St Paul's Cathedral & Westminster Abbey

Bonnie: What do you recall about St Paul’s Cathedral?
Scott: Outside of St Paul's Cathedral there was a street show every day at noon in the summertime. There were buskers who just played for change and it was great entertainment.

The remarkable thing about St Paul’s is that it’s similar in design to St Peter's in Rome and stands on the highest point of land in London. When you go inside and look up, you can see gold embossed columns over 300 feet tall. There were beautiful marble statutes everywhere and downstairs – a museum full of artifacts rich in history.

You can climb 395 stairs to the top of the dome and look out over the city. In the early eighties, there were covenants against building sky scrapers. From the dome you could see an obelisk from Egypt which stood where the London Eye, a giant ferris wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames stands today. It took me four days to see everything I wanted to see in the cathedral. I saw more gold than I’d ever seen before in one place.

Bonnie: Where did you go after that? 

Scott: I travelled all over London, but I couldn't afford to go to any of the big stage productions at the time. I found drama in just striking up a conversation. One in particular stood out when I conversed with a business man as I stopped for coffee. He related his experience as a teenager during the blitz during World War II. I could feel the horror in his voice as he spoke about that tragic period in England's history. He had lived through the bombing of London. He shared openly because of my interest in the city and its history. He hadn't known from one moment to the next if he was going to live or die. The bombing was incessant. “I still have nightmares about it,” he told me.  

I visited a lot of places, but what was most interesting were the people I met and talked with, even when I was sternly told to move on! As a sign of the times and because the Irish Republican Army (IRA) was at war with England when I was there, I was asked to move my bicycle with its accompanying baggage away from Westminster Abbey. I offered to show the bobby the contents of my bags but he said, "Never mind. Just move it away - perhaps to the train station.” He was concerned about the possibility of a bomb inside. Since I’d used train stations elsewhere in my travels to secure my bike and baggage and be able to tour a city unencumbered, I was more than happy to comply.

That day I was visiting Westminster Abbey and saw the Stone of Scone. For hundreds of years the coronation of the king or queen of England wasn't legal unless they sat on a throne under which the Stone of Scone was placed.  The Stone of Scone was originally from Scotland and had been used for centuries when Scotland had royalty. Note: The stone was returned to Scotland in 1996 and is kept at Edinburgh Castle with the Crown Jewels of Scotland. The stone will be returned to England when the next monarch is crowned.

Scott's Military Science Fiction Novel, The Last Apocalypse, written while on this European cycling tour is available at:

Createspace https://www.createspace.com/4569527

and
Amazon Books http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Apocalypse-Scott-Haverly/dp/1494465531/

Chatting with the Londoners: Sometimes It Works; Sometimes It Doesn't

Bonnie: You’re a people person. What were some of your memorable encounters in London?

Scott: I had to visit Trafalgar Square of course. There were so many people to talk to. One fellow I met had bleached blonde hair spiked nine inches into the air. A woman approached and asked to take his picture and he said, “That will be ten pence.” She said, “I'm not paying to take your picture.” His response was, “Then you won't be taking my picture!” I was taking his picture without even asking. (Laughing)

I also attended a silent observance of the bombing of Hiroshima. There must have been 3000 people in the square and I only heard slight murmurs. 

I visited the grounds of Kensington Palace and watched the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. At completion of the guard change, I followed the relieved guards back to their barracks. I knocked on the door and some one said, “Who are you?” 

“My name is Captain Scott Haverly of the U.S. May I come in?”

“Sure come on in, mate.” I spent 20 minutes just chatting. I did it because I could. No one told me I couldn't.

Another day I started talking to someone in a business suit inside the fence at Buckingham Palace. I asked if I could talk to him for a bit. He turned out to be the head of security. He was the one who told me the crown jewels were in the Tower of London. The conversation ended when I mentioned a break-in at the Palace where an intruder had made it past the guards and ended up sitting on the queen's bed with her in it!  He wasn't about to engage in that discussion and abruptly ended the conversation. Not all of my conversations ended on a happy note. (Smiling).

Scott's Military Science Fiction Novel, The Last Apocalypse, written while on this European cycling tour is available at:
Createspace https://www.createspace.com/4569527
and
Amazon Books http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Apocalypse-Scott-Haverly/dp/1494465531/

London: What Impressed You Most?

Bonnie: What impressed you most about London?

Scott: Of all the castles and palaces I visited, the artifacts I saw were fascinating and unforgettable. When I visited the British Museum of Natural History (The Brit), I saw a shelf surrounding one of the great rooms where statues that told the story of Greece were displayed. They were the original statutes which the British had looted from the Greek Parthenon. I thought it amazing that the British had stolen priceless art objects and that they were actually displaying them along with all the other artifacts that had been taken all over the world. I could have spent days in there and not have seen everything.

But what affected me most was what one of the Beefeaters said to a tour group in which I participated visiting the Tower of London where the crown jewels are kept.

