A few of our favorites

Ali, Tristan, and Joey

Our time in England has come to a close, so I thought it would be appropriate to conclude by mentioning a few of our favorite people and things.  Kevin and I were tremendously blessed by a couple of friends who immediately reached out to and pursued friendship with us.  Tristan and Ali invited us into their home to share meals and fellowship.  I was able to go for walks with Ali and she helped me to find some of the essentials in life (ie Reese's).  Tristan and Kevin worked within a block of each other, so they were able to grab coffee.

Irene, me, and Sharon

My job in the local primary school proved to be a great joy as I was introduced to some of the most wonderful people.  Irene was the teacher I worked with daily and Sharon was another TA who was in our classroom 3 days a week.  Both of their friendships helped me to feel involved and invested in the community.  They welcomed me immediately with open arms and even after the school year ended, pursued and maintained friendship.  Kevin and I are hoping they (and their families) will consider coming to visit us in the US!

me, Hayden, Rona
(Bonnie "the cat")

Rona and Hayden were our neighbors.  They brought us tea when we moved in and also when we moved out.  They took care of mail and groceries when we weren't home to receive them and they even trusted me to watch their cat a couple of times when they were out of town.  We were really fortunate to have such kind and friendly neighbors!

Le Pain Quotidien

Borough Market
(Almond croissants)

Some of our favorite things included a quiet evening with a bottle of wine and the Mediterranean platter at Le Pain Quotidien (thank you, Luke, for introducing us to the explosion of flavor!).  The Borough Market was one of our favorite places to visit with the beautiful display of fresh produce, fish, poultry, olives, and baked goods.

One of the great blessings of our time in England was the opportunity to travel to many different countries.  From Scotland to Italy and Spain to Poland, we explored much of the history and culture of Europe.  It was amazing to see so much of the world.  We are very thankful for the great adventure of living overseas, but are happy to be returning to America.  God bless the USA.

The Burches come to Britain

We were so thankful to have Ma and Pa Burch come to London for a visit.  Our time was filled with the highlights of London including the Windsor Castle, Oxford, Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, Borough Market, and a little time around Wimbledon.

Windsor Castle
St. George Chapel on left

St. George's Chapel
Windsor

Our trip to Windsor allowed us to enjoy the decadence of the monarchy including solid silver  furniture, fabric wall paper, and paintings by masters such as Rembrandt and Breugel.  St. George's Chapel is the burial site for King George VI (The king from "The King's Speech" and the present queen's father) as well as Henry VIII and his "favorite" wife (he didn't behead her), Jane Seymour.  There was also an exhibition set up in memory of the 400th anniversary of the King James bible.  The exhibition included the "Wycliffe" bible c. 1384 (Latin to English translation), the "Tyndale" bible c.1525 (Greek and Hebrew to English translation), and the "King James" bible c. 1611.

Martyr's monument
Oxford

Christ Church College (Oxford)
Dean:  John Owen (1652-1660)
Attendees:  John Locke, William Pitt,
 John and Charles Wesley, Louis
Carroll (author - Alice in Wonderland)

In Oxford, we were reminded of the lives of faithful men such as John Owen (puritan) and martyrs such as Thomas Cranmer (Archbishop of Canterbury (head of the Church of England)), Hugh Latimer (Bishop of Worcester), and Nicholas Ridley (Bishop of London).

Westminster Abbey

Among the 4000 buried at Westminster Abbey were George Frederick Handel (composer of my favorite symphony, "Messiah") and "Bloody Mary" (Queen Mary Tudor who murdered approximately 250-300 protestants in the four years of her reign).  As we walked by the high altar and through the nave, we were reminded of the Royal Wedding.  Ma Burch and I really enjoyed watching the wedding of Will and Kate after our visit.

Turkish Delight

Olives

Kevin and I had been to Tower of London and seen the crown jewels, so we enjoyed a coffee at Starbucks while the Burches explored the tower.  After the visit, we went to the Borough Market which has become one of our favorite places in London.  This market has interesting and odd meats such as wild boar, venison, kangaroo, and ostrich eggs.  The olives, bread, baklava, and turkish delight are out of this world.  Sadly, our favorite almond croissants were sold out, but we will not forget the incredible flavors that melt in your mouth.

Ma Burch and I spent a couple of hours shopping in Wimbledon Village (our local high street).  I have my favorite shop, Cath Kidston, and Ma Burch found several more unique boutiques.  We met the men for lunch and then enjoyed a relatively quiet afternoon.  Kevin and Pa Burch braved the city one last time to wander the impressive plunderings of the English at the British Museum.   The same day, Ma Burch returned to some of the small boutiques in Wimbledon and watched people with a cup of Starbuck's brew while I remained at home to pack and prepare for the big move back to the USA.

We are very thankful for the time we had with the Burches.  It was a joyous time of fellowship and exploration.  We are blessed by their lives of faithfulness to one another and the great God of the universe!!

