Leaving England
M Wanderer surveys some Royal Armour
M Wanderer, our sixteen year old nephew, has now gone back to Vancouver and soon we shall be leaving it’s (currently and far too frequently) rainy shores as well.
The Tower of London (1066) Surrounded by London’s Ever Evolving Skyline of Towers
What can you say about spending two weeks travelling with a teenager? It’s amazing! Honestly, the things I’ve learned. Now, I know every proud aunty says something like this, but M Wanderer is really very bright and full of questions. I am so glad we were staying with friends that had a good connection to wifi! Every evening, after returning from our travels, we would sit in the living room (sorry, lounge) and have a Google Fest. Even with two of us using our tablets, it was hard to keep up with the questions. “Why are clubs (in a deck of cards) called clubs? They look like clovers.” “What is a waterstone as compared to a mill stone?” “How did Eleanor of Aquitaine die?” “How did the pound (UK currency) get it’s name?” etc. Goodness gracious! What did the parents of inquisitive children do before the Internet?
What was M Wanderer’s overall impression of England? Mainly how different and yet how similar to Canada it could be. The immense weight of history is so different than our young, fresh homeland and this is reflected in the variety and ever diversifying
Discussing Weapons with a Shakespearian Actor
architecture. He said he had too many things to choose a single favourite but the London Eye, the Tower of London, the Tower Bridge and its museum, as well as the British Museum itself (which we went to twice!) were all high on his list. He also now has a whole new perspective on the lengths of effort people will go through in the name of religion, after seeing cathedrals that took more than one generation and the majesty of Stonehenge that would have taken monumental (no pun intended) time away from the simple need to survive in Neolithic times.
My final impressions of travelling with M Wanderer? Simply the sheer joy of seeing things through new, young eyes. I learned so much about medieval weaponry and swelled with pride when he was discussing the fine details of authenticity verses safety with the actors at the Globe Theatre. I also liked the fact that whenever we were travelling by train or tube, M always made sure that I had a seat. He is a true gentleman!
M Wanderer Saves his Aunt from the Portcullis at Warwick Castle
We just loved this, Diana! I’m sending a copy to Mom.
Thank you!