London

Categories: holidays

Date: 20 December 2007 12:30:43

"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life." So said Samuel Johnson. I in one sense agree: for a history and museum buff like me, there is no place quite like it. So much to see and do, and all in such close proximity. But, London, people-wise, is such a draining city that I need to escape. I rarely venture into Sydney's city centre [apart from going to see plays and such] as I find the crowds maddening; London makes Sydney look like a rural village. Some people love the buzz of it, my friends there for instance; I, on the other hand, need the relative quiet of the suburbs. Horses for courses and all that... It was a good decision of mine to spend a few days in London, then escape for other English towns and Wales, and then head back to London at the end of my trip so I managed to get away from the hustle and bustle.

However, that said, I did greatly enjoy my second visit to London. It is a wonderful city. My first was in 1998, for a week, after my 21-day Contiki ["If it's Tuesday it must be Liechtenstein"] tour of Western Europe: so the second has been a while coming. As well as catching up with friends who are living there, and friends I may have previously only known via the net, I tried to get to some of the places I missed on my first time there.

After strolling down the streets of Notting Hill, I went on the London Eye -- which wasn't there in 1998.

It was then down the Thames to Greenwich. Travelling down the Thames gives you some great views of buildings and places, and is a very pleasant way to travel. I greatly enjoyed my visit to the Observatory, and did the obligatory 'Straddling the Meridian' photograph. After visiting St Alfege's, I went under the Thames via the tunnel and back via light-rail and tube.

I know people complain about the Tube, and I know it has issues, but it is a wondrous thing. Great foresight was shown in its construction, and it is a marvellous transport option to get around town. Add to that the Oyster travel card and travel becomes cheaper and easier. I also found the good-humoured announcements [e.g. "There are severe delays on the Circle line. The next train to arrive, whenever it shows up, is for all stations to..."], well, humorous. We get nothing like that in Sydney.

I had some great meals and snacks with friends and friends-of-friends. From High Tea at the Savoy to a pub lunch with friends of friends to homemade dinners to pub dinners and drinks with those I've only conversed with through the Internet [and it was great to finally meet Dave, Rosamundi and Spike from the Wibsite, and many, many Shipmates -- and to see Max again], I had great time after great time. English pubs seem to be far more to do with catching-up and having a good feed, much like the ones I experienced in Dublin, than the drink-as-much-as-you-can environment found in many pubs here.

Other things you may not expect to be different are also: supermarkets sell alcohol; people stand on the right of escalators; people wait under huge boards for intercity trains, only being told five minutes before which platform to go to -- at which point everyone rushes for the train... All good fun. On the topic of railway stations, as I travelled by train most places, I got to see many of the grand stations such as Paddington [where I did buy a Paddington Bear toy and book for Skye] and the newly-opened [and still being worked on!] St Pancras International [left] where I caught the Eurostar to Bruges. It is an amazing station: the light coming in from the huge glass ceiling is glorious, as is its style, and the statues scattered around the place are a nice touch and a source of comment by passers-by and passengers.

On my last two full days I had quick looks at the Science Museum, the National Gallery [where an interesting exhibit of German Renaissance Stained Glass was showing], the Handel House Musuem, the British Library and the British Museum, where I'd hoped to see The First Emperor exhibition but it was sold out. After seeing the Royal Shakespeare Company in Cardiff, I continued my theatre-going with Avenue Q at the Noel Coward Theatre. Not quite as highbrow as Shakespeare, but definitely a fantastic and hilarious night out: Avenue Q is a send-up of Sesame Street.

I also did a one-hour guided tour of the magnificent Victoria and Albert Museum. Though I only saw a very small sample, I do not think I could've taken in anymore. The chandelier at the entrance way [right] gives you an idea of the majestic collections within: art and objects from all over the world. Definitely a place to return to. After the V&A, I managed to make midday Mass at the Brompton Oratory.

I also "treated myself" to a formal shirt and tie at Harvey Nichols. A bit more expensive than I expected, let alone compared to what I usually buy, but the shirt was tailored to fit me...and I thought I'd spoil myself. They will be worn at the wedding of Nila and Andrew [Nila is from Sydney and someone I knew here; Andrew from London] on December 28 this year. Another set of dear friends, Annette and Max, became engaged just before I arrived. Many years to them both!

And that is London. A city I love [and not just as I feel I'm travelling around the Monopoly board whenever I'm on the Tube!], but a city I can only take in small doses. And I do hope to have another dose.