"Please remember this. This is the famed Tower of London and it is nothing but a stack of rocks. What is important is what went on inside this prison, who stayed here and who died here. You are standing in the same place that kings, queens, and heads of state have stood. They have heard the same stories and responded with awe. As you travel keep in mind this is a shared experience with all who have been here before. You are sharing an experience with the world.  If you look at things from that perspective you'll look at everything a little differently even in your own hometown.”

That changed how I saw everything from that moment on.

Scott's Military Science Fiction Novel, The Last Apocalypse, written while on this European cycling tour is available at:

Createspace https://www.createspace.com/4569527
and
Amazon Books http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Apocalypse-Scott-Haverly/dp/1494465531/

London Bridge and Abbey Road

Bonnie: Since you didn’t spot the Loch Ness monster, what was next on your trip?

Scott: Several days after leaving Loch Ness, I found myself standing in the middle of the Tower Bridge so named because of its proximity to the Tower of London. Since the London Bridge was moved stone by stone to Arizona, the London Bridge has become the symbol of London. It was 7:30 at night in a city of 10 million and 610 square miles and I was wondering where I was going to sleep, but I never felt wary or afraid as I had sometimes felt when I lived in New York City.

I was approached by a fellow named John who asked me where I had come from. It was obvious I was touring. I told him I had been in Scotland for about three weeks and expected to stay in London and then to continue my journey and end up in Greece by fall. He said he’d made a bicycle trip to Greece three years before and he would love to show me his photos and share stories of his travels.

He lived just half a block away from the Tower Bridge in Southwark. I agree to accompany him to his flat which was well appointed and very comfortable.  We spent the evening and John and his male roommate fixed dinner.  Both worked in Soho as waiters in a very upscale restaurant. John told me the largest tip he'd ever gotten was from an Arab who gave him $10,000 for serving seven people. His roommate had similar stories so I had no reason to disbelieve him. That day they were both off work, although their normal working hours were 3 or 4 pm until 3or 4 am. I was taken aback when they asked me to stay as long as I wished and use their flat for a base from which to tour London. They wouldn't let me pay anything. The only thing they asked was that I move about quietly in the morning so I wouldn't wake them.

I only saw John once in the three weeks I was there. Ironically he had been asked by a recording artist to sing backup in an upcoming recording. That one day I saw John, the recording artist visited and we all began to sing some songs I was familiar with and knew well. He looked at John. Then he looked at me. He looked back at John with a frown and said, "I'd like Scott to sign backup on this song. I hope you don't mind".  John said, “Of course not. The song is what’s important ".

The artist gave me the recording date and time which was three days hence. Interestingly enough the location was only a few blocks away from Abbey Road which is where the Beatles recorded. The recording went off without a hitch and I was happy that I'd had a part in it. It was the last I ever heard that song.

Scott's Military Science Fiction Novel, The Last Apocalypse, written while on this European cycling tour is available at:

Createspace https://www.createspace.com/4569527
and
Amazon Books http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Apocalypse-Scott-Haverly/dp/1494465531/

Edinburgh to Inverness and Back

Bonnie: What were your experiences in Edinburgh?

Scott: It was approaching nightfall and I needed a camp site. Campsites were marked with a large "C," and it was too late to ride all the way to Edinburgh. I couldn't find any camping places, so as a last resort, I went up to a door and knocked.

An older woman answered. She looked like my third grade teacher, but I found out later she was a researcher at a lab. I asked if I could set up tent in the yard and stay overnight, but she wouldn't hear of it and insisted I come in and sleep in her house.

We sat up until 2 am talking and drinking tea. She told me of her research projects and in the morning insisted on fixing me breakfast and giving me points of interest to see in Edinburgh. She was delightful. I left with many thanks and again, put her name and address in my log book.

I spent a week in Edinburgh, a couple days of that spent with the captain of the French Olympic Ski Team. We rode together. His English was excellent and he was definitely fit!

My researcher friend told me to visit Holyrood Palace, so I did. When I saw the sewing table that Sir Walter Raleigh had given Marie Antoinette, I imagined him saying, "Marie would like that!" As strange as it sounds, I cried at the thought. For some reason, this whole adventure was putting me in touch with feelings I hadn't had for quite awhile, if ever.

Since there was some time before the Edinburgh Tattoo was to start, I made a side trip to Inverness to see the Highland Games. On my way, I came across Ferdinand, the Bull, right out of my childhood memories. This was the bull that would rather sit under trees and smell the flowers than fight. He was huge and yellow and there he was grazing in a pasture as I rode by.

While at the Highland Games, I watched marching bands, sword dancers, and caber tossers; all the men were in kilts. The bagpipes played. I ate a meal with the top scorer in the games.

Back in Edinburgh, the highlight of my visit there was the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. It's an annual event performed by the British Armed Forces, Commonwealth and International military bands and display teams on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle.

The stage was lit and there were probably 5000 people in attendance. I had center, second row seating from the performance. Mists rolled over the bulwark of the castle and out of them came 500 pipers and drummers. It seemed if as the audience all gasped in one breath at the powerfulness of the moment. A speaker began. I can't begin to describe it.

