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(Lori) i awoke this morning to the cheerful twitterings of a delightful songbird outside my window. I groggily mused that it was just like Mary Poppins. A happy bird, a lovely courtyard below my window, and a new day ready to go! I sat up and looked at my clock ... 4: a.m. Well the time change hasn't yet taken hold in my biological workings. the sunrise was delightful just the same!
Our feat for today was to demystify the underground system. When we had arrived at the train depot from Gatwick, we didn't realize we had booked into a place very close to one of the central departing stations for trains, tube and buses. It was all very intense upon arrival. But once we figured out the schematics (the tube diagram with all the lines is at first glance, complicated!) we were travelling on the most efficient transportation systems in the world!
We took off for Portabello Market down in Notting Hill - we walked the very streets past the exact same flower vendors Hugh Grant had in the movie of the same name. Something that has stood out is the variety of languages one hears throughout the city. Not just the tourists, for there are many, but clerks in shops, restaurant servers, hotel staff and tube passengers. Hearing all the conversations in multiple languages enhances our experience, for sure.
The market is as expansive & huge as its reputation . Hundreds of vendors line a very long street. There are stalls with antiques, clothing, artwork, I even saw one with gas masks - should I be worried?? After enjoying some French crepes, also made by a vendor on the street, we zipped off to Abbey Road (it was just a couple tube stops up the road.) We trekked up the blocks once alighting from the tube, and were easily able to spot the famed recording studio due to the small groupings of tourists snapping shots of the rather indescript building. We read the graffiti walls, and then tried to recreate the photo in the cross walk. Since there was only 2 of us, and one had to take the picture, it fell short of the original Fab 4 image. But a group of French tourists, 4 couples, also had the same idea. The 4 gentlemen practiced the crossing several times (it is a little tricky since it's a busy intersection) and I was able to take their excellent photo op!
Satisfied with our little jaunt up to a point of modern history, we zipped down to central London for a visit to Westminster Abbey. We missed the last entry of the day by about 3 minutes, a disappointment that propelled us down towards Trafalgar Square. We passed the Downing street offices, the Queens horse guard, St James park (think about the size of Stanley Park back home) and Trafalgar itself. Lots of interesting architecture at all angles. There are statues commemorating all sorts of significant political and military leaders in the city. The Brits are wonderful at honouring their contributions - we didn't know all of them (for instance, we did google George Canning to discover he was a colourful prime minister of the past)but the solemn honouring of these builders of a nation was felt just the same.
We were able to participate in the evensong service at Westminster Abbey at the end of the afternoon. It is a magnificent place of beauty. As the choir filled the domed chambers with their praise, we were able to bask in the worship. It was a little dim inside due to a bit of rain outside, but as the choir crescendoed to an exuberant final "...and His love endures forever..." sun burst through the stained glass & illuminated the detailed & ornate inner chambers of the sanctuary. It was truly stunning and awing at the same time.
Upon leaving the Abbey, we walked out past the burial places of so many that one reads of in history books - Sir Isaac Newton, Michael Faraday, the unknown soldier, several former prime ministers - even to my surprise, Charles Darwin! It was fantastic!
We tubed back to our hotel for a rest, then headed back into the downtown area for dinner. The city is alive for sure! It is so different in composition from the daytime. We sauntered around Leicester Square, Soho, Chinatown & Covent Garden, stopping for dinner at a less crowded Bistro - food was excellent.
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