Day 6--London (with special guest Edouard)

Last night I popped on The Kinks' album "The Village Green Preservation Society" after posting the Canterbury blog, and it all came together for me. Here's a link if you want to listen to it while perusing this blog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL9tyzE83nc

On the way to the train station this morning the radio was playing the main theme music from Barry Lyndon. I don't know why, but suddenly hearing the music from an English film I have known for over 23 years while driving through rustic Olde English streets got me kinda choked up. Here's a link if you want to listen to it (but not while reading the blog--it's a little darker than the Kinks): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91sfrw106xs&feature=related

OK, here's a travel tip for the average American not familiar with non-American holidays: don't go into London on May Day, especially if it's a Saturday. Unless you like crowds and total chaos.

Mother and I were entertained on the 2 hour-plus train ride from Sandwich to Charing Cross by a car load of friendly, hard-drinking army rugby players. Yes, you can carry open containers on commuter trains in England. The lads all had a good laugh when we told them that in America, open containers are definitely not allowed on mass transit. For some reason, they were drinking Budweiser.

We left Charing Cross and met up with Edouard at Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square. Edouard is a young Frenchman I met 4 years ago in Iceland. A year later we met up again in Paris. I was making a circuit around the column and suddenly he was there. We then managed to squeeze into a restaurant off the main square and grab a quick lunch. Mother had barbequed spare ribs while Edouard and I enjoyed chicken tikka masala. Though we frequently correspond by email (I'm currently helping him with the English on his MBA entrance exams), Edouard and I haven't actually seen each other in person in three years. We talked politics and compared different customs. He and my mother got on very well, and he was very helpful to me as we had to negotiate our way to Westminster Pier. You see, because of the May Day parades, most of the streets in and out of the area were closed, so the tour bus we were hoping to take was running behind. So we elected to take the River Thames tour first. But that involved a long walk down the main avenue Whitehall. There's some video of our stroll at the bottom of the page. (Not sure why I decided to start filming as we were strolling past construction equipment. And I hope to become a filmmaker one day...)
It wasn't so bad until we got down to Big Ben and the crowds got very thick indeed. Also I forgot what Westminster Abbey is called.

We struggled our way down to the pier but made it onto the correct boat. The boat tour was very nice and provided me one of the few opportunities of the day to get some decent pictures. But as you can see from the selection above, the great weather that we've had all week was about to come to an end.

At the Tower of London (fourth picture from the top above) we decamped from the boat and made it onto one of the tour buses. Unfortunately it was one without a tour guide, making it feel like we were on just another commuter bus. This, coupled with the massive traffic congestion, helped us decide to get off at the next stop, which fortunately for us was Charing Cross Station, which put us back in Trafalgar Square. By now the rain was not a gentle English drizzle but a "right proper splashing" as I imagine a native would say. When it looked as if a bus tour was no longer imminent, due to the congestion and chaos generated by rain and marching May Day "unionists," we elected to nip on over to the Sherlock Holmes Restaurant to dry out. There we received a very heavy English meal followed by very heavy English desserts, mostly of the pudding and custard variety. When we emerged an hour and a half later, the rain had abated, but unfortunately we had to part ways with Edouard, who is staying in London through the weekend with his cousin. Edouard and I have now met up in three different countries. Perhaps next time, it will be in the States.

Mother and I got back to Molland House around 10:30. Tomorrow we hope to go to Sissinghurst Gardens, one of the main reasons for this trip. However, a direct bus route there and back is proving difficult to find. More drastic measures may be necessary. Stay tuned.

John FishNChips, London Town