Post by Kim on Nov 21, 2001 17:34:53 GMT -5
Wednesday,1840 hours
Trafalger Square, London
Hello one and all!
What a town this is. Frantic, frenetic, bustling and moving always. I have
been here two days and have so far done nothing at all it would seem. Flight
was fine but long of course...and full to the gills! Who said folks aren't
flying? I have managed to get a good handle on the 'tube' and the
transportation is wonderfully easy. Except at rush hour which I have just
experienced! It is typical early winter weather, cloudy but not especially
cold. A sweater and down vest is more than enough for now.
Have spent the past two days in the 'heart' of London. Visited Churchills
Cabinet War Rooms and St. Pauls Cathedral yesterday. St. PAuls simply took my
breath away. Unlike so many of the cathedrals and churches in Europe, which are
dark and gloomy places inside, St. Pauls is flooded with light. Mesmerizing.
There was communion service going on while I was there, so hearing the priest
and answering congregation made it seem almost mystical. The war rooms
fascinated me of course. Took two hours on what is normally a 30 minute run
through. <br>
Today I went to the Tower of London.....had no idea it was not just a 'tower'
but almost a small city in it's own right. To this day over 120 folks still
live there. It's very large with so much to see I ended up there for 3 hours.
Then over to Westminster Abbey. Paid the money for the guided tour and surely
glad that I did. Even then barely saw 1/4 of what is there.....including the
burial tombs of most of Englands kings and queens. And the building itself is a
marvel. Unfortunately almost all thestained glass windows were destroyed when
the building took a direct hit during the blitz, but there are enough of them
left to give a sense of what it must have been like.
(Now I must add that the spacebar on this computer I am using needs to be really
clicked HARD or it does not take, so forgive the typos)
Tomorrow will try and do the rest of central area. However, it each place takes
three hours as these so far have I will be lucky to see half of what I hoped to
in 6 days. Have been to Picadilly Circus, Trafalger Square, walked back and
forth across the Thames......pinch me, I'm in London!
Am leaving here sometime on the 25th and heading toward Bath and hopefully then
on towards Penszance and Lands End. I am well, took only a day to recover from
jet lag, slept 11 1/2 hours last night! Right now, I am starving and need to
find myself some dinner. So, signing off for now.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ONE AND ALL TOMORROW! <br>
ginger in london
Trafalger Square, London
Hello one and all!
What a town this is. Frantic, frenetic, bustling and moving always. I have
been here two days and have so far done nothing at all it would seem. Flight
was fine but long of course...and full to the gills! Who said folks aren't
flying? I have managed to get a good handle on the 'tube' and the
transportation is wonderfully easy. Except at rush hour which I have just
experienced! It is typical early winter weather, cloudy but not especially
cold. A sweater and down vest is more than enough for now.
Have spent the past two days in the 'heart' of London. Visited Churchills
Cabinet War Rooms and St. Pauls Cathedral yesterday. St. PAuls simply took my
breath away. Unlike so many of the cathedrals and churches in Europe, which are
dark and gloomy places inside, St. Pauls is flooded with light. Mesmerizing.
There was communion service going on while I was there, so hearing the priest
and answering congregation made it seem almost mystical. The war rooms
fascinated me of course. Took two hours on what is normally a 30 minute run
through. <br>
Today I went to the Tower of London.....had no idea it was not just a 'tower'
but almost a small city in it's own right. To this day over 120 folks still
live there. It's very large with so much to see I ended up there for 3 hours.
Then over to Westminster Abbey. Paid the money for the guided tour and surely
glad that I did. Even then barely saw 1/4 of what is there.....including the
burial tombs of most of Englands kings and queens. And the building itself is a
marvel. Unfortunately almost all thestained glass windows were destroyed when
the building took a direct hit during the blitz, but there are enough of them
left to give a sense of what it must have been like.
(Now I must add that the spacebar on this computer I am using needs to be really
clicked HARD or it does not take, so forgive the typos)
Tomorrow will try and do the rest of central area. However, it each place takes
three hours as these so far have I will be lucky to see half of what I hoped to
in 6 days. Have been to Picadilly Circus, Trafalger Square, walked back and
forth across the Thames......pinch me, I'm in London!
Am leaving here sometime on the 25th and heading toward Bath and hopefully then
on towards Penszance and Lands End. I am well, took only a day to recover from
jet lag, slept 11 1/2 hours last night! Right now, I am starving and need to
find myself some dinner. So, signing off for now.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ONE AND ALL TOMORROW! <br>
ginger in london