On the Move

One of my favorite things so far about England is the fact that there are flowers everywhere here. I'm not a huge flower person (I don't grow them or anything), but the truth is, they make all the difference to the aesthetics of things here. Everywhere you go, there are lovely hanging flower baskets in front of restaurants and shops, lining the streets, and so on. In Bath, for example, the buildings are all made of limestone and this is interesting, since no other town in England (or maybe anywhere) can boast such a thing. But many of the buildings would be bland despite their limestone exterior if it weren't for the lovely flower baskets garnishing them. Flowers do lend a certain charm to a place, and they might be the sole reason why every village and town in England can be called quaint and charming without these words losing their meaning.

On another note, I think we've figured out why the cost of London is sky-high. I found out from my dad the other day that London is currently (and often is) at the top of the list for the most expensive cities in the world. We noticed right away (after our first cup of Starbucks tea) that there are practically no trash bins anywhere in this enormous city. A city filled with 9 million people and no need for trash bins? But the thing is, the city is amazingly clean. You see very little trash on the streets here. Oxford, a much smaller city, has trash bins on every street corner, yet you see trash all over the place. Why the difference? Well, in London, there are people whose sole job is to walk around the streets, the train stations, or whatever area they are assigned to, holding large trashbags and picking up garbage wherever they see it. You are actually advised by official-looking people to leave your trash in the corners of buildings or stations, and these streetcleaners will come by in just a few minutes time to promptly remove your garbage. (It's very hard to leave your garbage somewhere besides a trash can if you come from a place where you will be fined for doing exactly that.) I suspect that London prices are outrageous because the streetcleaners here are overpaid (either that, or there are so many of them needed to clean up after 9 million people that the costs to employ them are simply astronomical). If the people of London could somehow be taught to throw away their own trash, perhaps the cost of living could decrease to a reasonable living standard, say that of New York City or even San Diego. Maybe there would no longer even be a need to charge tourists for sitting in those chairs in the parks. . .

On Monday, Anna and I finally took our leave of London (after 11 wonderful days). Although we are ready to move on, it was hard to leave London. It's great to stay in one place long enough to find some familiarity with it. We found certain comfortable areas that we would come back to when we needed a break. I think our delight with London has also been fostered by Anna's cousins, Liz and Michael, who have been such gracious hosts to us. They've included us in their activities with family and friends on more than one occasion, and this has given us a glimpse of what it might be like to live here in London (a fun thought!). We did finally leave though, and headed down to the far reaches of England to the town of Penzance. After hearing our plans, a British guy we met last week recommended that we go to Scotland instead of Penzance, but after arriving, we feel sure he was mistaken. The town is small and somewhat touristy, but the coastline is rugged and breathtaking. Lovely countryside all along the train ride there, too. Penzance is definitely worth a visit; much different than everything else we've seen here. Yesterday we headed up to the Cotswolds, and there is a dramatically different feel here, too. I've heard that this is a favorite area for many people, and from the little I've seen so far, it might be the same for me. The Cotswolds are considered the heart of England, and you can feel it immediately when you arrive. It's as if you've stepped back in time; you can imagine old England thriving in exactly the same way. The loveliness of this land is peaceful and inviting, and what I most want to do here is to sit in a cozy room with a roaring fire, drinking a hot cup of tea. Maybe we'll do this tonight. . .