I left Edinburgh and headed south towards Hamlet's home at the head of Loch (Lake) Ness, but turned south to look for the monster. No one I met had seen the monster, but they were all excited to talk about it. The further south I rode, the more Anglicized it became. I was heading for London.

The Last Apocalypse  is available at  Createspace https://www.createspace.com/4569527
and
Amazon Books http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Apocalypse-Scott-Haverly/dp/1494465531/

Scott meets Highland Midge

Bonnie: What are some of your other memories of Prestwick, Scotland in 1983?

Scott: I remember walking into a pub that had a sign over the entryway, "Established in 983," a thousand years before I entered! The same family had owned the pub all that time.

I visited the Bridge over the River Doon (Brigadoon). It was very significant to me since I'd played the role of Harry Beaton in the musical, Brigadoon, at the Tacoma Little Theater in 1963. I died in that play, by the way. It was remarkable to walk on that bridge and I was very much alive.
(Smiles).

I met a young fellow about 19 or 20 years old at an outdoor concert. I'd met the whole family who invited me to dine with them and spend the night. He and I made plans to ride up the River Doon the next day to Loch (Lake) Doon. He'd told me about his "hull-walking" experiences. I looked at him quizzically and asked what that was. He spoke louder as if I was deaf and I finally figured out he was saying, "hill!" Strange how people think you'll understand if they yell at you.

On our ride, we stopped to shoot hoops with some kids playing basketball. They were excited to see my bike. It seemed everywhere I rode, kids would swarm me from villages to see my bike and ask questions.

That evening, I met my first Highland midge. It's a small flying, biting insect that leaves a welt the size of 1/2 a dime. They're small enough to go through any sweater and can drive sheep crazy. They can't fly if there's any wind and this particular night, there was no wind.

We were visiting with another chap in a very small cabin, too small for three to stay overnight. My friend and I had to head for our tents, but could see the midges were piling up on the cabin window, much the same as snow piles against a window pane. But about 2 am, we ran for our tent. Once they smelled the midge spray I'd bought in the States, they said, "Hey fellas, let's get him!" I must have been bitten 2.92 million times. (Laughs). We fought those creatures off all night long. I thought I was going insane.

The next day, as we were pushing our bikes along to give us a rest from peddling, we saw a big pile of stones that had once been a castle. We went inside; most of the roof was gone. There was a cove for statuary up the side of a wall about 15 feet, perhaps a second floor at one time. All of a sudden, the cove was lit by the sun through the roof. The light totally engulfed the alcove. It was lit for only an instant. I thought it was another good sign. It reminded me of a scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Back at the village, I said goodbye to the young man and his family, adding their names to a log book I was carrying and promising to let them know how my trip progressed. Unfortunately, I lost that log and didn't keep my promise.

I spent the next two weeks camped high on a bluff and used that camp as a hub. I'd ride everyday into the countryside to see the sights and visit with the people. I remember meeting an older man with a musical Scottish brogue who recited poetry to me. It was wonderful talking to him.  I was also waiting for funds to be sent from home. Sunny, my former wife, had agreed to manage my finances and send money as I needed it. I was still paying child support, of course.

As soon as funds arrived, I left Prestwick and rode cross country to Edinburgh, Scotland, about 85 miles away.

The Last Apocalypse  is available at  Createspace https://www.createspace.com/4569527
and
Amazon Books http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Apocalypse-Scott-Haverly/dp/1494465531/

Preswick, Scotland

Bonnie: Once you returned from Canada, what was your plan?

Scott: I didn't really have a plan other than to get to Europe and make decisions about where I would go from there. It took me about three or four days flying space available on a military hop to get from Washington State to Dover, Delaware. I met people along the way and shared my goal: I wanted to immerse myself in another culture, to get out of my own shit and do it alone. I was learning how to be sober. By then, I'd been a non-drinker for about a year.

From Dover, I flew to Berlin which was in East Germany at the time. I was only there overnight and the next day caught a hop to Prestwick on the west coast of Scotland, the home of poet Robert Burns, who wrote Auld Lang Syne. It was also location of a castle that Dwight D. Eisenhower had commandeered while getting ready for the D-Day invasion. I later visited both Robert Burns home and the castle.

Bonnie: What were your first impressions of Scotland?

Scott: The Scottish invented macadam (asphalt). As I started away from the airport, riding on the left side of the road instead of the right - easier to think about than to do, I was amazed by the smoothness of the road. It was like glass. With 60 pounds per square inch in my tires, I would have felt a hair, if I'd run over it. (Laughs). It was evening; the ocean was on my right as I headed south; it was hot (the hottest summer in 300 years) and the sun was going down. The homes I passed were all similar with thatched roofs and painted stucco walls. It was against regulations to build any structure unless it looked to be 500 years old. The Scottish mists were rolling in. I was really starting my trip in a different time, place and culture.

The Last Apocalypse  is available at  Createspace https://www.createspace.com/4569527
and
Amazon Books http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Apocalypse-Scott-Haverly/dp/1494465531/