a little line of sushi and stuff where you grab what you want, eat it, and pay when you’re finished. They really need to get one in Fernandina!

Now it’s Will’s turn:  

Well today was great. We started at Westminster Abbey.  It was cool ~ not fun but very coo. There I learned that the queen is head of the Knights of Bath and has her own chair in the Abbey amongst the nights.  After that we rushed to see some of the changing of the guard.  It was hard to see but what we could see was very cool.  Then we went to a great chain called PRET where you can get almost anything you want [within reason]. After getting our food “to go” we got on a boat and ate on the water. Then we saw the Shakespeare’s globe which was cool.  After that we met up with one of my dad’s friend’s, Josh. With Josh we went to a pub called ye olde Cheshire Cheese and had a great dry ginger ale.  Then we saw some shops and ate at Yo Sushi where a conveyor belt went around the restaurant and if something looked good you took it and ate it.  I personally loved it. Then we went home. Wow what a day.

WILL THE YO SUSHI LOVING BEAST OUT!

Well loved ones and friends it was indeed a very full day, and I have to say that the Westminster Abbey trip was moving beyond words.  In preparation for Scotland I have been reading up on Mary Queen of Scots, and I got to visit where she is buried.  Poet’s corner rendered both Sarah and me speechless, and we were so impressed by what the children noticed and the thoughtful questions they asked of the volunteers there.  Since the Abbey is an active church, once and hour everyone is asked to pause for a moment of prayer where over the PA system one of the priests leads a prayer.  Tues was a time of remembrance for John the Baptist, and to remembering John’s life and work was the substance of the prayer.  During that prayer of remembrance, thanks, and blessing, Sarah, Will, Aubrey, and I huddled together and offered ourselves to God.  It was such a special time for me.  It was also special that we could light candles for people in need of prayer and so we did so for Clay Treska and Bea Griffith who are both dealing with cancer and each doing so with such courage and faith. 

Lunch on the boat as we cruised the river Thames was so relaxing.  The weather was balmy and warm, the bottom level of the boat wasn’t crowded, and so we just enjoyed one another and got recharged.  After lunch, though we missed a show and an official back stage tour of Shakespear’s theatre we did get to see the museum and enjoy a couple of presentations, one of sword fighting and one on costumes. Since Will and Aubrey have recently been in the play Oliver, we thought they would love it and love it they did!  I really enjoyed all the artifacts from the original play house, and I got to see original pages of his First Folio.  It was amazing. 

Later we connected with Josh Mitchell, a wonderful person in my life whose ties go way back to my childhood and his in Batesburg-Leesville, S.C.  His family and our family worshipped together at B-L Presbyterian for years.  The Mitchell’s sat on the third pew and we sat on the fourth.  We had lots of laughs together remembering Tom Engle, and we got caught up because we haven’t seen each other in years.  I lost track of Josh somewhere around my time in seminary or just after ordination.  He went off to Clemson and was in the band and got a degree in Business Development (he has a passion for urban planning).  He showed us all over London and took us to a favorite pub of his, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, which ironically just so happens to be one of my all time favorite pubs!  It was a joyful moment of coalescence when he suggested that we should go there!  He also found us the sushi place that Aubrey and Will mentioned, and we did have fun watching the little pods of food go by.  We ate like royalty and laughed, and we just had a grand time. 

The day was so wonderful, but by the time we got back to the hotel we were really wiped out.

LONDON FUNDON

It is early on Tuesday, and the kids and Sarah are all asleep.  I decided to come to the hotel lobby for a bit of blog catch up.  Wow, what a time we are having!  Last night, Sarah and I needed to do laundry, and so we let the kids begin the blog.  By the way, London Laundromats are not cheap:  it cost us 5 pounds for one load of clothes and then another 2 pounds to dry!  In American dollars, 2 loads of clothes set us back about $25!  Our clothes are not clean, and my wallet is much thinner!

Here is Aubrey’s take on things thus far:  “Today was a great first full day in London! My favorite part I have to say was M&M World because I’m just a kid and it’s a fact that kids love candy, especially when there  is 4 floors of all things M&Ms!  We went on a peaceful boat ride on the Thames river, which was great. We also went to the Churchill War Room which was an underground war shelter from World War 1 and 2. It was very interesting and fascinating. We saw Big Ben and the London Eye which seemed to move REALLY slow! We saw the London Bridge and went under it on the boat and it surprisingly DIDN’T fall down [which was good because I was worrying]! A great day in London and hopefully a better one tomorrow!”

