Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Westminster Abbey
Another wonderful day! I'm glad we didn't do everything all at the beginning, because now that we're starting to yearn for home we still have things here to look forward to. I never went to Westminster Abbey on my first trip to London, and I started to skip it this time but it's so well known I thought it would be ridiculous to go to London twice and not see it.
It did NOT disappoint.
I truly do not have the words to describe it. It completely overwhelmed me; in a good way. First of all, it's much bigger than it appears from the outside, and it's divided into all these small chapels, each one near overflowing with tombs, monuments, memorials, and stories. Usually what I've see on TV is the outside and the high alter, but there's so much more to it. Lots of monarchs are buried there, including Elizabeth I. (I'm still not used to people being buried right there inside the building.)
We took the audio tour. There's not one especially for children, but my kids all listened to the regular about half way through, then slowly started dropping out. My oldest daughter listened to every single one, even though I skipped a few. Also, there were (docents? vicars? workers?) people everywhere, available for us to ask questions.
It's been my experience that people who work at churches, museums, etc generally love what they do, and enjoy when we show interest. They especially enjoy it when the children ask questions, so I encourage the kids to ask their own questions rather than having me ask for them. One man today took a liking to us apparently; we saw him on and off throughout the tour, and every time we bumped into him he took us aside and pointed things out and told us stories. My younger son whispered, "I can't believe we're getting a personal tour, for free!" He was right--that's basically what we got.
We were there over three hours, and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. I found myself so thrilled with the kids I have--one, that they were somewhat interested, and two, that when they started losing interest they were patient for my sake.
Oh! And the poet's corner, with the tomb of Geoffery Chaucer, and monuments to Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, the Bronte sisters...I could go on and on. And the oldest door in Britain, a wooden door dating back to Edward the Confessor in the eleventh century. The cloister and the pyx room...there was just so much. It's one of my favorite things we've done.
I remembered my camera this time. They don't allow pictures in the church. And a couple of conversations between the younger son and me...
"Mommy, what's that made of? Plastic?"
"No, that would be marble."
"Mommy, can I sit down on that?"
"No. That's a tomb."
"Oh...Uh, Mommy? I've got some bad news. You know earlier when that guy was praying?"
"Yes..."
"I thought it was a bench."
"Well...what's done is done."
"Okay."
"But don't do it again."
"Right."
It did NOT disappoint.
I truly do not have the words to describe it. It completely overwhelmed me; in a good way. First of all, it's much bigger than it appears from the outside, and it's divided into all these small chapels, each one near overflowing with tombs, monuments, memorials, and stories. Usually what I've see on TV is the outside and the high alter, but there's so much more to it. Lots of monarchs are buried there, including Elizabeth I. (I'm still not used to people being buried right there inside the building.)
We took the audio tour. There's not one especially for children, but my kids all listened to the regular about half way through, then slowly started dropping out. My oldest daughter listened to every single one, even though I skipped a few. Also, there were (docents? vicars? workers?) people everywhere, available for us to ask questions.
It's been my experience that people who work at churches, museums, etc generally love what they do, and enjoy when we show interest. They especially enjoy it when the children ask questions, so I encourage the kids to ask their own questions rather than having me ask for them. One man today took a liking to us apparently; we saw him on and off throughout the tour, and every time we bumped into him he took us aside and pointed things out and told us stories. My younger son whispered, "I can't believe we're getting a personal tour, for free!" He was right--that's basically what we got.
We were there over three hours, and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. I found myself so thrilled with the kids I have--one, that they were somewhat interested, and two, that when they started losing interest they were patient for my sake.
Oh! And the poet's corner, with the tomb of Geoffery Chaucer, and monuments to Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, the Bronte sisters...I could go on and on. And the oldest door in Britain, a wooden door dating back to Edward the Confessor in the eleventh century. The cloister and the pyx room...there was just so much. It's one of my favorite things we've done.
I remembered my camera this time. They don't allow pictures in the church. And a couple of conversations between the younger son and me...
"Mommy, what's that made of? Plastic?"
"No, that would be marble."
"Mommy, can I sit down on that?"
"No. That's a tomb."
"Oh...Uh, Mommy? I've got some bad news. You know earlier when that guy was praying?"
"Yes..."
"I thought it was a bench."
"Well...what's done is done."
"Okay."
"But don't do it again."
"Right."
Labels: London In The Spring 2008
4 Comments:
You might want to go back for services--either for evening, or on a Sunday morning. I took my mother there for Easter Sunday one year and she was really impressed by the organ!
Jeana, This brought back memories of a tiny museum we toured in Ethiopia last summer when we went to pick up our 9 and 11 year old daughters. A very kind guide walked us through the whole place, carefully describing each item first in English and then in Amharic for our daughters. that wonderful man will always have a place in my heart.
I am so glad you are meeting good people to help make this experience special for your children.
Mary, mom to many
Oh I loved Westminster Abbey! I'm so glad you saw it this time.
Wow:)
So neat.
We looked it up online once;)
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