Field Trip - Canterbury

Canterbury

“ And so they lived, till their lives' very end,

In perfect joy. And may Christ Jesus send

Us husbands meek and young and fresh abed,

And then the grace to outlive those we wed…”

So speaks the Wife of Bath as she wraps up her story in the midst of Geoffrey Chaucer’s 17,000 line opus, The Canterbury Tales.  Chaucer wrote his tales near the end of the 14th century, but they were not published until much later in the 15th century and circulated through hand written copies.  This classic literary staple of high school seniors across the fruited plain involves thirty characters competing for a free meal in a story telling contest against the backdrop of a pilgrimage to the shrine of martyred St. Thomas Becket in the Canterbury cathedral.  I have always had an appreciation for this vast work, but it didn’t come alive for me until our field trip to Canterbury near the southeast tip of England.  Our main priority for extra excursions in England was Stonehenge, and once we had accomplished this goal, we tightened up on the budget to see if we could pull off the Canterbury trip.  This town and its famous cathedral hold so much historical significance that we felt an obligation to share it with our children as part of their education on the road.  Plus, Deena and I wanted to see it again, this time with my heart disease hopefully in check.

Deena mentioned in her recent budget post that we have avoided touristy-type activities in which families typically engage while on vacation.  Not today.  Our first stop in Canterbury after a two hour bus ride from London on the National Express was The Canterbury Tales Experience, an interactive literary tourist attraction which would have been right at home on Main Street in Ye Olde Gatlinburg.  A docent clad in medieval costume, Charlotte the tavern wench in this case, set the scene for our group as we assumed the roles of pilgrims on our way to Canterbury Cathedral.  We were swept into Chaucer’s world as we progressed from room to room and were told abridged tales from the Knight, Miller, Wife of Bath, Nuns’ Priest and the Pardoner through the use of Disneyesque mannequins.  I would give the tour a solid PG-13 rating due to the bawdy nature of the Miller and the Wife of Bath, but the whole thing was highly entertaining, and we enjoyed it.  At the end of the tour, Charlotte returned to wrap things up with an excellent history lesson on the events surrounding the murder of Thomas Becket.  The Canterbury Tales Experience:  fun?  Check.  Cheesy?  Check.  Moderately expensive?  Check.  Taught the kids about the Canterbury Tales in a cool, memorable way without lectures from Mom and Dad?  Checka, Checka, Check.

Canterbury Cathedral

After our pilgrimage, the pull of the cathedral was too strong to resist, and we abandoned our attempt at window shopping and went to the gates straightaway.  We gladly plunked down some more pounds and gained entrance to the grounds of one of the world’s most picturesque and historic cathedrals and the mothership of the Church of England.  Sent to Britain by the Pope in 597, St. Augustine brought Christianity to the area, began work on the cathedral, and became the first archbishop of Canterbury—not a bad resumé.  The cathedral was constructed in different stages over the centuries, and by 1077 it was completed to the point visitors enjoy today.  Surviving the ages and towering against a watery blue sky, Canterbury cathedral was stunning.  Walking the 100 meters from the gates to the main doors, our children stopped every few feet to take pictures—we smiled and knew they were hooked.  We chose not to pay for an audio tour; so we picked up a map from a friendly volunteer and wandered to the points that interested us at a leisurely pace.  The interior of the cathedral was softly glowing with the warmth of incandescent lighting, and we walked carefully on stone pavers worn smooth and uneven through the centuries.  Deveny loved the beautiful stained glass and spent time in pursuit of the perfect photograph.  Joseph was interested in the construction of the cathedral especially the crypt ceiling with its loping curves.  We wondered how people a thousand years ago had the knowledge and fortitude to construct such a massive structure trimmed with perfect details. Thomas Becket was martyred on December 20, 1170, and we stood for a long time at the place of his murder and talked for a while about the events that led to his demise at the hands of four knights (I won't present that lesson here, but it's worth looking up).  

We stopped to rest on a bench near the middle of the cathedral, and I was a bit perplexed about not seeing Becket’s burial shrine after touring most of the building.  I flagged down a nearby docent and asked about the location of Becket’s tomb.  For the next thirty minutes, Sue, the amazing volunteer, gave us an enthusiastic, colorful history lesson while we sat entranced in the light coming through the stained glass.  She told us how the cathedral was the center of the community during the time of the medieval pilgrimages and how monks would guard Becket’s shrine until morning, then ring a bell to signal opening time.  While hopeful pilgrims had valuable objects affixed to the shrine by welders, a large market was bustling in the center of the building with drunken men cavorting by the rear doors.  Rip-off artists sold indulgences to pilgrims by the front doors, and townspeople used the main sections of the cathedral as a cut-through while conducting their daily business.  What a scene this must have been.  

Sue then told us that Henry VIII had Becket’s shrine and tomb dismantled during his dissolution of the Catholic Church and made off with twenty-six ox carts overflowing with the riches of the cathedral.  The large ruby welded to the shrine was removed and can be seen on Henry’s finger in the form of a ring in portraits.  All of Henry’s antics were carried out in order to obtain a divorce which the Pope had denied and to solidify what was considered his weak link to the throne of England.  Sue’s passionate recounting of this period of history had us spellbound, and I remarked that Henry VIII must have been a scoundrel of the highest order and fell neatly into her trap.  Sue turned to me with English pride shining in her eyes and said slyly, “Henry was a man of his time.  The people of England would expect nothing less from a man guarding his throne and furthering his line.”  Point taken.  Sue asked about our children, and we told her how we are homeschooling them as we travel.  She was pleased to hear about our homeschool and curious to know how that sort of arrangement is received in the US.  She was surprised to hear that home schooling is very popular in North Carolina.  “You would receive a hefty fine for attempting that in England,” she said, and added, “But I think it’s a load of rubbish!”  Sue turned her eyes away as she told us how she had lost one of her sons and that the other one is currently in the military serving in Afghanistan.  She told us to enjoy every moment we have with our children, and we thanked her for spending so much time with our family.

The Tiered Ceiling

Some old graffiti

Silhouettes with stained glass

We spent a little more time outside the cathedral wandering the grounds near the cloister and the loggia before ending our pilgrimage and returning to the town.  We enjoyed meandering through the streets, stopping occasionally for cold drinks, and I opted for an excellent americano at an Italian coffee roasting establishment.  Late in the day we stopped for a waffle covered in chocolate sauce and ice cream at a place called Kaspas, the “King of Desserts”—said so right on the sign.  We listened in as a tour guide explained to his group the technique of testing a lady with water to see if she was a witch.  Everyone knows that if she floats, she’s a witch, duh.  The old town of Canterbury with its trendy shops, eateries, and tattoo parlors borders on the classification of tourist trap, but it’s delightful, and the cathedral, cobbled streets, and five hundred year old buildings give it a pass in my book.  We had a great time here, and we talked about our experiences as we slowly walked back to the bus station.  Two and a half hours later we were back on the crowded streets of London satisfied with our Southern Cross Academy field trip to Canterbury.  We enjoyed another splurge by dining in the three hundred year old Shakespeare pub near Victoria Station then took the long tube ride back to Stepney Green.  Back at the flat, we broke out the ledgers and calculators, did some cipherin’ and determined that we had completed all the activities on our wish list and still managed to stay under budget.  It’s hard to believe that our time in England is drawing to a close, but we’ve got ramblin’ on our minds.

Cloistered Kids