Here are some of Will’s thoughts:  “London’s great!  So far we have been to two pubs: one traditional pub for our first meal in London where we all had the real deal fish and chips (with a nasty green pea mash). More about the other pub in a minute.  Then we had dinner at a place called Garfunkels and the food was ok (not great) but not bad with a milk shake that was milk with a dash of  ice cream (weird but that’s what they gave me so that’s what I ate). Now today we had a buffet breakfast at the hotel and then went on a tube ride [the tube is the subway] to get our London Passes.  The place where we were to pick them up wasn’t open, so we got to M&M World just in time for the whole staff to greet us to the hit song, “Happy” (“Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof.”  Once done there, we got our London Passes and started to tour.  Once we finished seeing the national gallery, we went to grab something  for lunch that was light but good, then we did all the Churchill War Rooms.  We had dinner and it was awesome!  We ate at a German pub and ate lots of great German food like a 350g meat ball and different sausages.  Tomorrow will be just as good or twice as good.  WILL OUT ~ LONDON RULES ~ PEACE.”

Sarah’s going to take a pass on the blog for now.  I’ll coax her into writing something later.  Here are some of my thoughts thus far!  Wain’s turn:   Hi there from the land of fish and chips, Beefeaters, royalty, and jolly good times!  We Wesberrys have moved our adventure from Iceland to the land of Great Britain.  We had quite a smooth day of travel on Sunday and got settled into our room at the Crown Plaza in London on the west side of the city.  After getting settled in, we went to a wonderful little pub about 8 minutes away where Sarah got a cider, I got a beer, and we all enjoyed real fish and chips!  Yum.  We then wandered back to our new home-away-from-home that is only blocks away from Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, and so we spend the bulk of Sunday afternoon there, enjoying the gorgeous, balmy 75 degree weather and seeing what Londoners do for the afternoon.  The park is green and vast with the smells of picnics and flowering plants, and it was lovely. 

We walked to the Speaker’s Corner where on Sunday afternoon, people come bringing their little step ladders to take a stand or preach about all kinds of topics.  I was expecting to find a cast of characters who were more like Disney actors who wore various kinds of period clothing who would give speeches and talk about things from different periods of British history.  Since there were so many things dedicated to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in the park, I thought surely someone would be doing some Victorian era bantering.  Boy was I surprised!  There were a good number of fire and brimstone street preachers telling everyone to repent or face the wrath of God.  There were agnostics and atheists arguing with them. Then there was this one man, probably in his mid 60s, a slight framed British citizen who had a large crowd around him, and he was addressing the topic of Syria and the need for new ways of thinking there.  There were many non-British and non-American people there who were shouting back at him.  This whole scene freaked out Aubrey, but Will was quite fascinated by it.  Sarah and I were as well.

Sarah and Aubrey found a bench out of the fray and the chaos, but Will and I listened for a bit until I felt like things were getting so heated that it might be best for us to find the park bench Sarah and Aubrey were enjoying.  It was difficult answering the question that came from Will, “Dad, what was that all about?”  The whole experience at the Speaker’s Corner revealed something significant to me: the people who were shouting were very passionate, but they were not in the least bit interested in who was listening to them.  The people who were listening to those on the little step ladders were not the least bit interested in listening and really hearing what was being said.  There were was disconnection on the surface, but as I wandered through the crowds near each group, I observed others talking face-to-face with one another and at least modeling a form of engagement that was more sincere. From a pure oratorical (and even homiletical) point of view, I found the Speaker’s Corner to be so intriguing and yet so sad, sad because one is led to believe the myth that genuine connections are being made there (real listening happening, problems being addressed and solved, understanding growing), and yet in reality it was all a bunch of “us” verses “them.”  

 

We then rented bikes and rode them all around the parks and found a memorial playground dedicated to the memory of Princess Diana, and the kids enjoyed time there for a bit.  A really funny thing happened there.  This tiny little girl, maybe three, manages to get away from her mommy as mommy is trying to change her.  The girl runs to a grassy area near us, squats down and tinkles right there near Aubrey, who at this point is wide eyed and about to burst in laughter.  As all of this happens, the girl’s mommy is saying, “Ohhhhh nooooo!  You have a loose bottom!  What are you doing?!  Not right here in the paaaark!”  Hilarious. 

