The United Kingdom is Moviesque

This land and it's history seemed like we were living in a movie. One that was set three hundreds years ago but all of today's technological marvels were very much a part of the plot. We rode into town every day on the metro or ubered past buildings that were five hundred years old. We ate vegan food at trendy restaurants and the kids watched practically every Harry Potter movie during our stay. Located a block from the shore of the River Thames in the Chelsea Harbor neighborhood of West London, the flat that we rented for the week was charming, for it's simple modern interior was built into a two hundred year old facade. We walked past historical landmark after historical landmark and still only saw a small section of the city. A local artist that I spoke to in the Old Spitalfield Market said, "what people, even native Londoners, fail to realize is that every single street in town was named for a reason. It has historical significance if you dig deep enough. There is no first, second or third street...these streets have a meaning for their existence!" He couldn't have set the tone any better for how magical it was to know there might be something significant after every corner we turned.

We walked past The Tower Bridge and over the Millenium Bridge and London Bridge. We of course spent three hours on a guided tour all about Harry Potter, which was the favorite for Boyd and Blythe. After the tour was over we ate a tradition Fish and Chips with smooshy peas at a pub before stumbling out and running into Shakespeare's Old Globe theatre at the river's edge. We walked up to St. Paul's Cathedral and then into Burough Market. I love shopping for local art in the urban markets. At the Old Spitalfield Market on another day Boyd bought a handmade leather wallet while Blythe found a handmade origami-type card of a unicorn and rainbow. Erica found a Tibetan singing bowl for meditation while I walked away with a print and a musical instrument.

We spent one full day admiring what it might feel like to live as a Royal. The idea that people still put other human beings up on such pedestal's is something that feels very unreal and moviesque. People still live like King's and Queen's, Princes and Princesses??? There are still people who serve these folks too??? The people serving now-a-days are paid servants but that money used to pay has to come out of the servitude of the masses here in England in the form of taxes. Wow, what a different world! We watched the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, a two hour long spectical of the highest honor to the Queen. It occurs four days a week! The pageantry of the parade was made current as the marching bands toggled between traditional fife and drum style music and Bon Jovi's "It's My Life" and "This Is Me" from the Greatest Showman soundtrack. Patriotism was obvious because the crowds were huge. There is no denying that it has real significance for so many people both here and abroad, as most of the spectators were tourists like us. After the commencement of the ceremony we walked through Green Park and then through Hyde Park, which was our favorite, over to Kensington Palace where many of the Royal Family reside. We toured the Palace and it's Gardens. Prior to our tour we stopped in the Park to eat a light lunch where Boyd made friends with a unique bird that let him pet it for about thirty minutes. It made him so happy to have that moment. We don't know why it was so calm or even what kind of bird it was. I think it might have been some sort of kingfisher due to it's beak. Erica also made the most of the nature by feeding the squirrels while Bylthe fed the ducks.

We decided that we had to see Stonehenge and was happy to find a bus tour that would not only take us the two and a half hour drive to the monument but also stop in the Ancient Roman city of Bath. Our movie plot just went steeper into history as the city of bath took us to Roman times of the first century, while Stonehenge dates back to 3000 B.C. and all the way up to the druids of the early twentieth century. The protection of this mystic site is being done by the UK government but the weather continues to impact it's condition. Stonehenge was so unique and beautiful, but so wet and cold was the weather that we were grateful to walk out and around the monument once and then hurry back to the visitor's center for warmth. By the time we made it to Bath, the weather was perfect and the sun was shining. We really liked the countryside town of Bath and could see our return trip in the future. It is a major tourist attraction yet feels so cozy and romantic. The street musicians were incredible talents to listen to as we waited for our turn to tour the baths. The baths were preserved so well, they still allow guests to sit on the pool's edge for a most intimate experience, while the museum around the pools were filled with so much information to read and see too. Boyd wanted to rush through the museum stuff. He and I hurried to get to the baths while Blythe loved listening to the guided tour on her handset, choosing to stay back with Erica. We ate a quick pizza lunch at a joint there before heading back to the bus for the two and a half hour drive back to London.

Our final Movie set was a legitimate one, Highclere Castle, the nineteenth century castle made famous by the BBC series Downton Abbey. Erica is a huge fan of this show and so on our only day in London that we could gain access to the castle (it is only open 60 days a year for tourists of which two weeks are in April) which was also our final travel day back to Paris, we woke at six a.m. to head to Heathrow Airport to rent a car for five hours to drive into the countryside and see this place. It was worth every penny spent, lost sleep and stress even for the non-fan of the show. The current residents of the castle come from a long line of Royal Lords and Ladies that include the most famous of them, Lord Carnarvon. He was the explorer the excavated for many years in Egypt before finally discovering King Tut's tomb. In the basement of the mansion is a complete museum dedicated to his Egyptian artifacts. Erica was so excited to get the opportunity to see this property as she anxiously awaits the Downtown Abbey film coming out later this year. I was excited though too, and the kids enjoyed it as well.