Well, last time we talked about our first day in London at the Eye, the theatre, and the Abbey. Friday we had to make some adjustments in our housing accommodations, but that was relatively easy to do--have to admit I do like computers for that sort of thing--and so we spent the afternoon doing more touristy things including visits to two of London's most famous retail outlets, Harrod's and Fortnum and Mason's. Harrod's is quite a trip, and I would recommend it just for the food stalls on the first floor if nothing else. Fabulous array of sweets, meats, pastries, teas, and what you will. We had to check out the pet shop department for Zoe and Clio but decided that they didn't need a $15 toy that they would just knock under the furniture anyway.
Fortnum and Mason's is a famous caterer going back to the 18th century that became legendary for its picnic hampers and such in the Victorian era. During World War I, they would deliver these directly to the troops (well the officers) in the front lines of France, guaranteed next day delivery with such delicacies as quail eggs, fresh strawberries, and the finest wines. Dr. Bill Young, long time chair of the History Department at Bethany, always talked about those hampers when I was travelling here in the 80s and 90s.
That evening, we took in a new play, "Yes, Prime Minister," written by the same team who produced the television show in the 1990s. The plot is pretty straightforward, a bungling politician who has made good all the while being manipulated by the permanent under secretary (i.e. career civil servant) and his earnest but naive staffer. The issues were updated to the latest political scandals, but the formula is timeless. Saw it at the Trafalgar Studios, a relatively new theatre. Had great seats, second row within three feet of the stage in a severely raked house.
Saturday was a day for museums. First to the Tate Britain, home of an extraordinary collection of JMW Turner paintings.
Unfortunately it doesn't photograph too well. However, the British Museum in Russell Square certainly does.
Free to the public, it houses a stunning collection of artifacts from the ancient world, as well as special exhibits, the current one being Shakespeare: Staging the World which we took in. More about the times than the author himself, it connects the themes of his plays with the political, economic, and cultural trends of Elizabethan England and the reign of the first Stuart, James I. It made a connection between James' treatise on witchcraft and the witches in Macbeth which had never occurred to me before, but then I never got to take Shakespeare with Mr. Taylor.
As you may be able to see, the weather Saturday was stunning for late September here, so we took advantage and just wandered around a bit. London is a great city for walking because 1) it is flat, and 2) there are beautiful little architecural or historical gems tucked away in practically every corner.
Sunday morning we checked out of the hotel and left our bags there and walked down to Hyde Park. Came into the park at Speaker's Corner, a tradition dating back to the 18th century. The corner is where anyone can get up on his soapbox--literally--and hold forth on the great issues of the day or the little ones depending on your point of view.
The chap on the left side of the fence is a student complaining about the rise in tuiton at university--until about 20 years ago, college was free in the UK-- and beyond him was a fellow preaching the superiority of the Koran. There was also a guy wearing a bloody spiked horn and two little devil's horns on his head, but I decided that was probably not for me.
From there we strolled down to the Serpentine, the lake in the center of the park, and did some bird watching, including gray swans and white swans, ducks of various types, cormerants, gulls, and a variety of others.
Now, who was Speke, and let's not always see the same hands? Sir John Speke, right, noted explorer and first European to reach Lake Victoria in central Africa, as well as finding one of the two sources of the Nile. Got into a terrible row with his erstwhile fellow explorer Richard Burton--no not that Richard Burton--and died under somewhat mysterious circumstances in a hunting accident just before he was scheduled to debate Burton in London.
After that, a trip back to the hotel to get our luggage and off to Kings Cross/St. Pancreas to catch the train back to Harlaxton (well with a stop for a pint and some chips along the way.) All in all a most enjoyable weekend in the greatest city in the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment