Car 6 provided culinary options and a welcome distraction from the fact we were going to chunnel our way to London - under the English Channel. Distracted by good food and better company I managed not to have an anxiety attack because we were under water for an extended period of time.
We left a warm Paris for a cold, overcast, drizzling and windy London. Thankfully our driver was waiting for us as we exited the secured area at the train station. Our almost 50 pound suitcases seemed to get heavier as we followed him uphill to the car.
MMT had planned a great day for us, jam packed because we had only one. They had secured tickets ahead of time for the London Eye, a tour of Buckingham Palace and the Key Ceremony at the Tower. You may wonder what P contributed. I’m trying to think of something…
We checked into the Doubletree and rode the metro to The London Eye. Yes this is the very same London Eye that bachelorette Emily used for a romantic dinner. Thanks to Mary, who identified that we could purchase skip-the-line tickets ahead of time and Terry who bought them it fit into our schedule.
For those of you who might not be bachelor/ette fans, the London Eye is an enclosed-capsule Ferris wheel situated on the shore of the Thames. It makes one revolution in 30 minutes if it doesn’t have to stop. We had a bird’s eye view of Big Ben and Parliament, Westminster Abby and our next stop, Buckingham Palace. A map helped to identify other oddly shaped buildings and parks.
Next we metroed (with minimum difficulty) to Buckingham Palace to use Mary A.’s advance purchase tickets for our second tour. We had a few minutes to hang out at Starbucks (ah, this was My Contribution). I left with my coffee cup expecting a trash can at every corner. They seem to be a very tidy people, these English. And compartmentalized. Coffee is actually consumed in the coffee shop and not on the streets. Anyway the tour did not allow beverages. My search for a trash can lead me several blocks away and for a brief moment I thought I had missed the tour. They don’t exactly hold the tour for you if you’re lost.
The English guide was charming, informative and well spoken. I was again amazed at how much I don’t know. We entered using the entrance reserved for dignitaries and senior military officials. Our guide lead us through the palace from the most public rooms (where the guards hang out) to the most private (where the royal family hangs out before the big events). We also saw the throne room, recetion rooms, party rooms, hidden doors, and magnifcent art. The palace's history is fascinating and complicated, as are the royal families that occupied it.
He explained that the architect (John Nash) and the King most responsible for its final form (George IV maybe) wanted a palace that represented the wealth and power of a great country so they designed rooms that were bold, theatrical and magical. Our tour ended with a glass of champagne or apple juice in the priate garden.
We stopped for a quick dinner, but it took a lot longer than anticipated. As a result we headed for the Key Ceremony at London Tower with little time to spare. You have to request tickets via mail ahead of time. .. Not sure that we knew exactly where to meet the group there were a few moments of angst as we looked for the west gate where we were to meet our guide. They don’t wait on stragglers here either.
The Watchman explained that the locking of the tower gate by presenting the keys - Queen Elizabeth’s Keys - to the guard in a ritualized manner is the same ceremony that has been repeated daily without fail for 800 years. Though I at first thought it might be one of the reasons that the British lost the revolutionary war – engaging in meaningless ceremonies instead of adapting more advanced and flexible techniques – I realize that all countries have their rituals which are meant to honor their history and tradition. The changing of the guards at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington DC is no doubt one of those.
Back at the hotel we enjoyed a drink and a spectacular view of London by night at the Sky Lounge atop the Doubletree before collapsing for the night.
Tomorrow we board the cruise train to the cruise port - Harwich – which I routinely mispronounce as Harwich. Those who know pronounce it Hare-ish, or something like that. The w is silent. Why put a w in a word if you aren’t going to use it? It must be a clever way to quickly identify the tourists.
No comments:
Post a Comment