London Calling

I know, I know, I'm wayyyy behind on my blogging. Blame it on being busy doing nothing much, but seeing as we've done 2 more trips since London, I figured I better catch up now or it won't happen at all.

In short, for every 1 thing we saw in London, we easily missed 10 other must-see attractions. We all loved it and plan on going back again as soon as possible. For starters, it was just nice to know what the heck was being said around us! Although, when Dennis asked a station master for directions to the bus, he received a response in an accent so thick as to be incomprehensible to his American ears. Sidney is especially motivated to return because she is determined to bring home a prince (or any type of personage of royalty, preferably male). Good luck with that.

To begin with, I was very proud of myself when I found out I had ruined Sidney's New Year's Eve party plans by planning our arrival on Dec. 31. That child knows how to party is all I can say. I had planned for us to arrive in time to eat dinner and then maybe try to head out to see the fireworks over the Thames. Unfortunately, our plane was delayed and by the time we got to our hotel, it was close to 10:30 pm and we were all exhausted.

I'm pleased to report that this hotel was much quieter than the one in Barcelona and in slightly better condition, but sadly, not knowing anything about London (despite lots of good advice from friends), I didn't realize it was quite so far out on the East End and in a slightly dodgy neighborhood. I figured something was up when on of our fellow bus passengers was sporting a bright red clown wig and slightly tipsy. To be fair, it was New Year's Eve and he and his buddy (wearing a loudly colored top hat) were exceedingly funny and friendly - it made for an entertaining ride.

Dennis and the older kids went in search of dinner and came back with Indian take-away. All things considered, it wasn't bad; we were all starving and it had been months since we'd tasted anything really spicy, so we devoured it. Except for Isabel, of course, who took one look at the containers dripping fragrant red, yellow and orange colored sauces onto the table and declared loudly that she would only eat the rice.

Afterward, we managed to stay up for at least a few minutes to watch on TV the glorious display of fireworks that they shoot over the Thames and actually out of Big Ben. What a sight! I only remember seeing the London fireworks show on American TV once when they showed it in 2000, so this was quite a treat even viewed from a small TV screen.

The next day dawned gray and threatened rain, but it was mercifully warmer than what we had left in CPH. We started off our day touring the iconic London Bridge. It's a beautiful structure and Dennis was especially impressed with the old gear system used to raise and lower the draw bridge. We were able to walk across the top span of the bridge and saw lovely views of the Thames, albeit behind windows that they have used to enclose the space probably to keep chickens like me from freaking out from being up so high. It wasn't too hard to imagine how the Thames must have looked over the millennia it's been inhabited, even with all the modern buildings that now line its banks. I wouldn't to go swimming in the muddy water, though!

The kids refused to go to the Tate Museum afterwards (they were still recovering from the Miro Museum I dragged them through in Barcelona, apparently), so we made our way up to the Churchill Museum instead. What an amazing space burrowed underneath government buildings and what an amazing man, to say nothing of the entire War Cabinet staff that endured those cramped quarters with him week after endless week. The tiny rooms set apart for his personal use, including the one for his wife, were especially touching. The map room was astounding in that one wall was covered entirely with a map of the world and then filled with thousands of pin pricks denoting ship and/or troop movement. To think this space was occupied barely 60 years ago is incredible. A video montage indicated that by about 1943 he had already traveled well over 120,000 miles all over the world on account of the war. I couldn't keep count after that and actually had to keep moving to see other displays. After a very fun and informative visit, we enjoyed a delicious traditional pub lunch with memorable meat pies, killer bangers and mash and a few pints of ale.

Our next adventure involved trying to find the John Snow Pub, apparently some landmark important in the history of public health (Google it, is my suggestion!). Unfortunately, it was closed, but Dennis took pictures of it and also a famous curb stone (???). Sadly, although I'm sure he told me why this pub is so famous and historic, apparently, I didn't pay attention enough to remember anything (we've been married 21 years...what else can I say?!). Our iPhone eating app failed us (again) in trying to find a particular restaurant (Abu!!), but we did end up at a nice Italian place for a delicious New Year's dinner.

By the next morning, Sidney, who complained non-stop about being dragged to London, finally realized where she was and instead couldn't stop listing all the places (mostly royal) she wanted to visit. Thankfully, the Tower of London was on her list. What an amazing castle/fortress and the amount of history contained within its walls is mind-boggling. In the spirit of maintaining family peace, we all decided to go our own ways and meet back up later, and amazingly, Isabel elected to join her sister, which left me free to wander the grounds and exhibits in blissful solitude. No big surprise, then, that I spent most of my time in stupified amazement staring at the Crown Jewels. OMG. Here I was thinking I had seen fine jewelry before, but clearly, anything previous to this display resembled costume jewelry compared to the stunning array here. Smartly, the display is designed with conveyor belts to move people along or crazies like me would stay there for hours. I did manage to get on and off the conveyor belts multiple times until I figured I had better move off before a docent called security to remove the Crazy Chinese Lady from Copenhagen.

We enjoyed a restorative and delicious lunch at the Wagamama's located directly across the court yard and got to enjoy a fine view of the Tower while feasting on soup noodles and gyoza. Our tummies full, we continued on our royal tour by walking around Buckingham Palace and St. James Park. Of course, all I could think about is how cool it must have been when the Tour de France rode through here a few years ago! Sidney was on high alert hoping to spot Prince Harry so she could take him home as a souvenir, but instead had to content herself by straining to peer into the windows of all the surrounding 'royal' buildings. We ended our day walking and shopping around Piccadilly and had dinner at an over-priced, under-whelming Chinese fusion restaurant that left us so hungry afterward that we ended up eating donuts in the middle of Piccadilly Circus. Not a bad way to end the night, though, especially after Sidney and I raided Urban Outfitters and the 'boys' got to worship and pay their respects at the Apple store.

