October 24, 2002

Fall Break, Part II (London, Oxford, and Danville)

After five relaxing days in Scotland, I looked forward to a change of pace as I finished my break in London. In order to reach the city of Queen Elizabeth and Austin Powers, however, I would have to negotiate a Glasgow traffic jam, locate a misnamed airport, bargain with evasive English hoteliers, and track down lost friends, all before I saw Big Ben.

When our group of three Centre-in-Strasbourgeois, two vacationing friends, and one roommate’s girlfriend finally reached the rendezvous point at St. Paul’s Cathedral, we were equal parts excited, famished, and fatigued. Heavy restoration work inside the massive church made it seem more suburban than sublime, so we quickly heeded our appetites before retiring for the night outside the city.

While away from London’s sprawl, we decided to travel to Windsor, site of one of Britain’s finest castles that serves as a part-time accommodation for the Queen herself. If the monarchy ever finds itself strapped for cash, I believe they could find a few items to pawn here.