Last Day in London :(

Our last day in London led us to Leeds Castle. I have never seen a real castle before, but it was just as how I would imagine it! The drawbridge was no longer there, but we could see the old mill and gate still in place (murder holes for pouring hot oil and all). We had audio guides for our tour of the castle, so we got to hear all about the previous owners of the castle. What really interested me about Leeds was the fact that it was a Lady's Castle, having been owned mostly by women. For example, King Henry and one of his wives used to live there. We got to see her giant night bed and her small day bed, as well as what would have been her bath. Besides Kings and Queens, many famous people visited Leeds Castle. For example, JFK and Charlie Chaplin attended parties there. Not only did famous people visit, but important events like the discussions that later led to the Camp David Peace Summit occurred in Leeds Castle. The castle had so many stories tied to it, like the love story of Edward the first and Eleanor of Castile and the tragedy of Richard the second's kidnapping and murder. Lady Baillie, the last owner, probably had the most visible impact, being the last to live there. Not only is the castle gorgeous though, the grounds are too. There were black swans and peacocks walking around and a beautiful lake too.

After Leeds Castle, we got back on the coach and drove to Canterbury. On the way, we heard the story about Thomas Becket who was murdered because of a disagreement between him and Henry II. Becket became a martyr as he was killed in his own church. Even though he knew that the knights were coming, he never closed the doors of the cathedral. Canterbury Cathedral was really very beautiful. The Puritans destroyed a lot of stained glass windows, but there was one showing the genealogy of Christ that still remained, as well as some other panels that have mostly lost the rest of their sequence. We never got to see Becket's tomb though because crazy King Henry VIII went on a rampage through the church, burning Becket's tomb and supposedly throwing the ashes into the ocean. Where the tomb used to be is a burning candle though. The town of Canterbury was pretty much how I imagined it. Despite all the major stores, there were still cobblestone roads and old timey shops. I really enjoyed Canterbury.

We ended the last day shopping. We ran back to Harrods for some last minute gifts and then grabbed some Cadbury chocolates for the family. We saw a man playing the song from Titanic on a giant harp in the tube station and laughed about how he managed to carry that harp in. I really enjoyed my time in London, and I definitely learned a lot more in a week there then I think I ever could in the classroom.