Lynda's Lovely London Adventure - Part Two

Monday - ducks and pigeons and guys and dolls

Buckingham Palace is really big. We spent a good amount of time wandering around the grounds there. They have a Canada Gate, where we had fun finding the PEI emblem. We did not catch a glimpse of the Queen, but we did see some horse and buggy combos walking into the palace area. And, of course, we saw the very still guards. The ones we saw took little brisk walks once and a while. Highly entertaining.

St. James's Park, which is beside the palace, is home to many waterfowl. That's right, ducks live there. And pelicans. And more ducks. Living, breathing, moving ducks. Some of you may be familiar with my fear of ducks. Scary creatures they are. So unpredictable. You never know when they will attack.

Needless to say, I was a little uneasy during our walk through the park.

Imagine how I felt when I discovered the park was also full of pigeons. And squirrels.

I was relieved when we finally got to Trafalgar Square. Then I discovered that it was also home to many many pigeons. And, on the day we were there, a helicopter ambulance.



We spent the rest of the morning exploring the National Gallery. It's full of art. Lots and lots of art. I have never seen so many paintings before. It was overwhelming. I loved the hushed reverence that seemed to take over everyone in the room as they gazed at various paintings.

After lunch at an "authentic" English pub, we set off for some shopping. (Note to self, if a pub has the word "authentic" in its title, chances are it's not.) It was then that I realized that there are a lot of people in London. They're everywhere! And they all walk slower than I do!

Monday evening, we saw "Guys and Dolls" at the Picadilly Theatre. Our seats were in the 3rd row of the top balcony. With child-like glee, I slid 50 pence into the seat back in front of me to release my red binoculars. I spent £3.50 on a program, then another £10.00 for a souvenir program (my weakness. I'm a sucker for souvenir programs).

It was thoroughlyly enjoyable performance. Overall, I was pleased with the production. I thought the actor who played Sky Masterson was very good, particularly during "My Time of Day" and the dialogue that followed, where he expressed his feelings towards Sarah. The Crapshooters' Dance was splendid, as was the show-stopping song "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat". The acting was strong overall, although, as my sister noted, the actress who played Sarah was a little too Anne-like. Hmmm, perhaps there's an opening this summer in Charlottetown for her?

"Guys and Dolls" at thPiccadillyly Theatre was definitely worth seeing once, and I'm glad I did. It's no "Mary Poppins" (don't even get me started), but the musical does hold a soft spot in my heart, and it was great to see it one more time.


Tuesday - stairs and bowls. and figure skating.

On Tuesday we took a trip to Cheapside to climb the 313 steps of The Monument. It's the way to see a panoramic view of London without forking over £16.00 to ride the London Eye. The result - a stunning view of the city and very strong thigh muscles. Plus, we all got certificates celebrating our accomplishment.

313 steps! I did it!

Take that, London Eye!

We also visited the British Museum, home to statues, mummies, and many many bowls. It was another powerful, awesome place to be. However, one can only see so many clay bowls. But I did see the Rosetta Stone! The Rosetta Stone!

Apparently, I was not the only one who wanted to see the Rosetta Stone.

After lunch on the run, we visited the Theatre Museum. Quidisappointinging, I must say. Not what I expected at all. Plus, it was overrun by small children. By this time, the novelty of small children speaking with British accents had worn off. It's less charming when there atwentytly of them whining at the same time.

Next it was off to Denmark Street, home to a multitude of guitar and music stores (guess who picked that one). While my brother was in heaven, my sister and I went to a bookstore.

We didn't have a specific activity planned that night, as we were leaving very early (5:30 a.m.!) the next day for PariParisris!). However, I discovered the men's short program on tv that evening, so naturally I was glued to the tv for the duration of the coverage. Poor Jeff Buttle! The short program is usually his strong suit. I did take comfort in the fact that other skaters were also less than stellar, so all hopes of a respectable finish were not lost.

Next - a day in Paris, where they speak French! Who knew?