A small blogalog...

“A good traveler has no fixed plans,

and is not intent on arriving.”

– Lao Tzu

It was cold and rainy in Aberdeen, but the visit was productive and the colleagues warm and gracious.

Two days later, it was to Prague where it was colder and rainy, but the visit was productive and the colleagues warm and gracious. The hotel and adjacent restaurant, on the Břevnov Monastery Grounds, provided a warm haven from the cold. I did not take this outdoor photo, but it gives an idea of the grounds.

Three days later it was to London, where it was colder yet and rainy, but my colleague was warm and gracious.

Hmmm…there seems to be a pattern developing here.

I have been writing a travelogue for two decades. It started as a simple email to a friend in my church, and by now is a list of one-hundred and fifty people. It has been focused on overseas trips, and I have enjoyed writing every one of them. This last month or so, I found myself heading from Boston straight to Singapore – home for five days and to Europe from which I have just returned.

No travelogues emerged from these adventures because I have written about these places before. The trips were mostly business with little downtime – there wasn't much new to say…not to mention it was cold and rainy everywhere.

London, however, is worth mentioning. There is nothing as over the top and at the same time intimate about London in the holiday season. I had a meeting with a colleague after which we wandered through Leicester (Lester) Square and Piccadilly Circus (not a real circus, but a part of the heart of London) on our way to a musical in the West End theater district. There were brilliantly illuminated strands of light hung between buildings above the streets.

By the time we started walking to the theater, it had stopped raining. The streets were cram packed full of people enjoying the evening. Every few blocks, there were small concert venues where ‘artists of the day' were playing and singing their songs. Crowds of people gathered around bobbing up and down and dancing to the rock-based beats. And, by the way, it was a Thursday night!

The show, ‘Kinky Boots,’ was energetic, fun and entertaining. It was probably not a show I would have chosen on my own, but I had seen most of the bigger musicals before. As it turns out, had I not chosen it, I would have missed a very entertaining evening. The audience was interactive, and all had a good time.

Friday, I had a day to myself and took a day trip to Oxford, England – the home of Oxford University and interior setting for much of the Harry Potter films (photo - Potter dining room through a keyhole).

The primary reason for visiting, however, was because Molly and I are fans of the BBC mystery series Inspector Morris, Inspector Lewis, and Endeavor, all of which are filmed there. I had no agenda for the day. It was the ambiance and 'familiar' settings I wanted to see. 

I took a walking tour and visited four or five of the thirty-eight colleges that make up the University system. All of them were interesting, and because of the detective series, had a recognizable feel to them.

Notable things I saw were the Magna Carta, a handwritten copy of a single page of Mary Shelly’s novel Frankenstein, and an original copy of the Gutenberg Bible

I learned no visit to Oxford is complete without a visit to the Turf Tavern, a setting for the popular BBC series Inspector Morris, and the place where Bill Clinton apparently did "...not inhale..." a questionable illegal substance. I felt obligated to take a pint, you know, for historical reasons.

The day ended at the top of the University Church Tower, from where there were breathtaking views of the campus.

Returning to my hotel Friday evening, I felt the day had been fruitful and fun. I am uncertain whether I will ever have this opportunity again, but as has happened many times in my life, my appetite was whetted to once again explore the unexplored and the unknown. 

Saturday morning it was back to Arizona and the satisfaction of time well spent with a small adventure or two tucked away in my heart….

– ted