15 August 2011

Whirlwind Tour

OUR TRIP TO England last week included a full schedule: two days in Normandy, a ferry crossing and a Chunnel crossing, a trip to the university where Kerri and I went to school for a short time (and where Les went to school for one year in the mid-'60s), cathedrals, castles, shops, cafes, and a stop in the Loire valley on the way home. Evidence...

Omaha Beach, Normandy

Normandy American Cemetery Memorial

Omaha Beach in Normandy

Mont Saint Michel



Canterbury Cathedral










Our camera battery ran out, so that's the end of the photos. Kerri has already downloaded the photos her parents took in Windsor, and then back in France during our visit to Chartres and the Chateau de Chenonceau.

It was interesting to be in London during the riots. While we didn't personally see any evidence of the violence (despite going through Clapham Junction), it was on the minds of the people. During our lunch at Chipotle (yes, you read that correctly -- there is a new Chipotle on Charring Cross Road) the UK manager for the company spoke with us about his plans to close early if he thought trouble was near. Other shop owners also were ready to close down in a hurry if anything happened. The newspapers were also in full UK-Tabloid mode, splashing huge photos and dramatic headlines across all the front pages. Perhaps the most over-the-top front page compared the riots to the German blitz during World War II. Perhaps a bit of a stretch, no?




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