Left our hotel and headed off for the Soho District. Sam wanted to check out some of London's 'bohemia' since we did the same in Paris. Apparently, bohemians don't get up too early, because Soho does not exactly rock at 9 am. Shoulda figured that one out on our own. Next stop: Picadilly Circus. I knew it was much ado about nothing, but you have to at last give it a good gawk while you're here. We did - and then moved on down towards lower Westminster.
It was quite windy today - though the weather had improved quite a bit otherwise. Some clouds, but some sun as well. Not a drop of rain - a relief after dodging rain all day yesterday. We made our way down to St. James and Buckingham Palaces. As impressive as I could have imagined. Didn't spend too much time -- just did one of our flybys.
We stopped for another look at Westminster Abbey and then decided to come back later in the day - the Abbey was open late this evening and we thought it would be a better use of time NOT to stand in line and let the crowds thin out. So we continued across Westminster Bridge to take a look around Southwark. Walked right up to the London Eye, but already knew it wasn't something we wanted to do. Trying to spend out pounds as wisely as possible - the exchange rate still makes my head spin.No day on this trip would be complete without some unnecessary walking and today was no exception. Our PLAN was to walk over to Shakespeare's Globe, but we managed to take a few wrong turns along the way. We did make it - but there were definitely a few moments when I doubted we ever would. LOVED the Globe and actually did the full tour. I know it's not the original structure, but it was darned cool nonetheless.
After our visit with the Bard, we walked across the Millennial Bridge and were met with the incredible views of St. Paul's. Found a nice cafe for lunch that offered a commanding view of the cathedral. If my husband is really nice, he'll insert that picture right about here. You can even see the writing on the glass of the cafe as you look at St. Paul's. Didn't tour St. Paul's since we knew we would be doing Westminster Abbey later.Next stop: The London Museum. Really liked it - and the free admission. They do a good job of relating the history of London and it's so cool that the Museum itself is set in a part of the city with remains of the Roman-built wall around it. I cannot get enough of the Roman ruins - both here and in Paris. Warning to husband - trip to Rome needs to be in our future.
After the museum, we did another little side jaunt to a few markets - one was Petticoat and now I have forgotten the name of the other one - but it's near Brick Lane. Sam was really excited to see some LPs and disappointed that it would be too tricky to drag a few home. She bought a gift for a friend, which I won't mention here, because rumor has it he has been 'creeping' on my blog. (Hi Alan!)
After the markets, we broke down and got on the Tube back to Westminster - keep in mind that everything has been walking up to this point. Got there a little earlier than we intended, so we stopped for drinks and relaxed in the park area in front of the Abbey and read for a bit. Finally entered at about 5:30. It was a great time to visit - not crowded at all.
My impressions of Westminster Abbey: it's gorgeous. Beautifully constructed and engineered so long ago that it makes my head hurt. But at the same time - all the tombs and crypts and such were just a little bit creepy. I mean, half the time you're walking over burial spots. Whose idea was it to just toss so many dead people in there? Who wants to be coronated with all those guys (and girls) looking on? And while I was a little creeped out by the NUMBER of dead people there, it was staggering to stand next to, say, the burial sites of Elizabeth I and her sister Mary, for one. How is it possible that an ordinary person can be be literally two feet away from the remains of a former Queen of England? Discuss amongst yourselves. Also really dug the Geoffrey Chaucer tomb. No pun intended, I assure you.
After the Abbey, we tubed back to a stop near our hotel and then wandered off to yet another pub (Sam's request) for dinner. I think she wanted to experience being able to order a beer one more time before returning to the land of 'over 21.' She got carded for the first time and I think she really enjoyed whipping out that I.D. Had a nice dinner - stopped by Sainsbury's for an ice cream cone (Sam) and some candy bars that Sam remembered loving while she was in Australia (for Claire and Syd - oh, and an extra one for Sam).Tomorrow we hope to hit Hyde Park and do a better job with Kensington Park. Then, around 1 or so, we will have to head off to Heathrow for the flight home. So hard to believe it's our last night - though the thought of sleeping in my own bed tomorrow night sounds pretty darned appealing. We have genuinely made the most of our time in Paris and London and I feel truly privileged to have had the opportunity to see and experience the things we have.
With luck, the next post will be from home sweet home.
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