A Bit O' Blarney

“Changing of the Guards”

Well, the time has come to not only say goodbye to London but to bring our 18-month journey to a close. It’s our final blog, and it’s impossible to adequately capture all of our thoughts and emotions.

Spring in London: We started March off with a visit from Eric’s cousin James and wife Joyce. It was a short but fun-filled visit. Joyce lived in London for a stint, so she got to play tour guide and introduce us to her favorite museum, the wonderful John Soane home and art museum.

March brought the arrival of spring, which was glorious. It’s like in “The Wizard of Oz” where everything suddenly goes from black and white to Technicolor. The lights turn on, and everything is in bloom. We got more sun in our last six weeks in London than we did during our entire year in Ireland. (To be fair, Ireland got the same sunny spring weather as London, but we can’t help but feel as if Ireland was holding out on us.) We spent as much time as possible outdoors enjoying London’s magnificent parks and strolling along the lovely River Thames.

After finally emerging from hibernation season, we took the opportunity to visit our neighbors. Hampton Court Palace, just down river, is where Henry VIII lived with his six wives, known by their fates: divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived. Kinda catchy, right? We also visited Highclere Castle, home of Downton Abbey, where we had tea and spoke to each other with posh accents.

History Lesson: One of the most enriching things about living abroad has been the education. There’s nothing like learning history in context. While we knew London was bombed during WW2, it was astonishing to see the visualization of the German Blitz, when 20,000 bombs were dropped on London. 600 of those fell on Richmond, including the neighborhood where we lived. It gave us a greater appreciation for how the war affected everyday people.

Eric’s brother Matt and sister Liz also came to London, and we enjoyed extended time with them. We visited some excellent history museums and continued our WW2 history tour with a trip to Krakow, most notably the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial and museum. It was hard to prepare for what we knew would be a heart-wrenching experience. It was chilling to stand on the site and see with our own eyes the utter size and scale of the complex where 1.1 million people, mostly Jews, were killed in the Holocaust. We bear witness to their lives and honor their memory.

From there, we went on to Prague, which is truly a magnificent city. It was spared bombing during WW2 and is a city full of rich history and culture.

The centerpiece of the city is the beautiful Prague Castle. When the Rolling Stones played a concert there in 1996, Mick Jagger asked, “Hey, why don’t you light up your castle at night?” A hosting politician said, “Well, we are just freshly out of communism. The country does not have the money for that.” So, the Rolling Stones bought and installed the castle’s lighting system.

Farewell to London: One of the things we’ll miss about London is living in a walkable town and having great public transportation, a foreign concept to San Diegans. We had easy access to all that London has to offer and rarely had to drive. That said, we really will miss the confidence-inspiring road signs.

Great Scott!: We rounded out our tour of the British Isles by taking a circuitous route to Ireland via Scotland. There’s a lot about Scotland that felt familiar. Scotland and Ireland share a Celtic heritage: Gaelic language roots and a culture of music and folklore. The terrain is also rugged, very Wuthering Heights. But when it comes to mountains, Scotland wins. England has 4 mountains, Wales 8, Ireland 25, and Scotland 82. The landscapes of Scotland are particularly dramatic and beautiful.

While we didn’t spot the Loch Ness Monster (Nessie), we did get a glimpse of a Highland or Hairy Coo, which looks like an ancient creature in desperate need of a haircut.

Slán Agus Beannacht (Goodbye and Blessings): We ended our journey where it began, in Ireland. While we enjoyed our time in London, living in rural western Ireland for a year was the experience of a lifetime. It’s a different way of life. You gotta love a place where people plan their laundry around the forecast. Why wouldn’t you dry your clothes outside when it only rains two out of every three days? We’ll miss things like the funeral home that is also a taxi service. Mostly, we’ll miss the soul-enriching pastoral beauty of Ireland, the cultural richness of a land steeped in tradition and history, and the uncommon warmth and wit of the Irish people who form a tight but welcoming community. We found a vibrant and intellectually enriching social and cultural life in a rural town of 6,000 people. We made friends and memories we will carry with us for a lifetime. We are grateful for our time in Ireland and are richer for it. So, tanks a million, Ireland! We’ll miss ye to be sure! ☘️

Home is Home 💕: While we have mixed emotions about ending our journey, we very much look forward to being home in San Diego next week!

We hug you tightly!

Eric & Sharon