There I was, asleep on the train, slowly cruising along the tracks effortlessly, with its wheels going back and forth. I couldn’t fall asleep because of the rocking and bumps we’ve encountered every now and then. I was laying down on a soft carpeted two-seater, with a table separating me from my mom and sister. Windows on every side I looked toward a magnifying light, the sun that warmed my face.. There weren’t many families or businessmen on this train, because it was heading to a small quiet town in Wiltshire England.

Soft white clouds were floating in the sky, all different shapes and sizes. They provided temporary peace from the sun shining right on our faces. Soft patches of grass were dark like emeralds, with dark tress protruding from the earth, reaching towards the sky with their branches. Streams and rivers, rushing and gushing next to the train tracks were common in these parts of England. They were small, but provided a calm aesthetic to the hilly landscape. This was a complete contrast to the days previous, where there were cars racing by, in the streets of London. Tall skyscrapers taller than anything I’ve ever seen before.

This whole day we were tired, because we never have a moment of rest. It was always racing against the unbeatable time, for a chance to visit every tourist site we could think of.

Other people on the train sat quietly, some reading books, others on their phones calling friends. All of a sudden, *Screeeeeeecchhhhhh* The train came to a sudden stop. I looked outside and realized we were there. Strange thoughts about what this place was like were buzzing around our heads.

“Can I just go back to sleep” she said in a soft tone

My mother was easily irritated by this, “ Get your lazy butt up or I’ll drag you by your toe out of here.”

I was practically sleep walking at this point. All I could think about was putting one foot in front of the other. We would soon be off the train and facing cobblestone streets, with rows of houses that must have been built over 50 years ago. The walls had vines creeping up the sides, and cracks in certain spots. It smelled like roses and fresh cuts grass. We walked a couple blocks down, passing strangers who were very friendly and often said, “Good morning.”

Eventually we reached a shaded area of open field, with a tiny café. We walked inside, and I was hit with a wave of what smelled like tea and honey. The place was crowded, so when we talked to the waitress it was hard to hear. They had hallways leading into rooms where you could be seated down with a tea tray. There was an open space in the back of the café, but it was outside. We walked through two glass doors and made our way outside. My mom and sister were talking about how cute and cozy the place was, but my mind was on the food. A three-hour train ride across the country can take it out of you. There was a black picket fence around waist high, surrounding the patio like seating area. The view was spectacular. White flowers poking their heads out of the ground, and families having picnics on blankets. Trees producing their leaves, which occasionally fell of and floated out into the air with the help of the breeze. You couldn’t miss the cathedral in the back-round. From an aerial view it was almost shaped like a cross, but the two sides connected to make a square on each side. The walls shot up hundreds of feet, with great stone pillars. In the center was a tower, taller than the rest, and came to a point at the top with a cross. The entrance had a gigantic wooden gate, with streaks of metal bars to support its weight. Two huge wooden doors stretching across the width of the wall. It almost looked like a small castle. It loomed over the open are on all sides.

“What would you like sir?” the waitress was said awkwardly, having to ask for the second time

I realized I had been zoned out “I’ll have the earl grey tea.”

“Ill be right out with those in a moment.” the waitress said happily as she walked back inside.

My mom had visited England several times before this, so she was familiar with all the sorts of food and drinks they had over here. “Here you are.” the waitress exclaimed as she slid our pots of tea across the circular table. The she brought out a miniature tower with multiple levels, each holding their own food item. Some sandwiches, and some deserts.

I started to stuff my mouth full of every type of food. My mom had more manners, so she looked disappointed in my crude eating habits.

“This is so good!” I said in between bites.

“We should come here more often” For once I finally agreed with my sister.

We finished fairly quickly, leaving barely any room in our stomachs. After all, we were only going to be in England for another day or two. It was a short walk to the cathedral, as we got there in about a minute’s walk. We had to go through a security gate, then proceeded to walk inside. The doors slowly creaked open, an on the inside, was a huge hallway, with chairs lined down the middle. There were stone pillars that marked the hallway, and on the outsides of those, were statues of Saints, old kings, even some animals. They were all lined up in rows. At the end of the hallway, was a podium with a cathedral on right behind it. The pews for choir members to stand and sing their hymns. The church must have still been in use, because there were signs marking services at certain times. We would walk down and explore every carving, reading the metal captions at the bottom, telling their stories. The ceiling must have been one of the best parts. There was stained glass of all different colors, and carvings of pictures and designs throughout the entire first building.

Near the end was a door, leading to the courtyard. We took the one on the right, since the Magna Carta was on this side. It was like a square with walkways all around this grass field in the middle. And stone cut windows on each wall. We took turns posing in each window, getting pictures for memories. Chairs marked station where you could sit down and take a rest. This wasn’t the main focus though, it was the Magna Carta that took all of our attention. It is one of the oldest books know to man, and was written establishing rules fir Kings of England, and power of the parliament. Metals doors blocked the entrance, with an usher letting a certain amount of people in at a time. Once we were inside, it had that old smell you have at your grandparents house. It was a circular room, with a tent in the middle. It was dark inside the tent, as to not disturb the structure of the papers. It was sealed inside of a glass box, and you couldn’t take any pictures.

“That’s actually pretty cool.” I said, with an excited look on my face

My mom on the other hand, took this all seriously “This is one of the earliest documents know to England. Don’t you two go playing around. Its very fragile.”

“I know. Its just a book though, not like its gold.” I didn’t know it was worth more than that. I wasn’t much into History at the time, so I blew it off

After that we all decided to head home. This is what we came here to see, and it didn’t disappoint in any aspect.  It would take us at least another couple of hours to get home to our hotel in London. We started walking back when we realized the train left in 20 minutes. We all practically sprinted down the streets, having weird glances be thrown at us by suspicious eyes. My feet hurt from running on the concrete towards the station, but we could see it in the horizon. Just a little further to go, and we would make it. All of a sudden, people started boarding. Im not sure if I’ll ever be an Olympic swimmer, or any of my relatives, but holy crap we ran fast. In fact, I had never seen my mom run at all. We turned corners in different neighborhoods, started our way down the sidewalk next to the train tracks and by apartment buildings. Finally, we reached the gravel path leading to the boarding deck. Just in the nick of time, we managed to slip into the doors, with them shutting behind us. Quickly taking our seats we sat back, embracing the comfort of the soft chairs again.

This was one of the best trips I’ve ever had, just because of how cool the cathedral looked in all its power. Hopefully I can fly over here again.