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/