First Stop: London

Two "Frasiers" ready to fly!

Big Ben's Tower

It's January 1, 2012. The sabbatical has begun, and here I am, attempting to coordinate photos, words and experiences onto pages. HAPPY NEW YEAR! Thanks for joining me!

After a lovely sendoff in Calgary we boarded  the plane - British Airways is great! We flew 8 hours to reach London for a 10 hour stop-over, passed security, checked our carry-on luggage into a holding place, and took the train from Heathrow into the city (with a nice, head-nodding, hour-long nap en route!). We emerged straight into the best street where Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and St. Margaret's Chapel greeted us, all washed in morning sunshine! The bell rang 8:15 am. A spectacular start to a day!

Beware: horse may bite!

Off we went, touring the still-blooming scenes of London, passing horses with royal guards, checking out Downing Street and nearby war memorials, with statues of Nelson Mandela and Winston Churchill reminding us of the significance of this place, and eating a hearty fish & chips pub lunch. ... An exhilarating introduction to this city where we'll return in June. 

The National Gallery is actually quite small

In the afternoon we wandered to the surprisingly pigeon-freeTrafalgar Square where lions roar silently at the children on their laps but Lord Nelson holds the enormous animals firmly at bay. Up the steps we went, to the National Gallery, and hung out for a little while with Monet, Renoir, Turner, Gainsborough and Rembrandt, all of whom  love guests and welcomed us freely, but asked us not to take their pictures!



St. Paul's by moonlight



Art is for ALL!

At dusk the wind-blown tents of "Occupy London" looked particularly rickety, as dangerous little candles lit the residents' night, right at the foot of the curving, moonlit steps to St. Paul's Cathedral. It was time for evensong. Inside and out, people were making their petitions heard. We entered to chandeliers gleaming in the dimness, and choir voices soaring easily up to Sir Christopher Wren's beautifully painted domed ceilings, in Christmas praise.

At the rear of the church, candles flickered with the prayers of the people at 30 pence each, joining all present in supplication for children: children in need, children in trauma, children whose faith must be strong to survive, children, and their parents who nurture them. It was the "Feast Day of the Holy Innocents" so the prayers were very fitting for a Children's Pastor sitting in a wooden chair, joining her heart with the prayers of the ages for all the children of the world, and adding some particularly for those back at home in Calgary.

Prayer lights the dark

Lights faded and the last note died away. Local coffee shops were closing, so good old Starbucks completed our day - surprisingly not too pricey (or maybe it was just that the numbers were in pounds, not dollars!)- and back we went to the airport, to catch another plane that would take us to our final destination, Israel. Thanks again for travelling with me. We're in for a great journey!