I spent most of my first day getting my ground legs and settling in at my hotel here in the Paddington area. I love the area for it's convenience back to the airport and with 4 tube lines (Metro) serving the Paddington station. It enables me to get to almost any location. Love that London Tube....
So the first night I went to see a play recommended to me by my great friend currently in Barbados....Mr. Howard (Skip) Edmonds. Now....if Skip recommends it...you might as well take it to the bank...it is not given lightly. His recommendation for the play of his lifetime was....The War Horse.
The play won 5 Tony awards in the United States last year and was the winner for Play of the year.
All of what Skip told me was true.....it was AWESOME. I wrote about this on my Facebook page...but it was unbelievable that a puppet company could control a full size horse....make that several full size horses on stage....also these horses...while being controlled by the puppet company were so realistic that after about 10 minutes I was a believer!! The story of this play is a horse (Joey) who is a pet of a young man on a small farm. To raise money the horse is sold into service in WWI. The play begins with Joey as a colt and progresses to a full size animal and evolves around that service. So real....and the story covers a lot of emotions...and you will leave the theatre with a warm feeling at having viewed something that is a difficult thing to pull off on stage....but please...please go see it if you have the chance. Here is the theatre billing....
So my second day was off to the museums....along with hundreds of school children on day trips.....not the best of times....or the worse of times....they were very well mannered....but the crowds were huge...must have been the weather that brought all them out...since it was another day of not a cloud in the sky and a temperature of 28C.
First up....the Natural history museum....
My favorite were the images of nature....I love nature and am looking to capture as much as possible when I head to the Galapagos later on this this phase of my RTW travel.
I did not venture too far....almost right across the street to the Victoria and Albert museum. This is a main stay for the UK....very British....and loved the gates....V&A....yeah!!
....and now look at how ornate detail in some of the entrance facade......
This area also was hit by the bombings of London during WWII. And this plaque lets one know that even thought this was wall was hit....it was left that way for everyone to remember what happened. And frankly it is hard for me to believe that I am walking in areas of the city that were actually bombed during that WW.
Hopefully you will be able to enlarge this picture when you view it to read all the inscription.....
Also in my travel through London I found a couple interesting photos to share with you....the first is of the "bike leasing" industry. We have this in Washington DC...and it is called City Bikes....here is the London version....1 pound for 60 minutes and 1 pound to reserve.....and there are a lot of these in the city and appear to be well used from the people I see riding them....
This next one is a given in my book.....you do not have to tell me twice!! A photo in the Charing Cross Tube station.......it is like take the lift (elevator) .....
So here I am at the end of my day and looking to cross the channel tomorrow. I did some shopping today and just enjoyed a day walking around doing nothing....except watching people...and trying not to look like a tourist....most people recognize me as one I think.
And....Paris tomorrow to begin my 30+ days of rail travel that will take me to France, Spain, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands......" ...I hear that train a comin....comin round the bend...."
So the first night I went to see a play recommended to me by my great friend currently in Barbados....Mr. Howard (Skip) Edmonds. Now....if Skip recommends it...you might as well take it to the bank...it is not given lightly. His recommendation for the play of his lifetime was....The War Horse.
The play won 5 Tony awards in the United States last year and was the winner for Play of the year.
All of what Skip told me was true.....it was AWESOME. I wrote about this on my Facebook page...but it was unbelievable that a puppet company could control a full size horse....make that several full size horses on stage....also these horses...while being controlled by the puppet company were so realistic that after about 10 minutes I was a believer!! The story of this play is a horse (Joey) who is a pet of a young man on a small farm. To raise money the horse is sold into service in WWI. The play begins with Joey as a colt and progresses to a full size animal and evolves around that service. So real....and the story covers a lot of emotions...and you will leave the theatre with a warm feeling at having viewed something that is a difficult thing to pull off on stage....but please...please go see it if you have the chance. Here is the theatre billing....
So my second day was off to the museums....along with hundreds of school children on day trips.....not the best of times....or the worse of times....they were very well mannered....but the crowds were huge...must have been the weather that brought all them out...since it was another day of not a cloud in the sky and a temperature of 28C.
First up....the Natural history museum....
I did not venture too far....almost right across the street to the Victoria and Albert museum. This is a main stay for the UK....very British....and loved the gates....V&A....yeah!!
....and now look at how ornate detail in some of the entrance facade......
This area also was hit by the bombings of London during WWII. And this plaque lets one know that even thought this was wall was hit....it was left that way for everyone to remember what happened. And frankly it is hard for me to believe that I am walking in areas of the city that were actually bombed during that WW.
Hopefully you will be able to enlarge this picture when you view it to read all the inscription.....
Also in my travel through London I found a couple interesting photos to share with you....the first is of the "bike leasing" industry. We have this in Washington DC...and it is called City Bikes....here is the London version....1 pound for 60 minutes and 1 pound to reserve.....and there are a lot of these in the city and appear to be well used from the people I see riding them....
This next one is a given in my book.....you do not have to tell me twice!! A photo in the Charing Cross Tube station.......it is like take the lift (elevator) .....
So here I am at the end of my day and looking to cross the channel tomorrow. I did some shopping today and just enjoyed a day walking around doing nothing....except watching people...and trying not to look like a tourist....most people recognize me as one I think.
And....Paris tomorrow to begin my 30+ days of rail travel that will take me to France, Spain, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands......" ...I hear that train a comin....comin round the bend...."
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