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Saturday, May 31
Today is a travel day, so the only photos I can share are of transportation. As tedious as the airport can be, I can always adjust my attitude by reminding myself what it was like in the past. For thousands of years, sailors faced months at sea with rat-infested ships, perilous weather, and unpalatable food. It makes airline pretzels and my seatmate’s elbows seem like paradise in comparison.
While we’re in the air, let’s use our time productively and establish some terminology. Let’s talk about all the different ways to describe where I’m going.
England is a country, just like Greece or Spain.
The United Kingdom is a political union between England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Great Britain is the physical island itself, including England, Scotland, and Wales.
Let’s compare it with the USA for more clarity.
The United States is a country, just like Greece or Spain.
NATO is a military alliance of multiple countries including the United States.
North America is the physical land mass itself, including the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
Someone from England is British, but someone from Scotland is not English, even though they are also British. Just like someone from the USA is North American, but someone from Mexico is not American, even though they are also from North America. This image from the Encyclopedia Britannica may help.
For this trip, I will be staying in London. It's the capital of England and the wider United Kingdom, so it's a logical place to make my homebase.
With the geography out of the way, let's provide a brief timeline of English history. Instead of writing paragraphs like I did in my previous trips, we'll keep it simple this time. I'll list the historical periods, then something or someone from the period that you may recognize. This will allow us to get oriented in time.
Before 43: Prehistoric / Stonehenge
43 - 410: Roman / Hadrian's Wall
410 - 1066: Anglo-Saxon / King Arthur
1066 - 1216: Norman / William the Conqueror
1216 - 1485: Plantagenet / Black Death
1485 - 1603: Tudor / Henry VIII
1603 - 1714: Stuart / Isaac Newton
1714 - 1837: Georgian / American Revolution
1837 - 1901: Victorian / Sherlock Holmes
1901 - 2000: 20th Century / Winston Churchill
2000+: Present / King Charles III
If your English history needs some brushing up, it's not a problem. We'll get settled in, then begin at the beginning.
The pilot was thoughtful enough to fly by the city before touchdown. The River Thames, the Palace of Westminster, and the London Eye all offer previews of the adventures ahead.
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