As the day was coming to a close, we walked back to our hotel and on the way back stopped at a very special place for me: the Lord Baden Powell House which includes a large statue in memory/honor of him.  The house used to have a scouting museum but that got moved a couple of years ago.  It now has some sort of hotel with a nice little café on the ground floor that looks kind of like a student union center at a college.  I got my picture by the statue and had a wonderful time remembering so much that I experienced and learned during those wonderful years of my life.  Good times.  Great memories.  We then wrapped up the day with a supper at Garfunkyls, a little place right across the street from the hotel.  It has the feel of an Applebee’s and the food was okay—not great but okay.  We learned pretty quickly that soft drinks here are very expensive: 2.75-3.50 (pounds!).  We crashed pretty hard and slept in a bit on Monday.

Tuesday started with a wonderful British breakfast at our hotel: eggs, sausages, mushrooms, beans, grilled tomatoes, fruits, coffee, juices, and all kinds of cereals!  It was delicious and the perfect start to the day.  We took the tube down to the area to pick up our London Passes and got there before the office opened.  So to kill a few minutes, we wandered around Leicester Square and found M&M world which was colorful and exciting.  Will and I were the first to go through the doors, and we were welcomed like royalty.  It was so fun. 

Next came touring the National Galleries where we feasted our eyes upon some amazing works of art.  There were halls and rooms filled with pieces by Rembrandt, Monet, Michelangelo, and Van Gogh (just to name a few).  It was so moving and truly inspiring.  There was a moment when all of us were looking at a Rembrandt depicting a vision from God, and I got such a rich feeling that what we were doing together as a family was really, really special.  What a moment of God’s grace.  Afterwards, we enjoyed a light lunch on the steps of Martin in the Fields Church.  We toured the church afterwards and even went down to the crypts below and discovered a little chapel in honor of a priest who served there years ago.  He was a real pastor’s pastor, and the kids loved the granite communion table and some works of art from Africa in the corner of the worship space that depicted Mary and Jesus, Joseph (holding a hammer and saw), and a prophet. 

We then made our way to the Churchill War Rooms.  We had about a 30 minute wait in line, but once we got in we discovered that it was well worth the wait.  The tour includes using phone-like audio devices that are connected to each room on the tour.  There are more than 30 points of interest that have audio presentations.  It was without a doubt one of the best presentations of history I have ever experienced all centered around the strong figure of Churchill.  It took about 2 hours to go through it, and the kids stayed engaged the whole time.  Truly amazing, and gave me such gratitude for all that our “Greatest Generation” did for us in the world.

After that experience, we took a nice river cruise on the Thames and enjoyed our very own family flotilla.  We got water and snacks and enjoyed the scenery of London from the water.  It was a perfect time of relaxing.  We then wandered towards the Tower only to discover that it is closed, and so we took some time to enjoy a lovely church near there called All Hallows by the Tower.  The thing that stood out for me there was the many ways they paid tribute to people who were on the sea, sailors, those kidnapped by pirates, and those in the military.  We wandered around the streets some more and were getting hungry and cranky as the blocks passed by and the time wore on.  The kids were hanging in there the best the could, but they were about at their limit.  Just in time, we wandered upon a German Pub that lifted our spirits.  We ate sausages and schnitzels, fries and red cabbage, and it was great.  I got a Monday special that included a large pint of beer and was a happy traveler.  After eating we made our way back to the hotel for rest.  When I got back and check-in on Facebook, Josh Mitchell sent me a message.  He lives in London and wants meet up for a drink or food.  How wonderful it is to hear from him, a fellow B-L Panther from South Carolina whose family worshipped one pew in front of us for years at good old B-L Presbyterian. 

London is giving us many fantastic memories.  We are all learning and growing, and our time together as a family has been just perfectly perfect.  More adventures today!

