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Published: November 9th 2009
“By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show” -Samuel Johnson London is such an epic city that it provides an entirely different experience for each visitor. I suppose this can be said for many places, but it especially seems to hold true in the English capital. Our experience was a pleasant one from the moment we arrived in the Luton airport. Generally, passing through customs is an incredibly uncomfortable experience: large men in uniforms glowering at you over their high tech scanners. But the English politeness seems to extend to the most tedious civil tasks, as the soft-spoken woman inspecting our passports held up the entire line chatting congenially about Dorset (which we had hoped to visit), then wished us a pleasant stay.
We were traveling on a budget, and though the exchange rate had evened out considerably since my last visit, London is still an expensive city. This didn’t prove to be a bad thing, but it did encourage us to seek out cheap entertainment and walk instead of relying exclusively on the Tube. London is a great city for walking, and in just a few days
we certainly put some miles on our shoes. We walked from where we were staying in Earl’s Court to Kensington, Hyde Park, and Piccadilly Circus. We strolled along the Thames to Parliament. London is a fabulously city for walking.
Besides taking on the sites on foot, some of the best free entertainment we found was the various street performers in Covent Garden. There were jugglers, violinists, and people dressed and painted to resemble statues…so lifelike they made everyone jump when they sprang into motion. My personal favorite was a man who performed seemingly inhuman contortions all the while balancing a full-size bicycle on his head. His partner rode a giant unicycle from which he successfully juggled apples and a giant machete. Impressive.
One day we decided to take the Tube to the “Isle of Dogs”, simply on a whim. Craig had read a couple favorite crime novels set nearby, and we thought it would be interesting. We climbed out of the metro station expecting docks, grit, and rough-edged neighborhoods. Instead, were surprised to see sparkling glass skyscrapers, ticker tape, businessmen in suits and ties, Starbucks, and Porsches. We had apparently stumbled into the heart of London’s financial district;
Nice Catch!
Trinity College, Dublinmodern, shiny, and efficient. We poked around for awhile, watching a well-dressed young woman talking on the phone high up in a plush office building. What must her life be like?
Looking at the map we thought it would be a fairly easy journey to Greenwich Park, apparently just up the river. After getting lost, trudging through an underground tunnel, running across lanes of traffic, and asking numerous directions, we finally came to the terminal for the Thames Clipper, which we took up the river. We arrived at the park just an hour or so before sunset, and after exploring the grounds were able to watch the wintry sun set over the expansive city skyline. My favorite things about the park, even more than the famous observatory, were the trees. Huge, and bare, which gnarled roots and knobby branches; they resembled something out of Sleepy Hollow.
Our time in London was not without its spurges. We went and saw Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” at St. Martin’s theatre which was spectacular. We also took a daytrip to Cambridge and spent a good amount of time wandering around the historical campus. The old buildings were beautiful, the lawns pristine, and
bicycles seemed to be crammed in everywhere. Still, I couldn’t help feel as though there was something incredibly presumptuous about the lovely campus. At every turn, signs warned against picnicking, sitting on the grass, and noise, so as not to disrupt the important research going on in the many surrounding buildings. There is no disputing the historical prowess and the excellent academics at Cambridge. However, in spite of all in its favor, I prefer the laid-back atmosphere of my own college, where students are allowed to play Frisbee on the grass. Still, we had a fantastic time. We took a punting trip along the river cam along with several students from the university. The trip wound under old stone buildings; adorned with turrets and stained glass (our punting counterparts informed us that several of these were dormitories, making me consider rescinding previous statements about preferring my own university). The evening light accentuated the color of the old buildings, which were not only architecturally stunning but functional as well. We also passed under several arching bridges; each, according to our guide an important part of campus tradition.
I’d seen a sign mentioning some sort of a free choir performance, and
later we found ourselves at the King’s College Chapel for an Evensong service. The gorgeous gothic chapel was completed in the 16th century, during the reign of Henry the Eighth. The rectangular hall is divided in half by a massive pipe organ, and the walls are adorned in magnificent stained glass. As the sun set outside, the only source of light in the long hall were candles. The choir filed in, calm and professional. The majority of the service, including the psalms, was sung by the ethereal voices of the young choir members. At the end, as they filed out, robes fluttering behind them, I had an eerie understanding of the importance of this ritual. I am sure the Evensong at King’s College Chapel is much the same as it was 500 years ago; the same hymns and passages, the same stoles, the same candlelight and stained glass…the same traditions.
