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| The queen lives here. People sit out front all the time. |
This last week has gone by in an eye blink. Last Sunday we blazed into town on the Eurostar and tomorrow we head home the same way - back to Paris to catch our flight home. We met up with Steph Green - a former student from 30 years ago - but that is a separate story. We went to a play called - Be More Chill. We stayed in 2 hotels. We started our in a Marriot Residence Inn - the first 3 days - but decided we would rather be back in our old neighborhood - Bloomsbury - so the last 3 nights are in a Hilton Doubletree here.
We rode a lot of buses - subways - cabs. We ate a lot of pub food - and had a few drinks. We shopped for groceries and took it home to prepare. We bought a lot of nice ready to eat food at Waitrose and other markets.
Weather has been fantastic during our entire Europe trip. We had mostly 60s and 70s - very little rain and wonderful breezes. South of France was hot and dry. The mistrel winds coming down the Rhone River dried out my nose.
I can tell Lulu misses teaching her classes here. We were here 10 summers while she taught courses - not only visiting London for free - but being paid. Getting to share the knowledge with the students made it special. Lulu has one professor friend that has taught a course here for 30 years. Her class is usually the one to fill up first.
We visited Charles Dickens' home. It has been perfectly restored - all 5 floors. You are able to go in the attic - basement - and floors in between. Dickens wrote many of his important books here. I often considered writing a story comparing Paris and London - little did I know that Dickens' - A Tale of Two Cities - is just that - a comparison of these two wonderful cities.
The covid situation is a story within our story. First - we had to have a covid test and proof of vaccine to go to France in June. Then we had to get a covid passport in France to get into many shops and attractions there. To go to England on the train - we had to show our covid card - take a covid test - and then sign up to take another covid test 2 days after we got in England - send it in - and get results. To go back to Paris - we can just show our covid passport. In Paris - we must pass another covid test - to get back into the USA. The covid test in America was free - in France it was $25 - in England it was $75. Now another $25 one in Paris. Confusing yes - but it is part of our story.
It is really nice seeing London as a bit of a ghost town. But you realize how much these businesses are hurting - also the people. Don't get me wrong - they really appreciate us coming to visit. If you want to come and see the sights of London - this is a good time. You will see that lots of my pictures have no people. I did not plan it that way.
THE STREETCAT NAMED BOB - this is a favorite movie of Lulu's. It is the story of a street musician who befriends a stray cat - names Bob. It is a true story. The cat became very famous - and all the people loved to touch him and watch him entertain. He really attracted the spare change into the hat. If you are a cat person - it is on cable - please watch it. In London - the street music scene is big stuff. You may recall - one time- Rod Stewart performed for us on the street.
I am sure it was tough on Lulu teaching her first class of the semester for FSU at 11 pm to 3 am. The students got a kick out of - LONDON CALLING - for their first class.
On to the next adventure. After 60 days over here - we get the enjoy of settling back in to another school year - and our home in Tallahassee.
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| Our train to London and back - is effortless. You can arrive late - carry your bag - walk in. |
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| Eurostar goes through a 30 mile long tunnel at 150 mph |
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| First flight in England occurred at Farnborough |
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| They were nice and postponed the Tube strike for us |
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| Cereal at the American store |
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| Penn State pretzels are here 10 years |
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| They do not like this guy |
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| American store |
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| Condoms |
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| Simon's favorite tea |
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| I love these plug in black cabs |
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| Hydrogen powered bus |
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| Duke of York pub |
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| Versace store |
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| Lulu loves shopping galaries |
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| Guard the queen |
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| Buckingham Palace |
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| Westminster Abbey - Dickens buried here |
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| Do you remember The White Swan in Tamaqua |
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| Leicester Square tickets - look at tree |
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| Mary Poppin |
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| Tower Bridge |
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| Tower of London Castle |
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| Bus driver in sealed booth |
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| V-2 Rocket terrorized London |
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| Japanese Suicide bomb |
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| Imperial War Museum - free |
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| Imperial War Museum - by our first hotel |
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| They mailed us covid tests - we had to test ourselves - $75 |
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| My favorite - fresh yellow custard |
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| Lulu mailing in our covid tests |
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| Our second hotel in Bloomsbury |
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| British Museum was very empty |
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| Rosetta Stone |
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| Venus |
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| Seminole Indian coat - in British Museum |
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| Our friend Sandi's favorite eatery |
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| Dickens' dining room |
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| Dickens' basement kitchen |
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| Dickens' living room |
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| Office where Dickens wrote |
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| Dickens bedroom |
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| Art at Dickens' house |
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| Dickens on money happiness |
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| 5 stories all restored |
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| Looks like Dickens liked sports cars |
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| We saw this play. The crowd loved it. It was not aimed at gray heads. |
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| This is the Cuba Embassy |
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| We like this pub - good food - right across from British Museum |
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| Empty cabs sitting in front of British Museum |
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| Lulu loves the Streetcat Name Bob story |
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| I was surprised how important it was to her. |
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| Memorial to Bob |
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| We had a drink there today. |
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| Statues have sound - just use your phone |
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| They were changing exhibits |
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| A little wilderness in London |
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| People in London think - the difference between a rich American and a poor American is - the poor American washes his own Cadillac. |
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