““History is everything that’s already happened, right up to the moment you read these words. That’s a lot to tackle for one museum, but not to worry, there are hundreds.”
― Beyond the Halls: An Insider’s Guide to Loving Museums
If you travel to any place with extended human history, you can walk around and experience architecture, gaze at majestic Cathedrals, Synagogues, and Mosques, the statues in and around them, and begin to absorb the cultural narrative for the peoples that lived and worshiped there. Modern-day motives for visiting Europe have always included visiting buildings–churches, castles and fortresses–as they became a medium, a snapshot through which we can remember the past. We can and do want to re-visit–even for a brief moment–the elegances and relics of yesteryear through architecture. We find artistry in Roman and gothic columns, splendid alters adorned with art, the residences of Kings and Queens, quaint inner-cities, and public buildings that have withstood all the tests of time, politics, wars, and bad weather. Many have been restored and maintained by cities with national support, because they represent both a mark of national pride and a source for tourist income.
European civilization normally gets divided in four time periods: Prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), Classical Antiquity (800 BC to AD 500), the Middle Ages (AD 500 to 1500) and the Modern Era (AD-1500 to now). You can find museums on all of these eras, of course, and more. For those overwhelmed or under-informed, let me first suggest a proper mindset for travelling and learning about the places you visit. For many Americans, we can barely keep our attention focused on anything beyond a Tik-Tok video (average length 21-34 seconds) or for the very studious, a YouTube video (average 11.7 minutes). No worries, the older generation did the same thing without cell phones or social medial. Does anyone remember the film (this will date you): If it’s Tuesday, this must be Belgium? This 1969 romantic comedy features a British tour guide who takes Americans on whirlwind 18-day sightseeing tours of Europe. They just had fun, and a lot of it, but really did not know where they were, let alone care that much.
As the Romans said, Tempis Fugit, or time flies, and our attention spans have flown along with it. Travel helps you learn about the past by nudging you to embrace more information about the world that came before you. Slow down, look around, use your cell phone as your camera, then think about and research what you saw before posting on social media. Food pictures always work but complement these with food for thought analysis which tastes even better. Make knowledge your readable dessert! You could keep a separate travel journal with you so you can write your impressions down every day. Or do both! Curiosity may have killed the cat, but never the traveler with an open mind. Now that’s a place to fly to!
In this post, I’ll talk primarily about the United Kingdom, but in most European cities, I would recommend taking a walking tour with a guide to familiarize yourself with the city’s history, architecture, and museums. When you walk through a city with someone who knows it, you can personally witness the evolution of architecture, identify the main cultural attractions, and scope out what museums to visit later. I consider a city’s architecture the equivalent of a “teaser-museum.” It’s the first place that catches your eye, then prompts you to learn more–which you can do later in museums organized around to particular subject, or in a restaurant or bar that caught your eye. You can always find a “5-10 best places to see article” on this or that city online, which is fine, but these rarely give you the full scoop on the background and context of a city’s truths compared to a local who has lived them. Take the time to learn about a place from someone who cares about it because they live there.
In Oxford, as well as across the United Kingdom, look for walking tour guides that have “the blue badge” which indicates the city that they work in has certified their knowledge of the local area. Under this system, guides must pass an exam to get their blue badge. That does not mean other guides will tell you lies or lead you astray, but the blue badge guarantees you will get the real scoop. There are over 2,000 blue badge guides in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Due to their knowledge, they are the only external guides technically permitted to guide the major sites. For example, St. Paul’s cathedral, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, and Windsor Castle. In London, some guides run themed walking tours such as on Jack the Ripper and the Beatles. In Oxford, you can find Harry Potter, Inspector Morse, college, public houses (pubs), and literary walking tours.
For a list of blue badge tourist guides in London, see here: Blue Badge Tourist Guides in London | Guide London
For a list of blue badge tourist guides in Oxford, see here: Blue Badge tour guides for guided sightseeing tours in Oxford (bluebadgetouristguide.co.uk)
For those on a budget, and just wanting to get a sense of the local history through local “uncertified” guides, take a look at any number of “free walking tour” options. The principle behind the free tour concept involves learning about a city without a set fee. If you liked the tour, you tip what you want. If you don’t, you have no obligation to pay. One of these companies I have tried is Freetour.com. We took a tour of Lyon, France in English that proved excellent. They have free walking tour destinations all over the world, including London, but not Oxford. For more information, see: Choose a Free Tour Worldwide | FREETOUR.com
At the Oxford Study Abroad Programme, where I teach international relations during a summer session, on the first day, right after orientation, we have all students take a walking tour of Oxford with a blue badge guide so they can familiarize themselves with their home for the next 3-4 weeks. Depending on their interests, they can later visit any or all of the key attractions they wish. Whenever you decide to come visit Old Blighty, and wherever you go in the UK for no matter how long, blimey, do yourself a favor and do a local walking tour!
And of course, keep learning and keep traveling!
Ron Bee, San Diego