English Rounders and American Baseball

No basketball, football (with the uprights, helmets, and brown leather ball), volleyball, or baseball here in England.  They do have "net ball" which is much like basketball without a backboard, rugby which is much like football without the pads and helmets, soccer, tennis, and rounders.  I would like to introduce you to rounders.  The game is most like baseball, but I must admit that it is odd to be "out" if you drop the bat and not "out" if you swing and miss the ball.  Below you find a few of the similarities and differences.

Rounders versus Baseball

Similarities	Differences
1.  2 teams – (1) batting and (1) fielding	1.  If the batter swings and misses, s/he runs to the first base/post.
2.  Positions - pitcher (aka bowler), & Batter	2.  The batter swings with one arm and runs with the bat.
3.  Materials (bat and ball)	3.  The inning continues until every person on the batting team is "out" or the time runs up.
4.  4 bases or posts	4.  The field is set up as a square with the batter standing between “first” and “home” posts. (see picture below)
	5.   A “rounder” (aka run) is not earned unless   the batter makes it around the entire field with his/her hit (aka homerun).  A “half-rounder” can also count in scoring and occurs when the batter makes it halfway around the field on his/her hit (aka double).
	6.  The batter is not out if s/he swings and missed the ball, but is out if s/he drops the bat.
	7.  A batter is also out if s/he leaves the base before the bowler (aka pitcher) has bowled.  NO STEALING BASES!!!

Rounders field

Here are pictures from a recent game I watched.  Note how the batters swing with one arm and run with the bat.

Note:  Batter swings with one arm

Note:  Batter runs with bat

I would introduce you to cricket, but that requires more study on my end.  Kevin and I watched a portion of a game with avid fans, however, I need more than a couple hours of tutoring.  It is a game of subtly and patience with matches lasting days.

Tour d'Europa

Mimi, Kevin, and cousins Michael
and Juni

We were blessed with the opportunity to take an extended trip through Europe.  Our holiday began in Paris where we met up with Mimi's cousins who were traveling around Europe.  We had a wonderful time with them as we logged some serious miles walking.  Somehow we managed to see the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Arc d'Triomphe, and Notre Dame in one day.  It was a whirlwind tour, but thoroughly enjoyable.  The subsequent few days were a bit more leisurely as we saw some additional sites recommended by a friend who had lived in Paris for a time. (Thanks, Peter!!)

Notre Dame

Boat ride one evening

The Louvre

Arc de Triomphe

Napoleon's tomb 

Astronomical Clock

Next it was on to Prague, where again, we were thankful for the recommendations of friends who had previously lived in the city and knew where to go and what to do.  (Thanks April and Emily!!) Prague truly seemed like the intersection of the "East" (with more eastern European architecture) and "West" (with more western European architecture).  Some of our favorite sites included the "Astronomical Clock" which chimes every hour on the hour and introduces the onlookers to the 12 apostles (who peek out of doors at the top of the clock), walk/hike up and around Petrin Hill, views from the Prague Castle, vendors on the Charles Bridge who were natives and sold handmade crafts and art, and the Jan Hus (aka "John Huss") memorial, another life martyred because of his views of scripture and his desire for reformation in the church.  He was burnt at the stake in 1415 and is said to have influenced Martin Luther.

Petrin Tower (aka "Little
Eiffel Tower", deja vu??!!)

Pilsner Urquell

Monument to Jan Hus in Old Town Square

These videos are of the chiming Astronomical Clock.  The above video does not give a good view of the Apostles, but gives a good sense of the whole clock.  The below video gives a better view of the Apostles looking out the small windows.  The small figurines on either side of the clock are supposed to be "Vanity" (looking at himself in the mirror), "Greed" (shaking his money bag), "Death", and "Pagan".

"Arbeit Macht Frei" above the entrance
translated "Work Brings Freedom"

From Prague we made our way to Krakow, Poland.  It was a long drive for European standards, the distance of nearly the entire Czech Republic and lasting nearly 6 hours.  We interrupted our journey to Krakow with a stop at Auschwitz.  We took a guided tour and I must admit that after more than 2 1/2 hours of seeing and hearing of the horror that occurred there, I was exhausted.  My mind simply could not fathom the complete disregard for and destruction of human life.  I was humbled and sickened by the truth spoken by Larry Crabb that "within ourselves we are more like Adolph Hitler than Jesus Christ".  The reality of my own heart is utterly horrific yet that is what makes grace so amazing.  My Savior, the Son of God, died for such a sinner as I.

Krakow Medieval Square and Market 

Friends from London

Polish President
Bronislaw Maria Komorowski

Church of the 12 Apostles

It's hard to move on from this point, but our journey continued and so I will as well.  During our brief stay in Krakow, we wandered through the Old Square and medieval market, the Jewish ghetto, and Jagiellonian University (established 1364 and second oldest (to Charles University (est 1348) in Prague) in Central Europe).  We enjoyed tea and cakes with some friends from London who are natives of Krakow.  They introduced us to some local cafes, restaurants, and cinemas.  We really enjoyed friendly faces and an insiders perspective on the city.  We also crossed paths with the Polish president, Bronislaw Maria Komorowski.  How amazing is that?! We were pretty excited and followed the crowd a bit as they passed in front of the Wawel castle.  The street leading to our car wasn't far from the castle, so we waved goodbye to the president and made our way to our hotel.

