By Dana Sample
Assistant Professor of History

      Richard the Lionheart, the famous crusader and king of England in the late twelfth century, was reported to have said that in order to get money for his crusade he would sell London if anyone would buy it. This comment may not say much for the twelfth-century city, but today’s London is one of the great capitals of the world. It had been many years since I had been to London, so I eagerly signed up for the EF Tour, “Curtaintime in London,” led by Dean Amelia Harris during spring break 2004. All together, sixteen participants from UVa-Wise traveled to London from Charlotte on March 11, 2004. These included two students, Lora Wharton and Carrie Blair, current faculty Sandy Richardson and Andrew Harvey, retired faculty
George Culbertson and Glenn Blackburn, spouses, and family members. I persuaded my parents, Jim and Joyce Sample, to sign up for the trip as well.
      I have always said that Paris is my favorite city in the world, but after taking this trip London ranks a very close second. It is
true that the weather in London is not great - when we arrived at Heathrow in the early morning hours of March 12 it was snowing, and we saw several days of rain during the trip - but gloomy weather did not dampen the fun we had touring the city. We took in many of the major sites that attract tourists from all over the world: St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London (where we saw the fabulous crown jewels), Big Ben, the British Museum, the Houses of Parliament, the restored Globe Museum, and the Imperial War Museum. I asked a British policeman, a “bobby,” stationed near 10 Downing Street where the Prime Minister lives, if I could walk past the residence. He replied, “Sure, if you are the Prime Minister!” He seemed amused at this cheeky American.
      My favorite parts of the trip centered on my research interests in medieval and early modern European history. I dragged my parents to the National Portrait Gallery because I wanted to view the famous portraits of the kings and queens of England that I had only seen before in books. We also went to Westminster Abbey, where I was able to visit the fabulous tombs of Edward III, Henry V, Henry VII, Elizabeth I, and Mary Queen of Scots. Interestingly enough, when we visited Windsor Castle, about one-half hour outside of London, I almost missed where Henry VIII was buried in the chapel, because all that denotes his resting place (and that of his third wife, Jane Seymour) is a faded black marker set in the floor.
      Getting my history fix was not the only fun I had in London.
We went to see three plays. The first, Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, was performed in London’s version of off-Broadway. The theater was
very small, and we had seats right in front of the stage. The next day we attended a matinee performance of the Reduced Shakespeare Company, The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged). I laughed so hard I cried. On a more frightening note, the third play we saw was The Man in Black, a ghost story publicized as the scariest theater experience in London. Other participants in our group went to see additional plays including Chicago and Les Misérables. We had a great time in London. It is a fabulous city that caters to many
interests. Museums, plays, cathedrals, touring, shopping, fine dining – there is something for everyone. Richard the Lionheart’s London might not have been much of a city, but how surprised
he would be today!

     To mark the sixtieth anniversary of the allied invasion of Normandy, UVa-Wise is planning a guided trip to the D-Day battlefields as well as a side trip to Paris. The customized tour will be led by Brian Wills, Kenneth Asbury Professor of History, and Dana Sample, assistant professor of history. A tentative departure date of Oct. 16, 2004, has been set for the weeklong trip.
      Sites to be visited during the tour include Omaha and Utah beaches, the American cemetery at Omaha Beach, Ste-Mere-Eglise, Arromanches, the Bayeux Tapestry Museum, and the Chateau of William the Conqueror in Caen. A tour of Paris is also included. The cost is $2,172 for adults 25 and older and includes round trip airfare to Paris from Charlotte, N.C., hotels in Caen and Paris, breakfast and dinner daily, and entrance fees to museums and other sites.

      The application (with the application fee of $95) is due June 15, 2004, with full payment due by July 1. For more information or a tour application form, contact Dana Sample by calling (276) 376-4580 or via email at dls4v@uvawise.edu.