Tonight as I listen to the unusual sound of double-decker busses growling impatiently at the passenger pickup right below my window, I realize that that today London has provided more of the unexpected than the expected.
Prior to my visit, several people warned me about the dangers of London. Honestly, I have never felt more safe in my life as when I was walking the streets. Now crossing the streets is a different story because I am used to looking LEFT before stepping off the curb....
Finally, just after walking past Buckingham palace, we spied the Queen's Chapel.
The hostess invited us to come in and look around. I thought that she told me that my book bag could be placed at the back of the sanctuary, so I laid down my book bag and continued walking around the church. Within moments, two very displeased ladies rushed up to me and told me that I was not allowed to leave a bag lying unaccompanied in the back of the chapel. The host had told me that I could have my "bag checked." I know that when entering a restaurant, I simply leave my coat at the coat check. I thought the same applied to my book bag, but apparently the ladies were a bit edgy given the threat of terrorism. Stupid American.
Tomorrow, we are off to Oxford, seeking the ghost of C.S. Lewis. For some reason, a week ago it made sense that we would have a train ticket scheduled for 7:01 AM!
I begin with mass transit. As scheduled and routine driven as is public transportation, I found myself thrown off stride sometimes by the Tube. First, understand that I am blessed to travel with Zac, who seems to have an inate understanding of the oldest subway system in the world. He has also planned the trip extremely well and purchased the tix in advance. But when we arrived at the London Gatwick airport, we were told that the subway tickets Zac had purchased were only good in London, not for the track from Gatwick to London. Who would've known that London Gatwick is not actually London?? That's what I mean – – mass transit always keeps me slightly off stride.
Which brings me to my next point: England is obviously an English-speaking nation, but I heard very few people speaking English today. At nearly every venue, I was surrounded by people who sounded nothing like me. Tonight Zac and I popped into a pub and were told that, even at 7 PM, it was too late for anything on the menu except for Indian cuisine. I had curry Karahi chicken, and it was fantastic. No other English was being spoken in the restaurant. I have no complaints; the food and the experience were wonderful – – just not what I was expecting.
Prior to my visit, several people warned me about the dangers of London. Honestly, I have never felt more safe in my life as when I was walking the streets. Now crossing the streets is a different story because I am used to looking LEFT before stepping off the curb....
Because of the warnings, I expected more of an "edge" to London. Instead, I discovered that I love the stateliness of the city, the column fronted houses of Chelsea, the full palette that makes up the houses of Notting Hill, and the parks are a complete and unexpected breath of fresh air. Amy would love it here!
Today we walked through two royal parks. I saw some statues in the distance and didn't pay much attention to them at the time. But the farther I walked, I realized that I was looking at the massive statues in front of Buckingham Palace. What a pleasant surprise!
Another unexpected sight was a street filled with guitar shops. My guitar aficionado/tour guide knew the history of each of the shops and stopped in each and played the guitar for a little while. At every shop, the proprietors told Zac, "Go ahead, give them a play."
In Hank's store, the guitar prices went higher on each floor.
As I conclude (because I have far too many pictures to discuss), I want to point out a few eclectic moments.
I embarrassed my son by taking the pic below. He said, "Dad, I cannot believe you would stoop so low." I assured him that I have stooped much lower on several occasions. I just thought this was a great life lesson about what happens if you spent too much money on Starbucks.
Finally, just after walking past Buckingham palace, we spied the Queen's Chapel.
The hostess invited us to come in and look around. I thought that she told me that my book bag could be placed at the back of the sanctuary, so I laid down my book bag and continued walking around the church. Within moments, two very displeased ladies rushed up to me and told me that I was not allowed to leave a bag lying unaccompanied in the back of the chapel. The host had told me that I could have my "bag checked." I know that when entering a restaurant, I simply leave my coat at the coat check. I thought the same applied to my book bag, but apparently the ladies were a bit edgy given the threat of terrorism. Stupid American.
Tomorrow, we are off to Oxford, seeking the ghost of C.S. Lewis. For some reason, a week ago it made sense that we would have a train ticket scheduled for 7:01 AM!
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