I few weeks ago, I decided to take off Friday to visit Westminster Abbey, as I did not wish to brave the crowds on Saturday. The first abbey on the site dated from 1066, the year of the Norman conquest. Every coronation since 1066 has taken place in the abbey, and the new monarch sits in a chair dubbed the "Coronation Chair," which dates from the time of Edward I in 1296. That year, Edward defeated the Scots and captured the "Stone of Scone," an ancient Scottish artifact with supposed ties to the Biblical Jacob, and placed the stone in the Coronation Chair just under the seat. The stone was returned to Scotland in 1996, with provisions to transport it to Westminster Abbey for future coronations. The current building of Westminster Abbey, begun in 1245, is breathtaking, both inside and out. Like many older churches, Westminster Abbey contains numerous tombs and monuments, except that many of the tombs at Westminster belong to monarchs or notable historical figures. Among the most recognizable royal tombs are those of Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, and Edward the Confessor. James I, Queen Anne, and George II are also buried there. The nave contains the tombs of some famous British scientists, including Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, J.J. Thomson (discoverer of the electron), and William Thomson, Lord Kelvin. My favorite area of the Abbey, though, was Poets' Corner, a name given to the South Transept due to the number of writers buried there. Easily recognizable poets and authors laid to rest there include Robert Browning, Geoffrey Chaucer, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Rudyard Kipling, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson. George Frederick Handel and Laurence Olivier are also buried in Poet's Corner, due to their contributions to music and film, respectively.

The following day, Saturday, I went to Oxford, to gain a perspective on what students encouter at the world's oldest English-speaking university. The university is divided into 39 colleges, which have separate campuses throughout the city, and offer many of the same majors. Some families have attended the same college for generations, a source of tremendous pride for them. The most popular extracurricular activity is said to be rowing, where each college has several mens and womens teams of different skill levels. The colleges not only compete against one another, but also represent the university in national meets. Each college consists a four main parts: a dining hall, chapel, library, and dormitories. The oldest college, Balliol College, was founded in 1263. Christ Church College is perhaps the most famous college, being know for its aristocratic air, having produced 13 prime ministers, and being featured in the Harry Potter films. Christ Church is also the cathedral church of the diocese of Oxford. My favorite college, of the ones I visited, was Magdalen (pronounced "maudlin") College, founded in 1458. Its Great Tower, built from 1492 to 1509, is a prominent landmark within the city. The Grove, where deer roam freely, was, for me, the most serene spot in Oxford. Magdalen's large green spaces, combined with its medieval architecture, contrasted noticably to the many smaller colleges with less green space, making it the perfect ending to my day.

On Sunday, I went to Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guard and tour the State Rooms. The Changing of the Guard was quite a spectacle, and I had to fight for every glimpse I got, taking advantage of those in front of me who were vertically challenged. On this particular day, the male guard on duty was being replaced by a female guard, easily identifiable by their differing uniforms. While I expected the band to play more formal marches, they instead played to the crowd, with tunes such as Micheal Jackson's "Beat It," and in a nod to the Beatles, "With a Little Help from My Friends," and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." Going on a Sunday made for a much bigger crowd, but I was able to get some decent photos by trial and error, aiming my camera over everyone's heads, in the general direction of the guard or band. The ceremony itself lasts about 45 minutes, and the band plays for the entire time, as each of the sentries on duty outside the palace is relieved of his or her post. In the afternoon, I toured the State Rooms of Buckingham Palace, which were stunning both in size and splendor. The public is allowed access to the state rooms only from July-September, while the queen is away for the summer. This year, the banquet hall is set up as it would be for a formal royal banquet, which is normally held when foreign heads of state are visiting Queen Elizabeth II. The staff spends days preparing for the banquet, ensuring that all of the place settings, some 60 in all, are perfectly aligned. During the banquet, the service of the different courses is perfectly choreographed by the director, who stands behind the queen to observe all of the waiters. The palace contains an art gallery which shows the good taste of the monarchs from the last two centuries, and it also contains portraits of a number of monarchs, including several family portraits of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and their children. Numerous references to Queen Victoria exist throughout the city of London, as well as references to her beloved husband, whose death in 1861 from typhoid set her to mourning for her remaining 40 years.