An Example of Everyday Heroism (Sisters In Europe, Part I)

My energetic and incurably generous sister, Cynthia, had her 50th birthday in 2015.  She has worked hard her entire adult life and has raised, with her husband John, three exceptional children who are now compassionate and accomplished adults.  During the two years that our mother was ill with lung cancer, prior to her death in 2013, Cynthia earned her unquestionable status as the family heroine by giving Mom daily attention and TLC, all while holding down a job and helping to care for a grand-niece!  Cynthia lives very close to where Mom resided, so the burden of being on-call for Mom naturally fell upon her, but Cynthia never complained.  Our sister, Denise, and I live several hours away by car, and we would help out whenever we could.  Mom's brother, James, moved in with her and was also immensely helpful with her care, and these days Cynthia keeps an eye on Uncle Jimmy, as well!

For some time, I had wanted to do something special for my incredible little sister.  With the support of our husbands and Cynthia's employer, I was able to whisk her away for a five-country, month-long tour of Europe during the Summer of 2015!

It was determined that London would be our travel hub.  For Americans visiting Europe for the first time, London is an ideal launching pad, because we Yanks can understand fairly well the local BBC accent (thank you, Masterpiece Theater and Harry Potter!), and London is home to so many iconic attractions.  Who hasn't heard of The Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, or Saint Paul's Cathedral? 

Cynthia on the Tower Bridge next to the London coat-of-arms
with the motto "Domine Dirige Nos" (Lord, guide us)

We stayed in my usual London haunt, a hostel now called Clink 261, formerly Ashlee House, near Kings Cross Station.  That neighborhood is convenient for excursions to just about anywhere in England, not just London, and I like that it is close to the British Library and Camden Town, where there is a lot of good shopping and great nightlife.

It was no surprise to me that Cynthia enjoyed exploring London's rich history and culture, but I was surprised to discover that she had never tried Indian food!  We were in an excellent location to fix that problem! Some of the best and most affordable meals you can have in England are prepared by people from India and Pakistan.  Our first meal in London had to be Indian, of course, and she is now an enthusiastic fan of Indian cuisine!

Further adventures of the Sisters In Europe coming soon!

Cynthia, Denise, and myself

Annie

"Spread love everywhere you go.  Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier." -- Mother Teresa