Next in the destination of Benjie and Carmen Gonzales of Long Beach California, in their tour of Europe was the Westminster Abbey. A Gothic Monastery Church, Westminster Abbey is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English monarchs. Despite being called a church, Westminster Abbey, the couple learned that it is neither a cathedral nor a parish church. It is however a church owned directly by the royal family.

Westminster Abbey is located next to the House of Parliament and a must- see for any London visitor, the couple suggested. The glorious medieval architecture dates back to the year 1050.

Found in the Abbey is the coronation throne where monarchs of England have been crowned since the 1300s. Fans of William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and other giants of literature will enjoy the Poet's Corner full of memorials to these and others.

English history or Christian history buffs will enjoy seeing the tombs of the Protestant Elizabeth I and Catholic "Bloody" Mary as well as the tombs of David Livingstone and Charles Darwin. Ten 20th-century Christian martyrs such as Deitrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Oscar Romero were immortalized in stone statues over the Great West Door.

The historic Abbey was built by Edward the Confessor between 1045-1050 and was consecrated on December 28, 1065. According to legend the construction was an act of redemption on the part of Edward who failed to keep a vow to go on a pilgrimage.

The original Abbey, which was in the Romanesque style, was built to house Benedictine monks. It was rebuilt in the Gothic style between 1245-1517. The first phase of the rebuilding was organized by Henry III, as a shrine to honor Edward the Confessor and as a suitably regal setting for Henry's own tomb, under the highest Gothic nave in England. The work was largely finished by the architect Henry Yevele in the reign of King Richard II. Henry VII added a Perpendicular style chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary in 1503.

The Abbey suffered damage during the turbulent 1640s, when it was attacked by Puritan iconoclasts, but was again protected by its close ties to the state during the Commonwealth period. It was restored to the Benedictines under Queen Mary, but they were again ejected under Queen Elizabeth I in 1559. In 1579, Elizabeth re-established Westminster as a "royal peculiar," responsible directly to the sovereign, rather than to a diocesan bishop.

Until the 19th century, Westminster was the third seat of learning in England, after Oxford and Cambridge. It was there that the first third of the King James Bible Old Testament and the last half of the New Testament were translated. The New English Bible was also put together there in the 20th century.

Husband and wife Benjie and Carmen were amazed to learn that the Abbey was the setting of a climactic scene in the Dan Brown's novel, The Da Vinci Code.

So, are you now considering Europe for your next vacation? Call us at Travel International, (310) 327-5143 and our efficient and friendly travel associates will be glad to assist you. You can also visit us on the web, www.travelinternational.net .