rpk here-
well into day 2 in London. After a fierce nap yesterday as CR mentioned, we found a local pub called the Goat and had my first authentic fish and chips and a few pints of a few different beers (the all tasted like variations of Newcastle to me). Then went for a walk in Kesington Garden, a huge park nearby. Unbelievable beauty. some sculptures and small small churches, some little ponds, and squirrels that not only eat out of your hand, but walk right up to you, get on their honches and basically wait for you to feed them. Even the wildlife seems more dignified.
We happened upon this one memorial in particular in the park that was simply breathtaking. a huge gold or gold plated steeple above the tomb of some ancient Duke, whose name i tried to remember but of course forgot, and on each of the four corners there were enormous statues of animals depicting wildlife you’d find in each of four continents, NA, Asia, Africa, and Europe. I thought that something like that would be a major tourist attraction in just about any medium sized american city, yet this remarkable site is hidden in a park, and if we hadn’t happened upon it, would never have seen it. i took a photo of it, but we forgot the camera cable back at the hostel so i’ll have to download it next time. we also found an adorable little cottage in Kensington Garden that made CR cry because it was so darn cute. she wanted to move in right away.
lots of walking around today including Westminster Abbey (Scott, not only couldn’t i get a rubbing of Sir Isaac Newton’s sarcophagus, you can’t even get close to it. you almost need binoculars to read the inscription), we walked past Big Ben, across the Thames and down the river past the London Eye to the National and Globe Theatres. We’re going to see ‘The Woman in Black’ tonight at some other theatre in the West End.
Every few minutes i see THE most English looking fellow i’ve ever seen, only to be shown up by THE even more English looking fellow a few minutes later. LOTS and LOTS of americans everywhere we go.
I guess i’m not sure whether this place is simply incredible or being really far away from home is incredible. At any rate, the world is getting both smaller and larger by the minute. More to come.
Posted from UK:
posted Sunday May 2006