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If I were to describe my room, the first word that comes to mind is... small. And that would be an understatement. You have to search under the coats for the light switch and behind the drawers for an outlet. Yet, my perch in the windowsill is awful cozy. And this morning when the sun came streaming in the bathroom window, glistening on the white tile and the steamy glass, I couldn't help but think, "I'm awfully fond of this little place"...
Getting out of the shower, and out the door was difficult... Today marks the end of the first week, and I think the exhaustion from jet lag, constant walking, and culture shock is finally beginning to take effect. So... the wonders of the London Museum might, I fear, have been lost on our group of groggy and ever so grumpy girls. (No matter, I don't think it was much of a museum anyhow... seen one ancient spear, seen 'em all! At least, that's what I'm saying, to ease my conscience).
For lunch we ate at a very busy place called "Itsu" around the corner from Saint Paul's Cathedral... YUM. Sushi and hot Miso soup, (which was definitely nice on such a cold morning). But one thing about eating out in London is if you choose to "eat in", you very seldom find a seat, and if you "take away", there's no place else to eat it! Why? Because if you try to sit another restaurant's tables, even if there isn't another soul there, you're kicked out within about thirty seconds. Or less. So, we ate on benches. But it was still an excellent meal.
We walked around Saint Paul's and then found our way to an exhibit at the Barbican Center. There were electric bass and guitars set up horizontally on stands, and tiny little birds housed in little boxes on the walls. They would fly around, landing on the instruments, and making random sounds that often sounded a lot like music... hopping up and down the strings, slipping and sliding and losing grip every now and again... They were adorable. And it was one of the most interesting exhibits I've ever seen.
After that we met up with everyone at the Banqueting Hall, on Parliament Street. Only they didn't have enough tour headphones for everyone, so we ended up just seeing the hall and skipping the audio guide.
After taking our turns posing in the throne, and admiring the painted ceilings, we made an astounding discovery....Trafalgar Square is only a couple blocks from Big Ben!! (We had NO idea they were so close in proximity. All this time, we'd been going to one or the other, and had no clue that they were in the same general area. Ridiculous! We also discovered that Saint Pauls is right next to Tate Modern which is next to the Globe which is next to the Borough Market. It seems everything is connected in this city...) So, we decided to try our lion pictures in Trafalgar Square, one more time, since the last attempt was a little embarrasing.
And after much slipping and sliding around, (much like the birds on the guitars), we succeeded!
And we got sidetracked by heffalumps. ... In fact, we've begun a new game today. The Heffalump Game. There are these painted elephants all over London. (According to today's newspaper they'll be auctioned off eventually at 2 million bucks a pop to help the funds for a vanishing species of Elephant in Asia). At any rate, they're fun. So, the rules are, if you see it first, you get a picture with it. We're going to find as many Heffalumps as possible, and we found a BUNCH today.
After all this crazy hallabaloo, we walked over to Westminster Abbey for Evensong. You know, I've come to the conclusion that Cathedrals should never be visited with cameras and crowds and clamoring noise; the stone walls, the vaulted ceilings... they're cold, and hard, and silent. But when the high, clear notes begin resounding in the rafters, sung by boys in ruffle necked robes... well, then the space begins to come alive. It isn't empty anymore... its filled with music, tradition, solemnity, and spirit. And then the sun comes through the windows, all color and light, and you know that THIS is Westminster Abbey... the sound, the color, the feeling, the prowess, the might... and you could never find that in a photograph. It's just too big to fit your lense.
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