Quieted by the beauty of the service we slowly walked back along the deserted roads to the train station. We stopped at a local pub along the way for fish and chips and a pint, and were slowly brought back to reality.
“When I die, Dublin will be written on my heart”
-James Joyce
Our plane pitched violently, caught in a heavy crosswind as we approached the Dublin Airport. In spite of the turbulence, I managed to forget I was about to lose my lunch as I caught sight of the rolling green Irish countryside a thousand feet below. The “Emerald Isle” was shrouded in fog, its steep green cliffs protruding sharply upward. Several minutes later the pilot managed to wrestle the plane to a halt on the tarmac, after a precarious landing on one wheel. The passengers burst into applause, but I remained as green as a shamrock. Not my kind of flight.
We caught the city bus into town-an east journey-and then spent nearly half an hour walking around looking for our hotel. Ireland, it turns out, is quite a bargain. I had looked into flying home from London, but the price of tickets was astronomical. On a whim I checked Dublin-US flights and found they were over 50%!c(MISSING)heaper (which someone told me was partially due to Ireland’s much lower fuel surcharges). On top of that, we found a great online hotel bargain, one of the nicest places I’ve stayed in my
Living Statue
Covent Garden, London. travels, for the equivalent of about USD $30/night.
My first impression of Dublin was of a hardened, fortified, gray city turning its hunched back on winter’s cruel grip. Indeed, the weather was brutal. Biting winds brought a harsh, damp, bone-numbing chill which seemed impossible to evade, even in layers of heavy winter clothing. We ventured out for fish and ships, perused a shop of tacky Irish souvenirs ranging from giant Guinness mugs to fuzzy Leprechaun hats, and decided to walk in the direction of Trinity College. Trinity is one of the oldest colleges in Europe, founded in 1592, and has a long and illustrious history.
On that icy March day we found the campus mostly deserted, the stately buildings looking bleak and the grass ankle deep in mud. I was just about to call it a day and flee for the warmth of our hotel room when we happened upon a rugby practice in one of the fields. In spite of the frigid temperatures, the lads, who looked like modern day gladiators, wore only shorts and T-shirts. As it turned out, there was to be a game, Trinity College vs. Dublin City University. As we huddled on the
fence, we were soon joined by other spectators, and we struck up a conversation. The two couples each had a son playing in the game, both representing the City University. The boys were in the 18-19 year-old division, and apparently had been having an excellent season.
As the game began our new friends patiently explained the rules to us, including the confusing terminology like “scrum” or “maul”. In spite of only having a vague idea of what was happening I really enjoyed the game…it was fast-paced, exciting, and intense. The players…completely unpadded and in constant violent contact with each other and/or the ground were extremely muscular and tough. As one of the boys, broke free of the others and pelted down the field with the ball his mother remarked happily, “all those steaks!”
After the game we ducked into one of the open buildings to warm up, then walked numbly back in the direction of our hotel. On the way home we stopped at the Temple Bar, a tourist favorite near the banks of the River Liffey. There was a band playing lively Irish music, and the Guinness was smooth. Even more rewarding was a temporary break from
the cold, and a view of the slick cobblestone street, pedestrians in thick jackets scurrying between bars and restaurants.
When we returned to our hotel room that night we were shocked to hear the news of killings in Northern Ireland, the first in ten decades of peace. Two young British soldiers were gunned down at an army base near Belfast, striking up fear of renewed IRA terrorism.
The following day we decided to get out of the city and explore the surrounding countryside. We randomly decided to pay a visit to the city of Kilkenny, just a couple hours from Dublin. The city, located on the banks of the River Nore, is famed for its medieval architecture. The bus journey from Dublin was brisk and pleasant, passing through rolling green fields and small rural towns. The city of Kilkenny itself was beautiful, full of winding passages, cobblestone alleys, narrow buildings, and ancient cathedrals. We took a long walk around the perimeter of the city, strolled next to the river, and finally ended up in the oldest quarter of the city, full of colorful shops and pubs. The traffic was rather heavy, and the sidewalks narrow, which made walking
King's College Chapel
as seen from the water. Cambridge. difficult. However, in spite of this (and the ever present cold) the town was undeniably interesting, its skyline dominated by the picturesque Kilkenny Castle, which dates back to the 12th century.
All in all, our 2.5 days in Ireland was a complete whirlwind. In spite of the short stay, it was time well spent…just enough to catch a glimpse of a fascinating place.
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