We’ve been getting spoiled and able to sleep in later, but today’s train left before nine. We were up at 6:30. Doing the routine of having breakfast and packing things up, as well as doing a little light cleaning of our Airbnb space. The walk to the train station was much more straightforward than the way Google Maps had brought us when we arrived a couple of days before.
The train went quite well. But, when we got to the place where we needed to change trains in Birmingham, it was very confusing to figure out where the platform was for our train. A very nice train employee came up asked where we were going and then actually led us through an employee-only elevator and down below passageways. We apparently looked too old to walk so far carrying our suitcases. But we were willing to accept a little extra help. It has been a little bit sobering having people regularly ask if we need help carrying our suitcases or we apparently look really lost and they want to help us. Very nice of people to be kind but you don’t really want to be those old people who really need extra help.
Then it was just 15 minutes to the train station in Coventry where we would be met by our Servas host, John.
As it turns out, John lived literally a one minute walk from the train station. We thought we were walking to a car and then we turned a corner and we were at his house. We had a lovely time chatting and having some lunch and then we walked together to the central part of Coventry. This was a 15 minute easy walk.
Coventry is particularly well-known because its grand Cathedral was bombed and nearly 90% destroyed early in World War II, leaving only a shell. Incendiary bombs hit the roof causing it to collapse with the timbers inside burning and destroyed. After the war was over, the community, after long, complicated debates, made a decision to leave the shell of the cathedral there, and build a new cathedral right next door, as a sign of hope, forgiveness, reconciliation and peace. Visiting there is a very powerful experience.
Dick remembers coming 50 years ago and what an impression it made up upon him then. It is extremely powerful to remember the fear and hatred that resulted in this beautiful building being nearly destroyed. But the amount of hopefulness in the new building is so powerful.
Dick remembered and sought out a particular piece of art that had just been donated the year before he had originally seen it in 1972. As we looked at it, he realized it was donated by a congregation in Cincinnati, Ohio, where his parents lived the last years of their life. And they were living there at the time it had been donated.
We learned from our host many of the back stories about the cathedral and activities there. They do a special ceremony every year in August in memory of the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There are also many other important peacemaking groups and events that happen in this amazing church.
The other major reason that Coventry became famous is because this was the place that Lady Godiva lived, and took her famous ride in 1678. John was able to bring us to the Coventry Art Museum that had a whole gallery based on the Lady Godiva legend. It was one we were vaguely familiar with, but very fun to see a whole variety of different paintings and writings of the story. The basic core was this was a woman whose husband decided to impose unfair taxes on the community. His wife protested this and he answered if she were to ride through the town naked on a horse, he would not impose the taxes. The word spread that she was going to do this, and that all men should avert their eyes and stay away from watching her. All obeyed this except for one man, Tom, who couldn’t resist, and poked his head out the window to see her. When he saw her, he was immediately blinded, and was forever known as Peeping Tom. Who knew that’s where that expression came from? So Patti is now going to percolate and see if there’s a tellable story somewhere in this.
We went and had some afternoon coffee and tea, but were sure to be back in place for the mechanical clock of lady Godiva and Peeping Tom that chimed on the hour. Lady Godiva rode out, while Tom pepped at her from above. Not super impressive, but fun.
Back to John’s home for a little rest and then a delicious vegetarian meal of nut loaf and vegetables, including the first of the new potatoes fresh out of the garden, homegrown by John.
A little more visiting about traveling and gardening and then off to bed. Always so much to visit with our Servas hosts about.
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