Blogger: Michelle Ule, Books & Such Assistant
Location: London
Weather: Well, what do you expect?
My family camped through New Zealand several years ago. Everyone packed his or her own entertainment, and I brought along Scrabble. Our ten-year-old read all her books on the plane before we arrived in Auckland.
Fortunately, one of our sons had brought all the Harry Potters, and as soon as he finished one, he would pass it to his sister. I heard my mother’s voice echo in my own, far too many times as we drove along. “Put down that book and look out the window!”
The two would look up, announce, “I only see sheep,” and return to Hogwarts.
The rest of us were on the alert for orcs, hobbits and wizards—we were in Lord of the Rings country. We sighed over the Shire on the north island; surely we recognized enchanted woods and the fabled peaks of Mordor? Lord of the Rings made New Zealand even more fascinating.
Here in England, my now-16-year-old daughter feels at home because of Harry Potter. The food, buildings, music all are familiar, somehow, to us because of our reading. My husband wants to visit the Globe playhouse, we wonder where Sherlock Holmes spent his time, and I feel as if I must know a hundred people—all fictional, of course—who live in town.
A book that describes a setting so beautifully that we think we recognize a new location simply because of what we’ve read is magical. I love books that transport me so vividly.
We should be visiting Paddington Station on this trip. I expect you know who we’ll be looking for.
One of my dreams is to visit England someday. I’d always thought of it more in terms of Henry VIII or Elizabeth I, but, yes, it’d be great to see the England of great fiction too!
Have fun!
I was in London recently and shocked my family by all the things I knew–Fortnam and Mason’s food store, for example: “expensive but delicious!”
It was–and my family bought Turkish Delight, “because that’s what Eustace Scrubb liked so much.”
Having now sampled it, I know why the boy was incorrigible . . .
Cheerio!
I love how many buildings in London will tell you who lived there and when. We stayed in Edward Lear’s house–now a hotel–and it’s decorated with his limericks and drawings.
I’ve been to both places – England and New Zealand. I do recall passing a lot of grazing sheep while in New Zealand. I also visited this cool glow worm tunnel. The glow worms kind of reminded me of lightening bugs, except their lights stayed on all the time! It was dark and the green/yellow lights twinkled in the darkness.
Reminds me of my friend who took her kids to the Florida Everglades. Before they could turn on their Gameboys they each had to count 100 alligators. Took them only about 10 minutes.
Rereading Watership Down at the moment and dreaming of visiting Hamshire someday. Think I’ll meet Hazel-rah?
Michelle, you do my fantasy heart good with this post. I’ve been lost a time or two in other worlds! And in other time periods. ‘Tis a wonderful thing.
Becky
Seeing the world with adolescent children is a blessing, isn’t it? We recently returned from a trip with our 11 and 13-year old sons to Europe and Africa (their first trip across the east pond). My wife and I are life-long traveling adventurists (I’m a bonafide gypsy), and while there were some new destinations for us this time, too, the best part of the journey was watching our kids discover how different the world is, and how much we have in common with all humanity.
You’re absolutely right, Barry. They best part of the trip was seeing our 16 year-old come alive to Europe. She was enthusiastic and delighted with everything. Pure joy. What a relief! 🙂
There is (or at least used to be) a great Sherlock Holmes Museum on Baker St. It was high on my daughter’s list when she was sixteen.