London!

And it's time for yet another big update.

 

This past Saturday, I bid farewell to the charming hospitality of Richard and Sue's bed and Breakfast "Quilts and Croissants" and set off for London, that city of all cities.

 

But before we arrived in London, we saw Warwick Castle. Warwick Castle, named for it's original owner and inhabitant, the Earl of Warwick (also known as Warwick the Kingmaker in the time of Henry the 6^th), is now a theme park. A beautiful and entertaining theme park, but a theme park nonetheless. We did have a grand time touring it's many rooms filled with incredibly life-like wax figures of the scores of nobles, kings and servants that have touched that soil, as well as seeing a great demonstration of a trebuchet, and some medieval torture chambers, but it did have something of the Mouse about it, and I half expected to see Goofy come take a picture with me. Beautiful day, however, and a great transition experience from the quiet quaintness of Stratford-Upon-Avon to London.

 

London. That ancient city, that mecca of empires, that enormous aging giant, and vigorous wild eyed young man - London.

 

I've always thought that I don't like big cities. This is most based on the fact that I really disliked NYC when I saw it in highschool, and I still can't stand Atlanta. I detest the more touristy sections of Charleston. But London. London is a city that I think I can love. Sure its huge. Sure its loud. Sure there are homeless people here. Sure the English Pound to American dollar exchange rate is absolutely criminal. But this may be a city I can do.

 

Yesterday, I bravely plunked down a chunk of change for my one-month Oyster Card. This gives me unlimited trips on bus or train anytime I want for the next month. How glorious. How awesome. This enormous city, thousands of years old, just became tiny. I made my first trip, to Leicester Square, via tube yesterday, and have since used the tube for every trip I can. I love the tube. I love the tiled walls of the underground, the organization and the structure, the signs telling you where to go and how to get there, the lightning fast transport times, and most of all, the PEOPLE. Oh wow, the PEOPLE. I love getting on the tube and studying each person, wondering about where they are going, what kind of person they are, where they are from, if this is their first time on the tube or not (there always seems to be a first timer somewhere) and of course, if they might be planning on robbing me. Sure, it's scary. The station I went to today (Caledonian) was right by a prison, for crying out loud. But it's also fascinating.

 

"O brave new world, that has such people in't!" – The Tempest

 

But, it is still new to me. I realize this. We'll see what I think of it in a month.

 

Before I tubed, I took a long stroll with Kevin, Dr. Aarness, and, for part of the way, with Jeff, to get a feel of the city. We walked from our hotel to the top of Regent's Park- about 4 miles round trip! But it was a lovely walk. The park itself was verdant and clean, with many trees, open and spacious. With parks as lovely as that, I can understand living in a city.

 

On our walk we also saw the (not closely) the world's oldest zoo, which is located in the park, the London Eye (a sight-seeing wheel rather like a Ferris wheel) that I can't wait to ride, the millennium footbridge, the Gerkin (sp?) a beautiful modern building that resembles a large pickle, and scores more things. Pictures to come, of course.

 

Well, I must stop here for time's sake. Look here again soon for a long overdue update about the theatre I've been seeing.

 

PS My laptop is now in the shop- I can still receive e-mail, but it may take longer than usual for me to get back to you. Tell Kevin thankyou for me, if you see him, because he's letting me use his for the time being. Hopefully, once my computer is back into top shape I can update in smaller chunks again.