Clouds, rain and wind set in the next morning and it made for a brisk adventure to St. Paul's Cathedral. Because of a jam-packed schedule, we (i.e. me) decided not to pay the exorbitant entrance fee to see the inside, so we walked around the outside instead. This annoyed Keenan to no end because he really enjoys 'church surfing' and viewing famous and lavishly decorated places of worship. But our exploration of the exterior did bring us up close and personal with the Occupy encampment on the square...that didn't impress the kids either, especially as the fierce wind and driving rain were whipping the tents and other rickety structures mercilessly about. Hungry and fed up, we left in search of a restaurant that Dennis read about called Daddy Donkey Burrito. Desperate for Mexican food of any kind, we walked around in circles with iPhone in hand looking desperately for this place. To be fair, I can't blame the iPhone for letting us down because we did make it (supposedly) to the right spot, but there was no hint or trace of this place. Starving, we settled for a hole-in-the-wall diner that thankfully, served up a decent English-style breakfast. I was grateful to find next door, an amazing coffee roaster serving up fragrant espresso (I wish I could remember the name!).

Covent Garden was next, although the down-pouring rain and sudden gale-force winds hampered window shopping along the way (probably just as well!). Dennis and Keenan were delighted to find another temple to Apple, and I must say, this is the coolest such store I've ever had the pleasure to be in. It is located in a restored old brick and mortar building and the contrast between the towering glass and chrome with the wooded beams and other original features makes for an amazing space. You could almost feel the spirit of Steve Jobs hovering amongst his beloved devices.

We decided to partake in some yummy cupcakes at Ella's Bakehouse to wait out the weather (red velvet, chocolate peanut butter, lemon) and afterward, walked the few blocks to the National Gallery. Wow. What a collection of masterpieces. We split up again, this time with Isabel and I armed with audio tours. It made for a fun, if a bit rushed, circuit to some of the highlights in a museum bursting with them. I was most impressed with the works of Monet, Cezanne and Degas...to pretend I know anything else about art would be insulting to any true artist. I did notice a sunflower painting by Van Gogh, though ; )

Apparently, looking at art makes us hungry, because we stopped off for some sushi afterward and then headed to that holy-of-holies...Harrods!! The food halls alone were worth the trip. WOW!! I didn't know you could make artichokes and eggplants look that beautiful. Even the oyster displays looked like rare works of art. Unfortunately, the sky-high prices prohibited buying any of these delicacies, but I did get some candy and a silly burlap bag with 'Harrods' brazenly embroidered on it. Sidney swooned over the Harry Potter section and I paid silent respects to the touchingly tacky tribute to Princess Diana. Afterwards, Keenan was completely miffed with me and declared with bemusement and annoyance, "You wouldn't spend money to go see St. Paul's, but you spent 1.5 hours in a store!" College kids....so uppity!

Still not done with our already long day, our next stop was Westminster Abbey. Once again, the amount of history contained within its walls and underneath its stone floor was staggering. Sidney we especially taken with the tombs for Henry the VIII+wives, Mary, Queen of Scots, and Elizabeth I. I give her lots of credit for knowing quite a bit about the Tudor period and all it's intricate family connections. Dennis and I enjoyed Scientists Corner (Newton and Darwin), as well as Poets Corner. Keenan was delighted to spend some quality time church surfing and Isabel wandered around tiredly until we stopped for a quick clandestine snack in the Cloisters.

We decided afterward, to walk across Westminster Bridge to enjoy the nighttime view along the river. The outline of historic buildings and play of light against the water reduced us all to silence in its staggering and humbling beauty. Indeed, we kept turning around to stare at the view and it's a good thing we didn't knock over other pedestrians along the way. We headed along the river route to the IMAX theatre to watch "Mission Impossible 4." Cold, tired and hungry, Isabel was a trooper and bravely walked as much as she could along the boardwalk underneath the London Eye, but eventually, her brother and daddy took pity on her and took turns giving her rides on their shoulders. She perked up during the movie that had enough action to keep her entertained while it made me dizzy. The scene where Tom Cruise scales the outside of a skyscraper induced some major vertigo, especially sitting so close to the giant screen. A fun movie, though, I have to say.

By now, it was almost 10 pm and once again, we were starving. We headed to a Gordon Ramsey pub recommended to us by the front desk called The Narrow. This is hand's down one of the most delicious and enjoyable meals we've ever had. Even so late in the evening, the service was attentive, friendly and professional. Bangers and mash, roasted duck - just excellent food and drink all around. It made for a perfect ending to a long and hectic day.

Our final morning found us at the British Museum, basically a synopsis of Western Civilization under one roof. The building itself was impressive, as it contains the largest enclosed courtyard in Europe. The Rosetta Stone, The Lewis Chessmen, Lindow Man, Ramesses II bust, are just a few of the MANY highlights. Keenan really enjoyed it and was clamoring to spend more time. Alas, we had a plane to catch and our train ride to the airport proved even more entertaining than the bus ride to the hotel, thanks to the filthy, hilarious monologue delivered by a happily drunk young man. Topics included his sex life, drugs, pathetic job, useless friends...it was so funny, but also so inappropriate that I eventually had to put earphones on Isabel and turn up the volume of a movie so she wouldn't be subjected to the obscenities pouring forth from his mouth. Thankfully, he eventually got off the train, at which point the four of us burst out in pent-up laughter. Our flight home was not too delayed this time and we returned to CPH tired, but filled with happy and historic memories of arguably the greatest city in the world. We are determined to go back and experience more. Rule Brittania!