Notting Hill and Narnia
13 05 11 02:46
Our train arrived at London’s Euston station late Tuesday afternoon. We made our way by taxi from there to our holiday rental apartment in Notting Hill. The taxi ride reminded me of two things I already knew: London taxi drivers are the best in the world (not the cheapest, but the best), and I never want to drive in London. I knew Suzanne would like the location as we are just a block away from Portobello Road and its famous street market. We’ve spent some time exploring the shops (Suzanne) and restaurants (both of us) that are so conveniently located.
Wednesday reminded us of God’s wisdom in establishing the Sabbath; after a couple of non-stop weeks, we were both ready for a bit of down time. The wife of one of my mentors once described him as an optimistic planner, a term that I have learned applies to me as well. I think I can cram more into a given block of time than is reasonable, practical, and possible, and so it is not unusual for me to find myself editing the agenda. I’m coming to terms with the fact that we don’t have to do everything in this one trip, and it was good to give ourselves a chance to catch our breath.
One of the things that was on our must-do list was accomplished on Thursday. A few months ago, I came across the name Ron Brind. Ron was a childhood friend of Douglas Gresham, C. S. Lewis’ step-son, and he conducts C. S. Lewis tours of Oxford. We contacted Ron a few months ago and booked the tour for this week. We took the train to Oxford and walked the short distance to the starting point in front of the Randolph Hotel, arriving just as Ron pulled up. It turned out we were the only two signed up for the tour that day, and so we had Ron to ourselves for the next three and a half wonderful hours. If you are a fan of C. S. Lewis (and both of us are), this tour is a must!
Among the places we saw were Magdalen College where Lewis taught, the Eagle and Child pub where the Inklings gathered, The Kilns where Lewis lived, his grave in the graveyard of Holy Trinity Church, and what is now the C. S. Lewis Nature Reserve located behind the Kilns that inspired the settings of Narnia. We didn’t see a wardrobe or a lampost in Narnia, but we might have seen Mr. Tumnus, and I’m pretty sure that Aslan was nearby.
What a day! There is something special in connecting with the world of C. S. Lewis, in seeing Tolkien’s home where he wrote much of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, in sitting in the back of the Eagle and Child where Lewis and his Inklings friends exchanged literary ideas. There are some days that don’t quite measure up to expectations, usually because the expectations were unrealistic. This day surpassed my expectations. Thank you, Ron.
Wednesday reminded us of God’s wisdom in establishing the Sabbath; after a couple of non-stop weeks, we were both ready for a bit of down time. The wife of one of my mentors once described him as an optimistic planner, a term that I have learned applies to me as well. I think I can cram more into a given block of time than is reasonable, practical, and possible, and so it is not unusual for me to find myself editing the agenda. I’m coming to terms with the fact that we don’t have to do everything in this one trip, and it was good to give ourselves a chance to catch our breath.
One of the things that was on our must-do list was accomplished on Thursday. A few months ago, I came across the name Ron Brind. Ron was a childhood friend of Douglas Gresham, C. S. Lewis’ step-son, and he conducts C. S. Lewis tours of Oxford. We contacted Ron a few months ago and booked the tour for this week. We took the train to Oxford and walked the short distance to the starting point in front of the Randolph Hotel, arriving just as Ron pulled up. It turned out we were the only two signed up for the tour that day, and so we had Ron to ourselves for the next three and a half wonderful hours. If you are a fan of C. S. Lewis (and both of us are), this tour is a must!
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