“I am not from the UK or Britain, and I’m certainly not British, I am English and I’m from England”, said the person in the cubicle next to me. I quickly agreed with him not wanting to rile this British, I mean English, guy next to me. Of course I agree with him and have always refereed to England as England, and Scotland as Scotland, and Wales as Wales. I know something of the history of this region although the nuances of specific titles is somewhat foreign to me.
England: A little History
I do know they believe Stonehenge was erected somewhere around 2500 – 3000 B.C. (around the same time as the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt). I also know the Romans had outposts in England, and historical records show various forms of human inhabitants that goes back for thousands of years.
However I also remember that the name England means “Land of Angles” which was named after a Germanic Tribe that settled in the area in the early middle ages. I, of course, was not going to mention this since my colleague was quite irritated at the moment. He certainly did not need to be reminded that, although he may be English, it seems that if you go back far enough we are all related in some way.
Not to mention that English is now accepted as the language of default for nearly every intercultural transaction around the world. This does no negate the fact that other countries played a significant and important role in the development of the world today, but to deny the influence of England role in history would do a disservice to modern societies.
Great Sights in London
Many Great Sights Outside London
One of the most enjoyable experience for me is to sit back, and watch all scenery go by when I travel in England. Pretty much anywhere you go in England you are going to find beautiful green countryside. Sometimes I think every stressed out person in London, or any metropolitan area, should jump on a train, grab a window seat, put on some good music, lean back, relax and just watch the country side roll by. Sometimes it’s good to get out of our environment and learn to enjoy the simple things in life.
Dover
I have spent many hours wandering around the town, enjoying a drink and food at a local pub, or just strolling downtown visiting the local shops. Of course one of the big draws is to take a nice hike along the white cliffs. You are better off taking a cab, which will take you right to the beginning of the hike, if you take a bus you will have to walk a few miles to get to the starting point. However once you get there the short hike to the light house is well worth it.
This area is pretty much a huge chalk deposit (yes the stuff they make school chalk out of). There are a number of paths to take and the walk to the lighthouse is about an hour or two if you go slow.
Saint Margaret’s
If you don’t want to hike back you can keep going for about 20 minutes and end up in the small town of Saint Margaret’s (at the end of the trail make sure you stop at the old coast guard station and have some food and drink because you will be thirsty). From the top of the hill you can catch a bus back to town, and don’t worry there is only one road that leads up from the beach area where the trail ends.
Brighton
Afterward try to take the nice walk back to the train station and spend time enjoying the unique shops and stores in the old town area. I found the greatest three-story guitar store there and spent a few hours playing the various guitars there and it is a dream to go back next time and pick up a new acoustic guitar and a few harmonicas, and go down to the beach for a good jam session.