FAMILY TRAVEL CHECK-IN

Friday, the day of summer solstice, the longest day of summer back in the states happens to be a time here in Iceland where we will get just a couple of hours of what weather people call “civil twilight”—enough light where objects are clearly distinguishable and outdoor activities can carry on (if dawn) or end (if dusk) without any sort of artificial illumination.  What a day--21 hours and 8 minutes of daylight!  We took a bus tour called the “Golden Circle Tour” today and  learned of a golf course nearby where they do an all day—all night tournament, marathon golf!  If we didn’t have an early morning flight out, I’d be tempted to enter it.  

We wrap up our stay in Iceland tonight and head tomorrow for London, England.  We wanted to give the whole family a chance to check-in on the Wesberry family travel fest thus far.  Just to set the stage today, we ate breakfast in after a great night of sleep.  We found a grocery store nearby called “Bonus” (their logo is a big fat pink pig, kind of like Piggly Wiggly in South Carolina!)  and enjoyed yogurt, muesli, fruit, coffee, and juice then got ready for our big day of travel and site seeing.  

The tour was on a large bus, and it took us to see a live Geysir about 1.5 hours northeast of Reykjavik.  Though it was cloudy today and only about 50 degrees, the landscapes were breathtaking, and we got to see huge fields, horses, livestock, mountains, and lakes on the way there.  After Geysir, we went to a massive waterfall created by a glacier melt at Gullfoss, then we went to a huge national preserve with a large lake (85 sq. km) that included some incredible places for salmon fishing and camping, a place named Pingvellir.  The incredible thing about Pingvellir is it is where the American Continental Plate and the European Continental Plate are pulling away from each other at a blazing pace of 3 cm per year!  That’s right, we saw some continental plate cracking with our own eyes!  Pingvellir also happens to be the place where way back in the 800s AD, the people formed their first governmental system for Iceland, a parliamentary style system where people gathered and debated over issues and voted on solutions with the majority ruling.  So…it was quite a day, a wonderful day, punctuating a most incredible trip to a cool country.

Here’s Sarah’s take on the day: I have a new goal:  to become an elf “interpretator” (as our tour guide described the sacred role) so I can help Iceland develop their infrastructure and still maintain good relations with the elfish world.  Fortunately, I will be able to get a jump start on this goal tonight, since the summer solstice is said to be particularly magic and my chances of seeing an elf are greater tonight than at any other time of the year.  Other fun solstice opportunities:  If I happen to meet an animal at a crossroads, he (or she) will be able to speak to me, and if I go down to the seaside, the seals will have turned into people and will try to lure me into the sea.  I love this place!  

Aubrey’s perspective: For the most part the day was great except the long boring bus rides from here to there, but the good thing about the bus was we heard story’s of elves, trolls ,and magical creatures that can talk![as my mom mentioned]. The elves lived in big rocks for houses and are told to be able to communicate with the few people with special power to to understand them. 

The trolls only come out tonight, summer solstice, and frolic around the streets dancing. The magical animals that come and cross the streets can talk[but only when coming to cross the streets]. And the seals [oh the seals!] can turn to into humans only today, and try to lure other humans into the sea. The story’s put me to sleep and when I woke I got to see some great sites of Iceland! My favorite site of Iceland was the geyser that erupted ever 8-10 minutes! A great day to sum it up!

Will’s thoughts:  So far Iceland has been a blast. The air is cool but not cold and definitely not hot or humid.  We did have long bus rides but it was a good chance to take a nap.  And the sights where awesome.  The stuff about the trolls and elves and seals I think came from hammered people who where just being hammered people. When I say hammered I mean drunk. Myfavorite sight was where the tectonic palates where pulling apart and I knew all about thanks to Mr.Lane.  Now on to my favorite topic.  FOOD.  The best place to for breakfast and tea was the Lundromat it’s a must for great food and drink.  Iceland is also home to some weird candy bars like the Nizza and Curlywurly.  The prices are weird so you can spend 1100 kr and that’s like ten bucks.  But Im adjusting just in time to leave.  All in all I love not to be mistaken with the Macdonalds slogan “I’m lovin’ it.”  Will out~PEACE! P.S: You can follow me at Instagram: will_wesberry.

Wain here:  my favorite memory of the day was seeing the huge waterfall and hearing the story about Iceland’s first environmentalist, a beloved old lady who spent the bulk of her life fighting big business to protect the waterfalls she loved.  She won!  Favorite memory of Iceland:  climbing the tower in the church a few blocks away and watching the kids’ faces as they looked out over the city.  London, ready or not here we come.