England

Thursday, June 5

With any trip to England, you're bound to encounter royalty. It pops up in varied places like historical sites, street names, currency, and commercial centers. Most of their history is dominated by kings and queens. In theory, a monarchy can work well. There's less bureaucracy and stuff gets done without all the time-consuming debate. However, problems can arise if the leader isn't effective. It can be inexperience, indecision, or even corruption. In other words, they can be human. As we've already learned, William the Conqueror started the royal line along with 1000 years of tradition. Much of the pageantry occurs at Westminster Abbey. 

The problem is that it's nosy and crowded. It's difficult to get a tranquil experience of this spiritual place. Let's try the same photo again.

Whew! It's much better to visit when the church is closed to the public. This is the Henry VII Chapel, where many royals are buried. Below is the spot where Charles III (and many previous kings) were crowned. It's the circle in the middle. Take a look here.

Here's the Coronation Chair, the oldest in all of Europe. You'll recognize it from the video.

Here's a view from the entrance, much like Catherine Middleton saw it during her wedding to Prince William.

The crowds began to arrive, so I only had time for one more picture: the church in its entirety.

All of the kings and queens can be difficult to remember, so a BBC children's program created a catchy song. By singing along, you can memorized every one!

That brings us to our next stop of the day: Windsor Castle. It is another one of the fortresses founded by William the Conqueror. It's the largest and longest occupied castle in the region.

It's about 25 miles from London and it's where the Royal Family lives much of the time. Don't worry about cramped quarters. It has over 1000 rooms so they can stretch out.

Here's what it looks like on the inside.

William and Kate have decided not to reside within the castle itself. They live here, at Adelaide Cottage, a much smaller traditional home. 

For my evening entertainment, I decided to embrace more of the culture by attending a match at Lord's Cricket Ground.

In a perfect reflection of British weather, the game was delayed by rain.

Eventually, the Middlesex Panthers and Kent Spitfires came to the field.

Cricket is similar to baseball with more confusing terms like "sledging," "dolly," "beamer", and "cow corner." Absolutely everyone in the crowd had a beer. I could understand the adults, but even babies were knocking back a pint.

I learned two things. First, I need to drink more. Second, I must do everything I can to avoid a sticky wicket.

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