Some of my favorite moments as a tour leader are watching the expressions of our travelers as they first encounter some of these wonders. There is a particular corner where I like to skip ahead just a little so I can savor the expressions as the group rounds the corner and sees the magnificent Eiffel Tower towering above them in all its glory.
I'm sure your attention has also been captivated, as mine has, by this week's passing of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch in the history of Britain. I would be out of my league trying to fully explain the reasons for our fascination with the Royal Family and its accompanying pomp and circumstance; what follows are simply some random thoughts as I process the week's events.
25-year-old Lilibet and her husband Philip were perched in a treehouse in Kenya, watching a herd of elephants being led to a watering hole by its matriarchs, the day she got the news that her father had died in his sleep at the age of 92. …. Lilibet was Princess Elizabeth, daughter and heir to the throne of King George VI of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
241 years ago, this new country called the United States of America was regarded by many in Great Britain as nothing more than an ungrateful child. Today the relationship between the two nations is arguably the closest relationship the US has. But just because we speak the same language doesn’t mean the two cultures are identical, by any means.
I sat down this week on Skype with Dan and Rachel Wheeler, who have just recently made a big move from the county of Sussex in southern England to Nashville, Tennessee. We had a light-hearted conversation about their adjustment process, any surprises that awaited them despite the fact they had traveled to the States many times, how Brits view the British monarchy on this the Queen’s birthday, the Downton Abbey phenomenon... and we also had a few chuckles about the endlessly entertaining differences between British and American vocabulary.
I hope you enjoy meeting Dan and Rachel Wheeler.
You'll hear Rachel mention the recent book by Queen Elizabeth, entitled The Servant Queen and the King She Serves. You can find that book right here:
We’re nearing the end (already) of Season 2 of this podcast, but have some great interviews lined up before we take a break, so stay tuned. Thanks as always for listening … and please consider becoming a Patron of this podcast so we can continue to bring you great content!
