...this must be Brussels."
OK, I know very well that today is not Tuesday and this is not Brussels. Well, it wouldn't be, would it, as today isn't Tuesday? I don't have the foggiest idea where that sort-of-a-quote originated but I do know it referred to a group of Americans "doing" Europe. You know, a whirlwind coach tour with quick stopovers in Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam... I have a vague recollection of meeting an American (this was many years ago) who "did" England in much the same way: a coach trip lasting just one day managed to include visits to Oxford, Stratford-on-Avon and Bath.
I suppose I may as well make my confession now: I have been guilty of similar tourism myself. On more than one occasion. And I wasn't taking coach trips - I was driving! The reason was that we had made very long (trans-Atlantic) journeys which we were unlikely ever to repeat and we wanted to cram in as much as we possibly could during our holidays. Which makes for very superficial tourism and not exactly the type of holiday I prefer when there is time to look in more depth and detail. Time, in fact, just to stand and stare. But this is not what I had intended to write about when I started out. As so often happens, I started with the intention of writing one thing but somehow got myself diverted onto a completely different road. That's the sort of holiday I enjoy. Like the time we (the Old Bat and I) "did" Dorset.
My cousin and her husband were hosting a large gathering of family and friends on their farm in Somerset and we were delighted to attend. We knew they would be unable to provide us with a bed and decided we would tack a few days holiday onto our journey so that we could visit Dorset, a county through which we had frequently driven but never spent any time. So when we left the farm we headed towards the county border before stopping for the night. Next day we carried on, but got side-tracked by something or other - a country fair or some such - and that night we were still in Somerset. We did eventually arrive in Dorset and drifted around just following any old whim - and the Hardy trail. But while that was most enjoyable, it is not what I was going to write about either!
I started out talking about American visitors to Europe and a few years ago I was closely involved with just such a group. A small party of Lions from Maryland visited Brighton after our clubs became twinned and I was somehow put in charge of their itinerary for the week of their visit. I did email them beforehand with a list of potential trips, asking for their preferences. In the end, we covered Canterbury (for the cathedral), Windsor (for the castle) and the ancient town of Rye (for the heck of it). And London, where we saw the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace and different people did different things Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, etc). And at long last I have arrived at the point of this post.
What, I have sometimes wondered, would be a foreign visitor's preferred itinerary? What parts of England would he or she most like to see? This has been popping in and out of my mind for the past several months during my Scenic Saturday series of posts and I genuinely would be interested in hearing the views of any of my visitors from across the sea. Please do leave a comment to let me know. A big red London bus? Big Ben? Stonehenge? A cricket match? There must be something!
3 comments:
Oh, certainly Stonehenge and Westminster, including Big Ben, beyond that I think I'd leave it to my guide because they know more than I... seriously.
I'm fairly certain I wouldn't be tempted to drive ;-)
I shall give you my mother's list from several years ago. It took several trips to accomplish it all: Sissinghurst (Kent), Knole House (Kent), Rivaux Abbey (Yorkshire), Richard III's Castle in Middleham (Yorkshire)and the Rosetta Stone (British Museum, London). Both of my parents wanted to go to the Opera -- we saw Cosi van Tutti at the English National Opera -- and the ballet -- we saw Romeo and Juliet at the Albert Hall. In addition to that my husband and I took them to the Bronte House and York, to Stratford-upon-Avon -- we toured around and went to see The Tempest. Many places in London -- the Changing of the Guard, the Tower, Greenwich, Also Canterbury, Wales, Liverpool, Wales and a quick trip to France through the tunnel to Lille. Three trips in all and lots of great memories, too!
I've been to England several times and done the tourist stuff. (I was born in England, but immigrated to the US at 5) My favorite thing to do is London theater...half price tickets to whatever is available. The Tate Modern was wonderful and I'd like to go back. My last trip we stayed with family in Aylesbury. I enjoyed seeing everyday life and spending evenings at the Conservative Club. I even met the MP. My uncle took us to Blechley (Manor?), where the enigma code was broken. That was very interesting. Our first trip to England with our children we went to Brighton (my husband attended an international conference there)...and they loved the arcades. Dover Castle was another great site...so much history. As a tourist, I like to see some sites, but the part that is the most fun is absorbing British life. I'd eat fish and chips every meal if I could! I loved going to market days. Next time I come to England I hope to rent a flat in a small town and spend several weeks exploring...and eating fish and chips!
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