As you might remember, at least once a month I get to go preach at a different church somewhere in southwest England. June 30th, it was a little community called Chandler’s Ford, near a slightly bigger community near Eastleigh, which is right outside a place you might have heard of: Southampton.

Southampton has been a major port in southwest England for a thousand years. Part of the D-Day invasions launched from there. The Mayflower left from Southampton with the Pilgrims in 1620 and the RMS Titanic left here for it’s famous half a trip across the Atlantic.

First, the church. It was one of the biggest congregations I’ve preached to over here, about 50-60 people (church attendance is much lower here than in the States). The building itself is a few hundred years old.

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After service, we journeyed down to Southampton. For lunch, I had one goal in mind: Taco Bell. You see, Mexican food is extremely hard to come by over here. Genuine restaurants are completely non-existent, and while a few places claim they have authentic Mexican, the fact that they put coleslaw on a burrito means that claim is a lie.

So, Taco Bell, as Taco Bell-ish as it is, is still a major step toward Mexican food. Unfortunately, they’re not even many of them in the U.K., only a few dozen in the whole country, the closest to us being Southampton, a good 45 minutes away. It wasn’t quite the same as Taco Bell in the states, but it still really hit the spot.

After the “Mexican”, we wandered back up town to the Sea City Museum, which focuses on Southampton’s maritime history, particularly involving the city’s involvement with the Titanic. It was fascinating. Along with the normal tragic stories of the ship, it also brought home how many people from one city were affected by the sinking. It was estimated that nearly every family in town knew someone who died when the Titanic hit the iceberg.

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It was a sobering, yet fascinating, day. Cruise ships still dock in Southampton daily, and if a cruise ever takes you there, I highly recommend stopping at the museum.