United Kingdom

Deserted castles are all over the United Kingdom, Alvin said. We’ll find one and spend the night. So Trish, Alvin, and I drove around the south of England and yes, we found something that looked like a deserted castle, until the hermits who lived there chased us off. During this college adventure, we also paid our respects at King Arthur’s tomb, drank orange cordial freshly made in a 14th century home, marveled at Stonehenge, joined the crowds at Bath, and were dazzled by the jewels in the Tower.

The United Kingdom includes not only England, but also Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and many islands of the Commonwealth. It is one of the easiest countries to visit, either in person or while staying at home because Americans will usually understand the language. I have plenty, but of course I wanted to do one last thing for this blog, so yesterday Kaitlin, Andrea, Matt and I went to Pasadena to visit the Chado Tea Room where Matt and Andrea selected the tea service with multiple sandwiches and sweets, Kaitlin chose the chicken tikka panini with tomato soup, and I picked the smoked salmon sandwich and salad. The tea menu is just as long as the food menu. We might have chosen a closer tea room but many of them book at least a month in advance. Here are just a few of the options in the Los Angeles area: https://la.eater.com/maps/best-afternoon-tea-los-angeles

This wasn’t my first tea. My niece Andie and I went to the one at the Dickens Festival in Riverside several years ago. I have also attended several church teas with many fun women, most recently Gladys, Lidia, and Joanie. If you want to do your own English tea party, here are some ideas from AllRecipes: https://www.allrecipes.com/gallery/afternoon-tea-recipes/

Good thing the teas are delicious and fun. British pubs might be more about the company than about the food. At the Royal Falconer British Pub in Redlands, Kaitlin, Andrea, and I enjoyed the trivia. The Olde Ship in Fullerton also has trivia on Saturday nights to go with their cottage pie, bangers and mash, fish and chips, Cornish pasty and so many other British pub foods. I tried the fish pie which was a little bit of fish baked under a lot of mashed potatoes and served with carrots and peas. Allan and I went together to Five Crowns in Newport Beach, a steakhouse with British ambiance. I had salmon with mushrooms, pea purée, and salmon roe. Allan had the chef make him a veggie plate. This is the first time that I have ever heard Allan say that his vegetables were a little plain. We enjoyed the chocolate soufflé. Knowing that I won’t make much of the pub cuisine at home, I went looking for a British recipe blogger who is a little different and found a site by a self-described Scottish vegetarian. That works! https://www.tinnedtomatoes.com/

The food may be plain, but the literature is amazing. In preparation for a test in English literature, I once spent a summer watching every Shakespeare play. The University of California, Riverside library has them all on film. Shakespeare live is even better. For free outdoor productions this summer, Griffith Park Shakespeare is doing Julius Caesar in July and A Midsummer Night’s Dream in August. Shakespeare by the Sea in San Pedro is alternating between Twelfth Night and Hamlet between now and August 5. San Francisco Free Shakes in the Park will produce Cymbeline July through September. Even if you can’t get out to a play, here are just a couple of the many Shakespeare resources online:

· Hamlet with Lawrence Olivier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsPPI_7x1dk

· A TED Talk on how Shakespeare is everywhere: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsESSyMnwmU

British literature goes far beyond Shakespeare. Here are some classics from Project Gutenberg:

· King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table by Sir Thomas Malory: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36462

· Ivanhoe by Walter Scott: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/82

· Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/21839

· Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1260

· Great Expectations by Charles Dickens: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1400

· The Case-book of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/69700

· Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16

· Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/67098

And yes, I also read the fastest selling non-fiction book of all time, Spare by Prince Harry. I found it to be interesting and not at all what many articles say. Considering that a major part of the book details the intrusion of the press, it’s not surprising that the media avoids that point.

There is so much music, so I just picked a few favorites:

· A Beatles Concert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aU8Of01izY

· Carpool Karaoke with James Cordon and Paul McCartney: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjvzCTqkBDQ

· Ed Sheeran’s Tiny Desk Concert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MsoqUv5gv4

Hulu has Atonement and Netflix has plenty of other movies and shows depicting the United Kingdom, including The King, Pride & Prejudice, The Imitation Game, Darkest Hour, The Crown, and Enola Holmes. I might have spent a little too much time this week watching The Great British Bakeoff, but they always make something I would never have imagined. Check this compilation of some of their most beautiful bakes to get an idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzmViRrgbw0

For movies and shows that can be found free online:

· I recommend The Scarlet Pimpernel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpBkJ0Xb6ME

· Kaitlin recommends Taskmaster. Here is the first episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4YhsooE5xY

To experience the United Kingdom while out and about in California, visit:

· Gallifrey One, a Dr. Who convention in Los Angeles in February: https://www.gallifreyone.com/

· Huntington Garden to see Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough and Pinky by Thomas Lawrence. While you are there, see the Shakespeare Garden showcasing plants named in Shakespeare plays and try their Rose Garden Tea Room. Thank you to Heidi and Linda for the fun day exploring! Here is more information on the Shakespeare Garden: https://huntington.org/shakespeare-garden

· The Shakespeare Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park

· The Dickens Festival in Riverside or San Francisco

· Cornish Christmas in Grass Valley.

· Will Rogers State Historic Park to watch the weekend polo games

· Any of the many hometown versions of A Christmas Carol in December

For online experiences in the United Kingdom, see:

· A virtual tour of Buckingham Palace: https://www.royal.uk/virtual-tours-buckingham-palace

· A coloring book of artwork held by Eton College: http://library.nyam.org/colorourcollections/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2021/02/EtonCollegeLibrary-CoC-2021.pdf

· Stonehenge via Google Earth: https://earth.google.com/web/@51.178882,-1.826215,101.74445271a,632.71054679d,35y,0h,45t,0r/data=Ck0aSxJFCiUweDQ4NzNlNjNiODUwYWY2MTE6MHg5NzkxNzBlMmJjZDNkMmRkGenr-ZrllklAISpvRzgtOP2_KgpTdG9uZWhlbmdlGAIgASgC

There is so much to do in the United Kingdom! Here are just a few examples: https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-united-kingdom/#more-6997. I would love to go back and see more! I hope for a time when broad travel gives us new perspectives. In the meantime, I’m hoping we all survive, thrive, recognize our mutual humanity, learn to deal with our conflicts, and allow peace, health, and safety to flourish in the United Kingdom and throughout the world.

Photo Credit: Sebastian Coman Photography https://unsplash.com/photos/Ekqld5tI3JA