Post #2 today - Words from London

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Sorry about the split post. Problems with the Ipads and connections. Here's the words!

November 3, London



Did you know that the British Museum has, like, a BACK DOOR?!!! We didn’t until yesterday. It’s fantastic!



This hotel is just across the street from the back of the Museum and we wanted to go there, of course. But when we went by the front entrance on Thursday at 3:30, the line to get in went twisting from the security tent inside the fenced courtyard, out the door, and ‘way down the block.



Yuck. I hate long lines. We mention this to the concierge and he pulls out a little tourist map and shows us how to get to the north entrance, two minutes from here. So, at 6:15 last night, we wander down the street, turn right and walk into security behind exactly one, ONE, person and up into the museum! Which is still really busy with folks still lining up at the front entrance.



Easy, easy, easy! It was great and topped off a terrific London day. The sunshine was unexpected and most welcome. First a huge breakfast at the hotel. Did you know that they can press juice out of beets? I didn’t. Did you know that it tastes like beets? Did you know that I was actually surprised to find that out?



Oh. You figured that. Okay, so you’re one up on me.



Then it was off to Sir John Soane’s Museum, a gorgeous little place about a 10 minute walk from here. Soane’s was a celebrated London architect with some revolutionary ideas which are still used by designers today. Like lighting an art museum from with windows in the roof, or other high sources. The museum is his house and work space preserved, or restored, to being just as it was in 1837.



He was afraid that his wastrel son, and only surviving child, would sell the place and spend the money on wine, women and song, and then waste the rest of it. A very influential man, he had a private member’s bill passed by Parliament giving the property, buildings, and content to the nation providing they didn’t change anything.



His son spent the rest of his life fighting the bequest in the Court of Chancery. But, since an Act of Parliament is not a will, he got nowhere. In fact, the suit dragged on until 12 years AFTER the son had died, and only when the Court of Chancery was abolished. As a result, no final decision was ever made!



And here’s one for you: the Court of Chancery building was designed by Sir John himself.



No photography is allowed inside the house so we got none for you.



Susan was enchanted by the place. We had to get the big book at the gift store so she could have some pictures to look at when we get home.



Then we wandered off for lunch and stumbled into the Cittie of Yorke, a pub owned by the Samuel Smith brewery out of Yorkshire. As it is very close to the heart of legal London, as the Inns of Court are just across the road, we were very lucky to get a table on a Friday afternoon. Magic of magic, wonder of wonders, they serve Samuel Smith’s own bitter, hand drawn from an oak cask, for only 3.40 pounds for a full pint! That’s what, about $5.50 Cdn? Oh, bliss, oh, rapture. They also serve a reasonable shandy and a good steak and kidney pie – and that was for you, Mom, as requested!



Susan tells me, they have the loveliest tiles in the ladies’ washroom. Well, each to their own.

Then if was back down the street to the London Silver Vaults so Susan could marvel at all the sterling she does not get to clean. The drool factor was very high but we left without buying anything. Maybe after the lottery win.



Back to the room for champagne, then off to the British Museum, then dinner at the hotel, music in the bar (a pretty girl singer with a good voice and nice guitar accompaniment and the most boring all-pop playlist you can imagine) and in bed by the crack of, oh, jeez, 1130?!



We slept in until – get this – 10:00 a.m.! I haven’t had that much sleep in years and it felt great.



Hurling ourselves out of bed and downstairs for breakfast and, oh, thank god, COFFEEEEEE!!! We grabbed a cab and went off to pedestrian-only Regent Street to join vast crowds at the Royal Auto Club exhibition. Vast numbers of antique cars, sports cars, one very old fire engine, and thousands upon thousands of people.



We have had no lunch as of 345 local time and don’t intend to as tonight is GUILTY PLEASURE NIGHT!! We will grab a pre-theatre dinner at Margot, a concierge’s highly recommended (I guess “it was perfect” is about as high as you can get) choice near the theatre we want to go to. We are going to see Mamma Mia! , the ABBA musical. Ridiculous, I know, but we just love the movie and want to see the stage show.



And well might you laugh at us. I told you it was a guilty pleasure! Like you don’t have them. Ha!



Tomorrow is our final day here and our train leaves for Amsterdam at 530 p.m. As we have the super-duper-deluxe late check out of 6 p.m., we will probably have the high tea here and head for the station about 4. Boy, that will bring us back to to earth with a jolt!



Then it is off to Holland, a sleep near the airport, then we climb onto Air Canada and head for home. We should be back with you around 1150 p.m on Monday. Won’t be all that bad as I managed to get us in business class the whole way.



I will report more on dinner, the show and anything else that we happen to wander across, tomorrow.



Thanks for reading!

Tim

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