London is more than just Britain's capital

By Johannes Simbolon

LONDON (JP): "Nothing compares to the beauty of the English countryside" is the usual comment from those lucky enough to visit England.

Although others may argue that "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder", there is an element of truth to that notion.

This capital of England is therefore more than just the seat of the British government and monarchy, or home to a rich cultural heritage contained in museums and represented by fine architecture. London is also the gate to all the English - and for that matter the British - beauty, to a very vast park laden with blossoms, green pastures, hills, creeks, valleys -- almost all that makes nature beautiful.

There, all the country's pulchritude seems to collect and reach its peak. Only after wandering through this land can we understand why William Shakespeare hailed his country as "this blessed plot."

During our recent trip here, we were able to witness some parts of the "park."

"We are taking you to the countryside so that you can see for yourselves that Britain is not only London," said John Gaudern, the BTA (British Tourism Authority) manager for Southeast Asia.

Gaudern was completely right. During the two-day trip into Britain's hinterland, we saw things we did not at all anticipate while back in London. As the coach driven by Andy Llewelyn-Jones, a scientist-turned-travel agent, slowly headed west from bustling London, the "vast park" started to unveil its richness, every now and then reminding us of Alice in Wonderland.

We Indonesians are well accustomed to natural beauty, and have perhaps been dulled by it since spectacular vistas are abundant in our country. Above all, many westerners hail our land as "the lost paradise" -- a label we are quite proud of.

The sort of paradise we discovered in Britain's countryside is some kind of an antithesis. It is not "lost" like ours, whose notion implies "there is no human touch or it grows by itself."

Cultivated

The British paradise is instead "cultivated." Its beauty in most cases does not appear by itself. Instead, it is man-made. Traces of culture are as apparent as animal footprints in marshy land. It's the culture of a people with a deep concern for nature, who love to preserve it and make it ever lovelier and more charming.

It was early spring, so it was still chilly outside. The ground was partially covered with snow, which however failed to blanket its charm. Several hamlets and villages passed one by one as our coach moved along slowly. There was little evidence of human life; only the brisk air and the remaining snow might know their whereabouts. Here and there, groups of brick houses looked lonely amid the vast landscape. We could see the splendor of the blossoms in the farmers' gardens and the clear flowing water of the streams.

That British countryside appears different from ours. It is mainly due to differences in land use. While our farmers plow their land for farming, farmers in Britain mainly use it for animal husbandry. Muddy plots, which are typical of our rustic land as the consequence of farming activities, are nowhere to be found. All is pasture, which turn alternately white and green over the course of the year.

Following the melting of the snow, the pastures had mostly already turned green at the time of our trip.

The first stop on the countryside trip was in Avebury, which takes pride in what the Britons call "Stone Circle", relics form Stone Age people dating back to 3,000 BC. The relics consist of hundreds of cuts of stone erected to form a circle around the village. The stones along with its formation are believed to have a mysterious spiritual meaning.

There are some ancient monuments in the countryside, including "Stonehenge" in Wiltshire. The relics themselves may not attract Indonesians since we have similar monuments in our country. Still, any Indonesian would be amazed to see the beautiful and exotic huge, black stones stand amid the vast, green pastures. Ours, to be honest, rarely convey that ambience.

The next stop was a pub. At first, we found it rather funny to hear from Gaudern prior to our trip that pubs hold an indispensable position in the British tourism business.

Pub

"A pub is a place where people not only have their meals and drink, but also talk about politics and develop social contacts," said Gaudern.

We called at an "award-winning" pub named "The White Hart" at Ford near Chippenham, reportedly built in 1553. It is situated by a stream where visitors can fish, while indulging in an eating and drinking binge. But nevertheless, pubs are somewhat similar to our rural warung. Like British pubs, our rural warung are also the scene of daily rendezvous among villagers where they can talk freely about anything, politics included.

The Britons' pride in their pubs may result from a growing boredom over the individualistic atmosphere and orderliness they find in fancy, urban bars and restaurants. Like those who live in urban areas, they long for privacy and for a warm togetherness. Pubs meet this need.

Another reason why pubs are a must when visiting Britain is that they offer menus and accommodations of the same quality as those available at modern lodgings, but at cheaper prices.