Happy 1st Anniversary!!!

 Our last, and final stop, was Vienna.  The time in Vienna was very short, but full.  We began it with a lovely dinner to celebrate one year of marriage.  It's hard to believe how quickly time has gone.  We are looking forward to many, many more years together!  God truly blessed us when he gave us each other!

Kunsthistorisches museum

Crucifixion of Christ (Bruegel)

Tower of Babel (Bruegel) 

Peasant Wedding Feast (Breugel)

Massacre of the Innocents (Breugel)

We only had one full day in Vienna, so we packed it with a visit to the Kunsthistorisches Museum where we saw incredible paintings by many Dutch and Flemish masters (such as Rembrandt and Pieter Bruegel).  (Thanks for the recommendation, Dad!!)  Then we made our way to the Schonbrunn Palace (a world cultural site) where we toured the state rooms, enjoyed a relaxing and beautiful carriage ride, ate a fantastic meal, and were awed by the Schonbrunn Orchestra.  We could not ask for a more wonderful time!

The only element of the trip that I would've changed was the 7 hour delay of our Easy Jet flight back to London.  The delay put us in to London around 2am and after attempting bus and train, we ended up waiting for a taxi ride.  Admittedly, it was the very best taxi ride of our lives as the driver had grown up in the "West End" of London and knew the city like the back of his hand.  He gave us a running commentary on the neighborhoods interrupted only by exciting stories from his Olympic fencing days.  Life never ceases to amaze me with its interesting twists and turns.

Scotland

Kevin w/Knox
St. Giles Cathedral

A few days in Scotland provided an opportunity to retrace steps of the great Scottish reformer, John Knox.  He lived between 1513 and 1572.

John Knox's house

(Background on the reformation:  The reformation really heated up after Martin Luther posted the "Ninety-five theses" in 1517 Germany.  This document outlined practices within the Roman Catholic church that did not have a scriptural basis.  Martin Luther, along with many others sought to reform the church.  However, as we look back from our perspective, we understand that the reform came in a new form of doctrine and worship, protestantism.  This new worship had widespread implications reaching into politics with kings and queens fluctuating between the religions causing cultural climate changes, particularly influencing the lives of protestant subjects (aka reformers).)

St Andrews Cathedral - from front
looking to the back

St. Andrews Cathedral - front

John Knox, like Martin Luther, was ordained as a Catholic priest, but it was not long before convictions drove him to align with the reformers.  Knox's life fluctuated from being a priest for the King to fleeing from Queen Mary of England (aka Mary Tudor, "Bloody Mary").  The final years of his life were spent preaching at St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh.  Knox lived down the street (aka "The Royal Mile") from St. Giles, so we were able to tour both his house and the cathedral in one afternoon.  Knox began his preaching in St. Andrews after George Wishart, another protestant reformer, was burnt at the stake.  Knox first preached in the St. Andrews Castle (only ruins now, and not pictured in this blog post).  He did not preach in the St. Andrews Cathedral (see pictures) as it was Catholic.  He did, however, preach in the parish church in St. Andrews and also in Stirling (a small city approximately 1 hour by car from St. Andrews).  We visited Stirling and saw the "Church of the Holy Rude" where John Knox preached as well as Stirling Castle, a 12th century castle.

Holy Trinity Parish Church
St. Andrews

Stirling Castle

King and Queen of Scotland?

Boat ride to Loch Leven Castle

Loch Leven Castle

Mary, Queen of Scots (aka Mary ) went from ruling the country to being forced to abdicate her throne to her 1 year old son (who later became King James VI) and was imprisoned in Loch Leven castle (a castle on lake Leven) for nearly a year.  On a cool, rainy day, we took a boat ride across Loch Leven to see the ruins of the castle.  I decided that I don't want to be imprisoned in my lifetime, but if I had to be, a castle like Loch Leven would be my choice.

Mimi's Bakehouse
Edinburgh

St Andrews
Home of Golf

Our trip to Scotland was not entirely religious and historic, it also included eating, drinking, golf, and a tattoo.  We found a small bakehouse, "Mimi's Bakehouse", that we had to try.  It had great food and a wonderful atmosphere.  Too bad it's not MY bakehouse!!!

Scotland is known for their whiskey (aka Scotch) and we had a chance to tour the Glenchie Distillery.  It was interesting to see the process of whiskey-making.  It's similar to beer initially (barley is roasted, mashed, and then mixed with yeast), but then the process changes and involves approximately 12 years of aging.  I had to wonder who figured out that 12 years was the best amount a time; a patient man, I suppose.

Scottish Bag Pipe 

The 61st annual Edinburgh Military Tattoo featured military bands from all over the world including the Netherlands and Brazil.  The evening was filled with music, colors, and entertainment all in the backdrop of the Edinburgh Castle.  It was not hard to see why this event is the most visited in Scotland.

Netherlands Bicycle Band

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Scotland including the people, weather, and sites.