Anne Abroad--The Sequel: Inauguration and Exploration

Yesterday I had lunch with a German and Japanese friend. One of the best parts of this ex-pat experience has been meeting people from other places.

Enjoyed watching the inauguration on television yesterday. Maddie had a friend over to "celebrate". Would have liked to have watched the festivities with a bunch of people somewhere more fun than at home, but I didn't think I could take Maddie and Kara down to the Texas Bar down in Leicester Square. So brownies and hot dogs it was. They watched Aretha sing My Country Tis of Thee and Obama step up to the podium, but that was the extent of their interest. You can see Biden being sworn in on the television behind them as they lick the brownie bowl.

After Maddie went to bed, I watched the speech and Rev. Lowery's prayer again. I had DVRd the whole thing. I'm kind of an oratory geek.

Today, I got Maddie off to school and headed to Westminster Abbey to explore. I had not been there yet. One of the things that is really nice about it is that no photos or video taping are allowed. So, unlike other churches I've visited, there weren't all these people snapping photos of their loved ones next to the tomb of Henry the something-or-other.

There are so many people buried in Westminster Abbey. My favorite site is where Elizabeth (daughter of Henry VIII and Ann Boelyn) is buried with her sister Mary I (daughter of Catherine of Aragon). As you walk into the room where the tomb is, there is an inscription on the floor. "Near the tomb of Mary and Elizabeth, remember before God all those who, divided at the Reformation by different convictions, laid down their lived from Christ and Conscience sake." And the Latin inscription on the tomb translates to: Partners both in Throne and grave, here rest we two sisters, Elizabeth and Mary, in the hope of one resurrection.

The poets corner was something as well. Some writers are actually buried there and others are merely memorialized there. Chaucer was actually the first. There is a monument to William Shakespeare (who is buried at Stratford on Avon) and in the tomb below it lies the remains of Sir Laurence Olivier.

I thought it was really interesting that Charles Darwin is buried at Westminster Abbey. Could it be that you could be a Christian and still believe in evolution?

After the Abbey, I saw signs to Trafalgar Square. I hadn't realized the Trafalgar Square was only about 3/4 of a mile from the Abbey. So I walked over there and sat and watched the people for a while. It was cold, but a clear and sunny day. Then I headed toward Picadilly Circus and noticed that Chinatown is getting all decked out for Chinese New Year.

I'm going to do my best to see London over the next few months. Tomorrow evening, Maddie is spending the night with a friend (no school on Friday) and Skip is still in Amsterdam (or is it Frankfurt?), so I'm going back to Westminster Abbey for the 5 p.m. Evensong.