Royal visit

Some moments from our recent trip to England and Scotland made the trip uniquely ours.
We went to Kings Cross Train Station early one morning for a train trip into the country. After looking at the boards to figure out which platform to take, I turned around and entered the Twilight Zone. Hundreds of men and women, most wearing black coats, suits and skirts, all stood facing me with their faces looking up. They filled the room, these staring bodies in black. They stood there like that for several minutes, and then most looked down and walked away. I met them lining up to enter the platform for the train we all intended to board. They, like me, had been waiting for the boarding platform to be posted.
None of the Harry Potter movies show that moment at Kings Crossing, but they should because that is the location for platform 9 3/4, the point where Harry meets the Hogwarts Express.
A fellow traveler told us about Potter’s platform in time for us to visit it on our return to London. We joined the queue behind a line of students having their photograph made with the cart disappearing into the wall. Each chose a scarf of the school of their choice: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin. Of course, most chose Griffindor, but my husband, not knowing any difference, grabbed Slytherin’s colors and the picture shows us as sworn enemies shoving one cart onto platform 9 3/4.
We heard later that other, more avid, Potter fans tracked down the Hogwarts train (the one used in the movie) to be photographed with it. We did not have to research the source of the scar on Harry’s head. A tour guide brought it to our attention at Oxford where J.K. Rowling was inspired by a stone cutter’s mark in the walk.
Besides the educational slant, we enjoyed more than our share of afternoon and morning teas. I chose to have tea inside Kensington Palace so I could tell my granddaughter I had had tea at the Palace where the princess lives. You should have seen the look on her face.
The most unique stop for tea came during a tour of the Codswold District as we visited one ancient church building after another. About 11 the guide declared we could have tea – inside the church. All of the ancient (think 500 to 1,000 years or more) churches we visited are open to the public to study the architecture. All sell something: novelties, information about the church, used books, food, souvenirs or tea.
The abbey at Malmesbury dates back into the 1100s and older. As we sipped our drinks, we studied the sculptured, soaring arches above us and the toys for children scattered around its base. A cozy corner offered members a library of books addressing modern issues and topics of today’s church as well as popular Christian novels and etchings of the building from the 1800s.
On Queen Elizabeth’s retired yacht, we sat at a lovely, linen-covered table with flowers, proper china and silver and a view of the Edinburgh Harbor where it is permanently docked.
But my favorite tea was served at the small church we visited in Scotland. The bi-vocational, semi-retired pastor ministers to about a dozen people. They have a Sunday afternoon service that begins at three and ends with everyone moving their chairs around a small table filled with sweets. Someone carried in a tray of prepared cups of tea, coffee and water. We visited, played a little game, munched uniquely British sweets, sipped tea … and enjoyed listening to Scottish brogue swirling around us in conversation. Okay, so I could not understand everything they said. It was not a Kodak moment. But, it was an experience I cherish for the people and the place.
For me, that is what traveling is about, finding our own memories and just getting acquainted with the people and places we visit.her at jhershberger@eldoradonews.com.)