My long and winding road….

Up early again. Those pesky up-stairs neighbors were up around 5, then again around 7:30. So, I left my place around 8:30, and went to the Praed St entrance of the underground to get some money on my oyster pass for the rest of the weekend. $15p later, I was on my way to Westminster. As soon as you step out of the tube station at Westminster, you’re met by Big Ben. It’s a little shocking as I wasn’t prepared for it. My purpose of going to the area was to see Westminster Abbey, but I was about 20 minutes early for its opening time, so I walked around the Houses of Parliament and the garden along the Thames snapping pictures.

I got back to the Abbey shortly after 9:30 and the place was already busy. Buying my ticket and picking up my free audio guide (narrated by Jeremy Irons himself, or, Jeremys Iron as I like to think of him) and proceeded around the place. Pictures weren’t allowed, and I got the feeling that was the keep the crowds moving, because even that early in the morning the place seemed packed in all the little side chapels. Once again, I was struck by the way history is layered upon itself – Elizabethan, Stewart, Medieval, modern tombs are all packed in, one beside the other. No distinction is really made between the eras they were entombed, just were there happened to be space. I managed to snap some pictures in the very entrance to the Abbey that I used (they were mostly EICo monuments) but I almost cried when I couldn’t take a pictures of the General Wolfe’s memorial – it was just so elaborate and based of the West painting (on which I’ve written a paper); I really wanted an image of it. I consoled myself thinking I would grab a visitor’s guide of the place, but there aren’t a lot of pictures in it, so I missed out all together.

From there, I headed down Whitehall for a bit of a stroll as recommended by my Frommers. I missed the turn I was supposed to take, so ended up almost at Trafalgar before realizing my mistake. I found a pub to have lunch in (the Clarence, there for 400 years) and was a little shocked when, after starting a conversation with the girl behind the bar, I found out she was from Ottawa, but more than that, from Orleans and a uOttawa alum. Small world, hun? After a lunch of fish and chips and mushy peas, I turned around and headed back to Horseguards where I should have turned and headed in (thinking of Dad and the Sharpe movies the whole time….). I walked along the edge of St. James park and the back of the cabinet rooms, where I found a monument to everyone’s favorite 18th century super hero – Robert Clive! (“By day he worked for the Company and, by night….” “He fought crime?” “No, no…” “He did wear tights and a cape!” Ah, good times….)

I continued along through St. James’ Park, then to Buckingham, then through Green Park to the Wellington monuments. Since I no longer have a weeklong pass on my oyster, but am rather playing by ride, I didn’t want to waste the cash at that point and decided to just walk home. Feeling the need for a pick me up though, I pulled out my Frommers to see if there was a tea house near-by. I didn’t want to go back to Harrods, but there was the Richoux restaurant just a little out of my way, so I headed for it. I ordered the afternoon tea (for $8.25p) and got 4 mini raisin and cinnamon scones, clotted cream, strawberry jam, and a 3 cup pot of Assam tea. Very yummy. It was my first experience with clotted cream though – I’m not sure I want to know how it’s made, nor the calorie count, but it was delicious.

After that, I headed back to my hotel through Hyde Park, exhausted and worn out. I’m looking forward to a quite night in at this point!