A Short Stay in London
I could navigate London without a map before ever stepping foot there (although I have to admit it would mostly be London before 1900). I’ve learned how to navigate the roads by following the footsteps of orphans, nobles, thieves, the insane, the middle class, and even the occasional magician. I could guide you through the night skies, making a pit stop at Big Ben, then on past the second star to the right and straight to Neverland. I’ve wandered the moors in search of ghosts; fallen in love and out of love at the parties of the gentry. I’ve wandered the quiet city streets after nightfall waiting to catch a murder, and scoured the shores and waters of the Thames for trinkets or the occasional body. I know where the fancy masquerades as well as the opium dens are. I could take you to Paddington station and tell you exactly where a lost bear would be waiting. Advise you to go to Cheery Tree Lane in search of a good nanny, or to Primrose Hill at twilight to hear the news. Perhaps watch a performance for the price of a penny, or explore an old mansion in search of large wardrobes instead. Then there are the parks and woods where you can join a merry band of thieves, fall through a looking glass, or perhaps find Lancelot and persuade him to leave Guinevere. Of course if the city finally gets tiresome and you’re ready to go to school, simply head to Kings Cross Station.
Basically all my knowledge of London (all of England for that matter) comes from the literature I've engrossed myself in since I could read, so it’s no surprise that London both fascinated and disappointed me. Don’t get me wrong, it is an amazing city, definitely one of my favorites. It just doesn’t exactly live up to what all these authors have painted it to be, but to be fair, how could it?
I did enjoy myself while there. I was lucky enough to stay in Paddington, and while there weren’t any lost bears in the station, I did find one for sale to bring home. Kensington Gardens was only a short walk away, and thankfully I did find Peter Pan there; Though the child like illusion was somewhat amusingly shattered when it became apparent than Wendy was looking up his skirt.
The museums and galleries were great (and many of them were free!). I saw some Van Gogh, da Vinci, Rembrandt, Waterhouse, Monet, Titian, Manet, and a bunch of others.
Harrods is just a huge department store; I so did not get the point of that.
Tower of London was definitely worth the trip. All the ghost stories and legends associated with it are fascinating. Although the funniest part was their exhibit of Henry VIII's armor; they had several pieces ranging from when he was about 17 to around his 40's, and you could see it progressively get fatter!
We did stick the literary theme pretty well; we visited Keats’ house, Dickens’ house (well one of them), the two oldest bookstores in London, and the Globe.
Funny story about the Globe: the one that is in London now is a replica (the original burned down a long while ago) and has only been there for about 15 years. The funding for it came from an American (yes, I said an American). Apparently this guy (totally forget his name, will have to look it up) went to London and wanted to see “the great monument to Shakespeare,” unfortunately all he was a plaque with the WRONG DATES! This annoyed him a bit, that the Brits would not honor someone they profess to love a bit better, so he found some other donors, mortgaged his house and put up the money to rebuild the Globe. Which is now a fully functional theater, and while touring it I got to watch some of the actors rehearsing for a performance of Henry VIII. J
I think this post has gone on for far too long, since the first paragraph was my main goal, so I will shut up now.
(and big kudos to anyone who actually gets all those references at the beginning, some are a bit obscure)
Basically all my knowledge of London (all of England for that matter) comes from the literature I've engrossed myself in since I could read, so it’s no surprise that London both fascinated and disappointed me. Don’t get me wrong, it is an amazing city, definitely one of my favorites. It just doesn’t exactly live up to what all these authors have painted it to be, but to be fair, how could it?
I did enjoy myself while there. I was lucky enough to stay in Paddington, and while there weren’t any lost bears in the station, I did find one for sale to bring home. Kensington Gardens was only a short walk away, and thankfully I did find Peter Pan there; Though the child like illusion was somewhat amusingly shattered when it became apparent than Wendy was looking up his skirt.
The museums and galleries were great (and many of them were free!). I saw some Van Gogh, da Vinci, Rembrandt, Waterhouse, Monet, Titian, Manet, and a bunch of others.
Harrods is just a huge department store; I so did not get the point of that.
Tower of London was definitely worth the trip. All the ghost stories and legends associated with it are fascinating. Although the funniest part was their exhibit of Henry VIII's armor; they had several pieces ranging from when he was about 17 to around his 40's, and you could see it progressively get fatter!
We did stick the literary theme pretty well; we visited Keats’ house, Dickens’ house (well one of them), the two oldest bookstores in London, and the Globe.
Funny story about the Globe: the one that is in London now is a replica (the original burned down a long while ago) and has only been there for about 15 years. The funding for it came from an American (yes, I said an American). Apparently this guy (totally forget his name, will have to look it up) went to London and wanted to see “the great monument to Shakespeare,” unfortunately all he was a plaque with the WRONG DATES! This annoyed him a bit, that the Brits would not honor someone they profess to love a bit better, so he found some other donors, mortgaged his house and put up the money to rebuild the Globe. Which is now a fully functional theater, and while touring it I got to watch some of the actors rehearsing for a performance of Henry VIII. J
I think this post has gone on for far too long, since the first paragraph was my main goal, so I will shut up now.
(and big kudos to anyone who actually gets all those references at the beginning, some are a bit obscure)