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!!