The End Is Here--Day 70

Alas, today was my final day in London. Tomorrow I will get up, get ready, and head to Heathrow to fly home. I cannot express how amazing this has all been for me, and I cannot believe I am at the end of my incredible experience here in the UK. I could not have asked for a better time, and I am so glad and grateful that I was able to do it. I do not regret a single thing about this trip. As I expected, I have much unfinished business, but I'll be back. I'll have my new friends back at school, and we can reminisce together. Or I can look at all of my pictures anytime I feel like I miss London. I want to thank all of you who supported me leading up to or during the term. You made each and every adventure possible, and I only hope that I have done each of them justice. I will remain interested in British politics and current affairs when I go back, and I will also try to keep up with my favorite British television programs (namely, Prime Minister's Questions and QI). I have promised myself that I will never drink tea without cream and sugar again (unless it is some weird flavor like Lemon Zinger). I will probably also use British phrases without even thinking about it!

The lunch was pretty good. I think my favorite part was my starter, which was a quiche with spinach, cheese, and toasted almonds. My main was chicken with tarragon sauce, which was a little too tarragon-y and one-sided for my tastes. My dessert was bread pudding, and I kind of got tired of the taste after awhile. But it was really awesome getting lunch for one pound, and I was full enough not to need dinner. In addition, the interior was a nice, cute Italian-peasant-type style with barrels of wheat, wine bottles with candles in them, and peasant-type music.

Enjoying our final meal together as a family. Thanks for the smiles and the laughs, girls! :)

And finally, we had one last sightseeing visit to Westminster Abbey. It was so worth the 13 pounds, which comes with a free audio guide narrated by none other than Jeremy Irons! The Abbey (i.e. the current building) dates back to the 13th century, and it used to be a monastery before it was a cathedral. The very first building was constructed in 960. Of course, when King Henry VIII started the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1547, Westminster was one of the first to go. Like many cathedrals in the UK, it is still open for public worship, and every hour, there is one minute of silent prayer. I've really developed a love of cathedrals in my time here, and this was another splendid example. One of the best things we saw was the marble floor in front of the high altar where monarchs' coffins are laid at their deaths and where monarchs take communion upon their coronations. The floor, called the great pavement or Cosmati pavement, is as old as the Abbey.

Many, many famous people are buried in Westminster Abbey, including Edward the Confessor, Edward III, Edward VI, King Henry VIII, King Henry VII, Elizabeth I, Mary I, Mary Queen of Scots, Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Sir Winston Churchill, Handel, Chaucer, D.H. Lawrence, Lord Byron, T.S. Eliot, Henry James, and more (the last six are buried in what is known as Poets' Corner).

There are also some really touching memorials to Britain's war heroes. One is located in King Henry VII's Lady Chapel (built in 1503), and it is called the Royal Air Force Chapel. It was dedicated to all of those who died in the air in the Battle of Britain during World War II. One of the chapel walls has a piece of glass in it that covers a hole made by a bomb in 1940, so it's kind of a cool location for a World War II memorial. Another memorial in the Nave of the Abbey commemorates all of the unknown soldiers who died in World War I (and in subsequent wars, of course). Outside the Abbey are crosses and wreaths decked in fake red poppies, and there is a stand where people can buy poppy pins to commemorate these unknown soldiers.

Another really cool thing was the Pyx Chamber, which was were the monastery counted its money. It was an interesting and very old vault with crumbling columns. Near the Pyx Chamber is the Chapter House, and leading up to the Chapter House is Britain's Oldest Door, which dates back to 1080. I couldn't get any pictures of the interior of the Abbey because photography is not allowed. :(

When we left the Abbey, we took a last look at the tower that houses Big Ben. The moon was absolutely beautiful tonight--I think it is a full moon, and we could see it over the Houses of Parliament. It was such a great sight!

This evening, we went to Snog for a last delicious taste of England. It was such a great way to spend my last few hours in London. Tomorrow I am taking a cab with a few of my friends to the airport because it will be a lot easier and more convenient than the Tube. We are leaving a little later because it will be faster, so I can have a little bit more sleep before the long and tiring day ahead of me.

Well, that's all for this blog! My next post will be Stateside, probably just a few details about my flight and making it home safe. However, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I will try to continue some sort of blog throughout the rest of the school year and the rest of my time at Augie (and maybe even through vet school or grad school). You can look for the link in your e-mail inbox as soon as I get that started. I can't guarantee that it will be a daily thing because I'll have quite a bit of work to do once I get back to Augie, but I will really try to make it at least a weekly thing so I can fill you in on everything that happened during the last seven days and such. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in America!!