Tempe, AZ (Home Base)

USA

Westminster Abbey, London, England

I had defeated getting lost and drenched from the constant rain, overcame the confusing bus routes to get downtown, and finally conquered the terrible jet lag due to the European time change.It was when I touched the indentions of the T. in T.S. Eliot’s name that I began to well up. Thousands of miles from home, family, school, and three years done with the college that taught me about him and hundreds of other writers, there I was - in London, England. I was in a different continent, country, and in essence, a new world.

First stop: Westminster Abbey.

As one of the oldest and most famous churches in Western Europe, Westminster Abbey (also known as the Church of St. Peter) resides close to the Parliament buildings and Big Ben. It’s famous for encasing many famous poets and authors’ epitaphs including Geoffrey Chaucer, Lord Byron, Rudyard Kipling, and Charles Dickens. There are famous memorials too including William Shakespeare, Henry James, and my personal favorite - the aforementioned, the one and only T.S. Eliot.

Though mainly a Gothic church (it served as a cathedral from 1546-1556), Westminster Abbey still has services every morning for the general public to worship, which is cool in its own right. Moreover, it is seeped in more than a thousand years of history, making it one of the sites you should actually pay for the audio tour that comes in eight different languages. The cost is relatively cheap (12 euros) for what you get to see, and in my opinion, is a site not to be missed. I’ll drop in here the immaculate architecture, the gorgeous interior (don’t forget to look up!), and the aura of the church itself.

Being an English nerd (aka English Literature major), I had so much fun walking back and forth, up and down the pathway reliving all the poems and novels these great writers wrote and I got to read back in college. I underestimated my feelings of literature and was completely overwhelmed with emotion.

But it’s far more than just a “poet’s corner”; it’s a sanctuary of legends! (How many times do I have to namedrop T.S. Eliot, come on!!) There was nothing more satisfying than staring down at the names of writers who were extraordinary in the fact that they are timeless. Think about it: they were so good, they are still taught in classes today and have plaques in their memory at one of THE biggest tourist sites and historical churches in London. Imagine how many people walk around it everyday, some glancing over them and moving through quickly to get to their next tourist hot spot . . . don’t be like them. Take your time. You certainly don’t have to be an English Lit nerd to appreciate the infinite greatness of the Abbey for there’s a lot to see and learn. Enjoy. I certainly did.

TGTG Tip: Put away your cameras for they’re not allowed inside. Besides, some sites are better viewed with your own eyes, not through a lens!!

Westminster Abbey
London SW1P, 3PA United Kingdom
Telephone +44 (0) 20 7222 5152
Website: www.westminster-abbey.org

Underground Station: St James’s Park (District and Circle Lines) and Westminster (Jubilee, District & Circle Lines).

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