March 2, 2003 - page 3



of us. One full trip around took half an hour! At the top we had a fantastic view of parliament, St. Paul’s, and several distressed faces in the neighboring compartments. But we all had a great time.

Thursday we had seen parliament from a much closer perspective, sitting in on both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Tony Blair faced the music Wednesday in the Commons, as his government confronted (substantial) opposition to its Iraq policy. Twenty-four hours later, we

were regaled by a scintillating debate on body piercing, but no matter. Walking the halls and seeing the debates gave many reminders of the U.K.’s past trials and triumphs and of its lasting significance to Europe and the wider world.

Some of those past trials and triumphs were again made clear as I walked through Westminster Hall at the end of our time there. Dating to 1099, it is the oldest part of Westminster Palace, having survived a fire in 1834. Plaques at various points along the floor mark the locations where some of history’s more memorable moments occurred – where Churchill lay in state, where Charles I was sentenced to death, and so forth. Along with St. Paul’s, I expect to return here too.

Check in next week to hear about a visit by a few special guests.