Excellent English Adventures

In the courtyard of St. Paul's (church, not cathedral)

Yesterday was a very busy day. I spent the day with Fran, and it was absolutely wonderful. After meeting up at Euston Station, we headed to Covent Garden, a big covered, open-air shopping mall. There we watched a street performer for a while (it was an odd act, but he did swallow a sword) whilst eating Cornish Pasties, which are basically Hot Pockets, I’ve decided. Bigger, more pastry-y, tastier, and probably unhealthier Hot Pockets. We also discovered a little church, I think St. Paul’s church, that had lots of monuments and burials of actors and theatre folk. We also went to a Topshop, just so I can say I’ve been in. Apparently one’s coming to NYC though.
We then went to see the Tate Modern. The plan was to walk over Tower Bridge and then down to the Tate, but that plan was nixed when we saw the actual distance between the two. We eventually got there, and although modern art is neither Fran’s nor my thing, we still had a good time trying to figure out what we were looking at and what the statement behind it all was. There was a room with a giant (real) palm tree felled in it; that might have been my favorite, or maybe the Andy Warhol rooms. We walked across Millennium Bridge (recently destroyed by the Death Eaters, if any of you have seen HP6) and headed to afternoon tea.

The Tate Modern The Tate from Millennium Bridge (sans Death Eaters)

We went to a fancy restaurant called the Woseley, which is on Picadilly right next to the Ritz, and Fran got Cream Tea (three scones and tea) while I got Afternoon Tea (five tea sandwiches, two scones, three little pastry treat thingies, and tea). And of course, our scones came with clotted cream (THE BEST FOOD ON EARTH. I don’t know why we don’t have it in America) and strawberry jam. It was so ritzy, we felt like we had snuck in… I had to take photos very discreetly. It was expensive and delicious. I’m planning on doing it again.

My Afternoon Tea: scones are on the top under the silver bit, my tea cakes on the second layer, and tea sandwiches on the bottom)

After the Woseley, we walked across Green Park to Buckingham Palace, where the Queen was holding a gala for the veterans… there were lots of ladies in big hats. Then we walked down by St. James’s Park to the riverside and looked at the outsides of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and Big Ben. We then hiked it (lots of walking today… we weren’t very good at which tube stops to get off at so it’s probably better that we just walked) Trafalgar Square--big fountains and a tall column monument, plus the National Gallery--free to the public and some awesome works of art… right now they have an realist/impressionist display going on that I so wish I could go to but don’t know if I’ll make it.

The flag flying over Buckingham: The Queen is in!

Me with Big Ben--I can almost reach the top

My photo shoot in a British telephone booth... awkward position=had to hold the door open so you could see me

We then got on a train to the Globe to go see Troilus and Cressida. We were told that they were sold out, but we waited in line for Returns and got them! We got 5pound tickets for the yard, so we stood the whole performance, but we were right by the stage (stage right) and I often got to watch the action through the legs of a man in a short skirt. A gorgeous man in a short skirt at that (they were all gorgeous. And fit. And playing out part of my favorite stories. In iambic pentameter. Sigh). The show was three and a half hours long, but it was so worth it, it was an absolutely amazing performance, and I’m so glad I got to go.

The boundaries of the City of London--we found this on our walk to the Globe (as we could never seem to find the right station at which to get off of the tube)

The Globe Theatre!!