Charles Dickens Festival

So, yesterday I decided to take on of the London Walking Tours. This one was described as an explorer day which means that it's a trip out of the city for the day. And for only £23, I thought it was a pretty good deal. That included train fare to and from Rochester, Kent and two walking tours that were about 1 1/2 hours each. Anyway, I highly recommend the tours, they are great. I'm actually planning on doing another one here in the city on Thursday dealing with the Blitz. (I told you I was a history nerd...) So, back to the walk, Rochester is where Charles Dickens lived as a child, and then again as an adult. The town is full of locations from his books, and while I haven't read many of his books, the one I remember is Great Expectations and it was just wild to see the house that he had described as being the one Miss Havesham lived in. It was actually the Restoration House, where Charles II stayed his first night back in England before returning to London to resume the throne. The tour guides were amazing, both Allison and Simon were in full costume. Rochester also has a very cool castle, and very old Cathedral. There had been a church on that sight since the year 600. Now, being an American, things like that just seem so hard to comprehend. The church used to be Saxon, but was then rebuilt in the Norman style (apparently you can tell that it's Norman because they had rounded arches only...) and then at the back is a more recent addition in the Gothic style. Oh, Rochester is also on the old Roman road, from when the Roman Empire had outposts in Great Britain.
Anyway, this Charles Dickens Christmas Festival is wonderful. There are two parades during the day with everyone dressed in period costume, they even have people dressed as some of the characters from his books. And the town has all these charming little shops and places to eat as well. It was just a wonderful day. And on the train on the way home I sat with a lovely family from Seattle, or rather a mom and her son and a friend of theirs who is from Seattle, but whose family lives here in London now. Anyway, we were talking about all sorts of things, and the man who was sitting next to us was listening to us prattle away, and as we were getting of the train, he said to me, 'so you are all Americans?' and I said that yes we were and asked him where he was from. He said that he was from Norway and that he had been to the States a few times and that he loved our country. It just made me smile. In the news there is so much anti-Americanism. I was actually a little nervous about that, but I haven't experienced anything of the sort.
It has truly been wonderful so far, and I can't wait for today's adventures. I'm off to take the bus tour of the city, to really figure out where everything is, and plan the rest of the week.
I actually chatted with Lead Momma last night, and just wanted to say to her, remember that he may drive you nuts, but he does it all out of love (I know easier said than done, right?) And also remember that it won't be forever. And take advantage of the live in babysitters and go out with Dr Spaz for a lovely meal!!!
Much more later.