The Readers' Digest Condensed Version

Thursday afternoon here, and only about an hour before we leave to go to the Royal Albert Hall to hear a symphony concert that my friend, M., got tickets to for us. Don't forget to click on the links, as I have no way to post photos, and that's the best way I have to show what I've been doing. This will be a "quickie" as I leave the house very early tomorrow to get my bus to the Stansted Airport for the flight to France. After today, I have no idea when or where I'll have access to a computer.

For our walk, we found our way to the Millenium Footbridge, and thence to St. Paul's Cathedral, where our walk started. We met our guide, paid the fee, and as we set off just then, we were suddenly surrounded by the pealing of cathedral bells. Graham, our guide, explained that only on 1 Tuesday evening per month, the St. Paul's Bellringers practice--and we were hearing it. I have to say, it was pretty incredible, as we walked through narrow lanes and mews, followed by the sound of those bells. When we got to Temple Bar, which is not a bar, but a marble archway, Graham told us to look back, and we could see the shadows of the bell ringers as they practiced. Again, quite a site. Graham led us in quite a circle 'round the City of London, which is actually very small, an eclave within the larger "metro" Lonon area. Six thousand residents by night, 300,000 people working there during the day! After that trek, M. and I were happy to go home and hit the sack.

Wednesday, M. had work to do in the city, and while I woke up at 6 a.m. local time, after wandering around the house for a bit, I actually fell back asleep till nearly 10!! I never do that! Anyway, my goal for the morning was to find my way to where I had to catch my bus for tomorrow's flight, and good thing I did, or I would have missed it for sure! I am somewhat familiar with Victoria Station, but I had to find the Green Line Coach station, and everyone I asked just waved their arms in a general direction saying, "Oh, it's just over there, darling, just look for the buses!" Well, I don't know if you've ever been to Victoria Station, but there's a bus about every 5 feet! Finally, I found some yellow-vested city workers taking a smoke break who kindly gave me SPECIFIC directions on how to get to the station. Now I know exactly where to go tomorrow. Mission accomplished!

After that, it was time for breakfast, even though it was shortly after noon. Found a place who did a full English with the best cup of coffee I've had in a while, and was in bacon, egg, and baked bean heaven. Yes, the English serve baked beans with their breakfasts, so when in Rome... I knew that M. had a business lunch and meetings till around 3, so I decided to do a "hop on/hop off" bus tour. I've done it several times before, but the weather yesterday was absolutely brilliant, I sat on the top of the bus, and just enjoyed riding (slowly) around London seeing the sights from a different vantage point. Some of the places we passed on the route I rode were St. Paul's, Trafalgar Square, the Monument to the Great Fire of London in 1666, and Piccadilly Circus, which, with all the extra traffic because of the tube strike, really WAS a circus yesterday! Also, the rumor goes if you sit in Piccadilly Circus for 47 minutes, chances are, no matter where you are from, you will run into someone you know!

It took about 2 hours to go the short distance back to London Bridge train station, where I called M. and we agreed to meet at the Millenium Footbridge and decide what we wanted to do. Oddly, she had walked up to Trafalgar Square, so we probably passed each other at some point on the road! If I'd got off at Piccadilly Circus, maybe I would have met her there...

At the base of the footbridge on the south side of the Thames sits the Tate Modern Art Museum. It used to be a power plant, hence the large chimney in the middle. Yesterday, there was a group from the Royal Bird Society set up with telescopes. I went to see what was going on and apparently, there's a mating pair of peregrine falcons who have been nesting in London across the bridge, but they like to roost on the Tate chimney in the afternoons. Very much like the Pale Male red tailed hawks in the New York Central Park!

After peering through the telescope, I wandere over to the railing and waited for M. It was around 4pm, and the clouds were crossing and uncrossong over the afternoon sun. On the other side of the Thames the skyline of London spread out before me. St. Pauls was directly in front of me, and I watched, lost in time, the interplay of light and shadow on the cathedral dome. There was a man just to my right, sitting on the wall, playing soft jazz on a guitar, and the music, the cries of the gulls, the breeze, the scents of river and people, all just combined in that one moment to transport me away and directly into the heart and soul of the place where I was. At that instant, in that place, I could not think of anywhere else I wanted to be. This, I thought, this is why I travel. I wish all of you a similar experience at some point in your lives, because once you have it, you will never forget it.

Tomorrow--unfamiliar territory begins.

Hasta luego!

LondonCrone