travels with ijits: Merry Christmas from London

On Sunday we really needed a little bit of a rest. Just thinking about all the things we had done and seen since we arrived was a bit exhausting. We slept in a bit, and since the day promised to be another lovely one, we set off to see Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park and Knightsbridge.

I can’t quite explain the unicorn, but the Union Jack above the palace was flying proud in the breeze.

And this is a monument in front of the palace. I don’t know what for.

There is so much history and information coming at me from all directions I can’t keep it all straight. Although it looks as if I’m slightly less confused than Greg is.

Next we walked to Hyde Park, and it was getting dark, even though it was only 4 pm. Most of the park was occupied by Winter Wonderland, which is basically a fair with rides and lots of nasty food, so we really didn’t see much of it.

Knightsbridge is the posh area of town where the beautiful people shop. Unfortunately, I only knew of it from the Rolling Stones song Play with Fire “Now she gets her kicks in Stepney, not in Knightsbridge anymore”.

Harrod’s is in Knightsbridge. The windows were dressed beautifully for Christmas, just like L. S. Ayres used to do when I was a kid (ok, maybe it looked a little more impressive at the tender age of 5). Unfortunately, I couldn’t get close enough to the windows to get a decent picture.

Afterwards, we met up with our niece for a fantastic dinner at Bodean’s, which, believe it or not, is a great barbeque place. I know, I know … a hella long way to go for barbeque for a couple of Tennessee rubes.

Monday was the wicked weather day. Apparently five people died in the storm as it raged across the country. The wind had been ferocious overnight, and by the time we got out of the house, the rain had moved in as well. The wind whipped through the streets so that we were sometimes using our umbrellas as shields more than rain protection. Then suddenly the rain would reverse direction and blow our umbrellas inside out.

We started off at the British Library, which I know I’ll think back on as one of the best parts of the trip in years to come. It was awe-inspiring to see the Lindisfarne Gospels, the actual Magna Carta, an original Beowulf manuscript, and so very much more. No photos were allowed in the library. Off then for drinks at the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel. Not only is the outside gorgeous, but so are the drinks.

If you know Greg well at all, you know he loves Charles Dickens generally, and A Christmas Carol in particular. He interjects quotes from the story at the most random times, not just here in London, but has ever since I’ve known him. In fact, Alex and I had to threaten to abandon him in the underground if he called out to a strange child “You there, boy! What day is it?”

But as a consolation prize we took him to the Dickens Museum for a Christmas by Candlelight tour. I’m posting a couple of pics but they’re iffy – no flash and no lights obviously.

from the kitchen	a fireplace in one of the rooms
The ghost of Dickens? More likely Barkis.	Ummm…..

Since we had a book theme going, we spent the next day at Charing Cross Road where the book stores are, first traversing the legendary Tin Pan Alley by all the music stores. Foyle’s is a bookstore the likes of which I have never seen, and probably never will again – three floors containing possibly every book currently in print. Gleaming modern building inside, scent of paper and ink – breathtaking. Then a pint at The Pillars of Hercules.