Lincoln:

England's Best Kept Secret

We spent three wonderful days in England, which isn't nearly enough time. And, I mistakenly assumed that Lincoln (where we were to attend a meeting) was just a short ride from London. But, it turns out Lincoln (in Lincolnshire) was 130 miles north of Heathrow Airport! It was embarrassing to find out how little I know of Europe, and especially England. I sent an email to my friend in Lincoln, thinking maybe we could just take a taxi from the airport to the hotel in Lincoln! She must have wondered how this crazy woman and her husband would ever get to Lincoln; but we did. We got the underground (or tube) at the airport to Paddington Station, and then took a taxi to King's Cross Station. We enjoyed a delightful train ride through the English countryside and made it to the Ibis Hotel (a very nice hotel chain in Europe).

We had a lovely time meeting new friends at the AGM of the Lincolnshire Post Polio Network. Our friend, Hilary, took us on a tour of the beautiful Lincoln Cathedral which is over 900 years old: it was consecrated in 1092. It is considered to be the finest English Gothic cathedral, as well as one of the largest. It was rebuilt after a fire in 1141, had major damage from the earthquake in 1185, the central tower collapsed in 1237, the spire on the central tower blew down in 1548, but the western spires remained until 1807, when they were removed for safety reasons. It was huge, and beautifully restored, but I couldn't have seen nearly as much of it without my little Amigo scooter.

The Lincoln Castle is right next to the cathedral. We took a nice walk though the castle. I do wish that we had had more time and energy to explore it more. We had some ice cream at The Lawn, and toured the small, but very interesting museum on archeology of the area. I also found it interesting that the Sheffield Marina is in Lincoln, because there is no river in Sheffield! (Sheffield is where the movie comedy, "The Full Monty," was filmed.) I would love to go back to England and see more of Lincoln and other places. Maybe, we could even stop in London for a tour and something to eat!

Passing thorough London

All we got to see in London was what we could recognize from the taxis to and from Paddington and Waterloo Stations. We were able to identify Westminster Abbey and Big Ben down by the Thames. John wanted to ride on the Millennium Wheel, but there just wasn't enough time on this trip. We took the Chunnel Train (Eurostar) from London to Paris. The train is very fast, taking you under the English Channel in only 20 minutes. It is sort of a non-event, nothing but darkness outside the windows. I don't really know what I was expecting as there isn't much you can do with a tunnel. I think I'd prefer a ferry on a calm day, but it wasn't really an option for us this time, and at least we can say, "been there, done that." The Chunnel Train is wonderful for those going to Paris or Brussels from London as it cuts travel time to about 3 hours.

Links:
The English Language (UK vs USA):
Take for instance: Hotels
"In the UK the floors in a hotel are numbered ground floor, first floor, second floor etc. In other words the first floor is the second floor, the second is the third and so on and so on. In the US, you have a more sensible numbering system."

The Cloister Garden at the Lincoln Cathedral
Nice pictures on page about the history and beauty of Lincoln
More Lincoln Attractions
Public transportation information for Disabled Travellers in London
Access in London is a recommended book, but there's great info on this website.
Undiscovered Britain (England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales)
Alfred Lord Tennyson(1809-1892), Poet Laureate, and famous resident of Lincolnshire (born in Somersby).