Bribed once again by the promise and lure of Egg McMuffins, Mr. U was game for a bit of tourism on our final day in London. Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge were on this morning’s itinerary. Since the Abbey was only open to visitors until 1:30PM, time was at a premium. In order to facilitate this tight timeline, a taxi served as our mode of transport to the Abbey. We waited in line for about 30 minutes but I promise you, it was well worth it. The weather was taking a turn for the better and people actually respected the queuing order with no pushing, shoving or jumping ahead. In no time flat we were able to freely wander through the Abbey where Kings, Queens, poets and Knights are entombed and forever immortalized.
A quick drive through the streets of London across one bridge and then back over another brought us to the Tower of London. Having missed the next guided tour by mere minutes, we contented ourselves with a walk around the Tower perimeter in the sunlight instead. Next time we will visit the Crown Jewels.
 |
| Dieu et mon droit Honi soit qui mal y pense |
 |
| two of the four spires of the White Tower are just visible in the background |
 |
| Tower Bridge as seen from the embankment beside the Tower of London |
Hopping the Tube to bring us back to our hotel, we walked from Trafalgar Square in search of sustenance closer to the hotel. For some reason the pubs and restaurants were all packed to the gills so we settled for some delicious (and spicy) Szechuan food at a small restaurant in the heart of Chinatown. I dropped off Mr. U at the hotel and set off on an expedition to Fortnum & Mason. I intended to visit the Christmas Market in Hyde Park but I abandoned that plan after my adventure at F&M. Thankfully I got my fix at a small market at St. James’s Church along Picadilly.
F&M is the grocer to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and purveyor of teas to HRH The Prince of Wales. On this day it was also an insane asylum for just about every type of person in London. Negotiating the displays was a full contact sport that almost came to fisticuffs in the cash lineup. The grey-haired not-so-gentleman behind me told the man behind him to F*%& off. Apparently there was some pushing and shoving and aggressive behaviour on both of their parts. It was like watching two rutting bucks going after each other. Frankly, I’m surprised there weren’t more incidents on the show room floor. The place was packed! As I emerged from the store having successfully made my purchase (a single pot of English marmalade), I noticed an elderly woman strapped to a gurney and being tended to by emergency personnel awaiting the arrival of an ambulance.
Much like Ogilvy’s antique Enchanted Village, the F&M windows were beautifully decorated with fairy tales and festive offerings. Many people were stopping to admire the opulence on display and in doing so blocked up the sidewalk, making it very difficult (read: frustrating) to walk along the sidewalk.
Ah, December in London. It is busy, bustling and beautiful.
Before I’ve even left, I want to return.
No comments:
Post a Comment