Happy Black Friday to those in America! I hope no one hurt themselves out shopping today!
So, to begin the promised details of London. On our first full day in the city (Wednesday), it was cloudy starting out but beautifully blue the rest of the day. We followed a walking route we've taken before and like very much, and we had such a great time looking around and taking pictures. The only downside is that we couldn't feel our feet at the end of the day.
From our hotel in Kensington, in the west end of London, we walked east past the Natural History and V&A Museum (where we stopped briefly to take pictures of Buddhas from China) to the wonderful Harrod's, across from which we had a delicious late breakfast at EAT.
Then we continued under the triumphal arch on Constitution Hill and Green Park to Buckingham Palace, through St. James Park (populated with magnificent varieties of birds and nearly-tame squirrels), to Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament.
We crossed the river via Westminster Bridge, then had a bathroom stop at McDonald's, a pause beneath the London Eye, and a longish walk along the riverside to the beautiful Millennium Bridge, which is next to the Tate Modern Museum, where we crossed back over to St. Paul's Cathedral.
From there we walked to Covent Garden and then Leicester Square, by which time it was dark. We had a delicious dinner in Chinatown at a place well selected by David (using the criteria of how many Chinese people were eating there), then hobbled back to the Leicester Square Tube station. We joined hundreds of commuters on the subway (poor timing on our part) and gave up all personal space for about 15 minutes before gratefully emerging above ground at Gloucester Street station.
{img158857} Shadowlands (about C.S. Lewis) was one of many plays on offer
From the Tube station it was another 20-minute walk past Harrod's and the museums again, during which time it began to rain. We felt very lucky to have had sunshine for almost all the daylight hours. And finally we were back at our hotel, where we collapsed in front of the TV.
I thought I could get both days posted tonight, but alas, we saw so much and there are so many pictures to sort through so it is rather slow going! And it is after midnight and I should rest up for my big graduation ceremony tomorrow. But to get otherwise up to date, here's a quick summary of today's much less ambitious activities.