LONDON DAY SEVEN

Our seventh and last day in London, Monday, was a late start for Chris and me as we’d been up to 3 am or so watching the Superbowl the night before. Basically, we woke up just in time to shower and say goodbye to Brad as he stopped by on his way to his flight back to Zurich. We took a slow start to the day, and made our way to the National Portrait Gallery, where we enjoyed the early paintings (especially after visiting castles where the people depicted lived or worked) then travelled rather quickly through the newer stuff.

After that, and after grabbing a sandwich each, we headed for the Britain at War museum to learn more about London during WWII. The museum was just off the London Bridge station, and we were able to use a National Rail 2-for-1 pass. The museum itself has a lot of cool stuff, and we learned a lot, but you can tell they really have little money and it’s pretty run down. I hope some day they will have a proper and well-funded museum in its place. But still, it was good to learn about what life was like for the civilians (there is another military/Churchill museum, but I was more interested in the ordinary person’s experience).

Next, since we’d decided to go to Evensong, we headed to Westminster, walked up to Trafalgar Square for coffee (and also picked up a French phrase book) and along the way passed the Household Calvary, who just then were doing a little demonstration in their yard, and seeing them realized that was who we’d seen pass the day before at Buckingham Palace.

We made it back to Westminster Abbey about fifteen minutes early, and were shown to seats directly under the lectern. Of course as we sat and waited, we glanced around. As the service started (the Abbey choir—boys—sang) it was evident that the space really is perfect for that sort of service. Chris, who had never before attended an Evensong, was awe-inspired, and all in all it was a perfect way to end out time in London. I was distracted by a Russian tourist who sat behind us and chatted throughout most of the service, but just when I was about to turn and ask her to be quiet, the Gospel lesson about the Pharisees being mean to people was read, and I thought it improper to thus berate her. Darn. So I tried to ignore her, but indeed, it was just plain rude!

After Evensong we headed back to Covent Gardens for dinner, which we took at Nags Head Pub, a place recommened in our tour book—the book has yet to disappoint us. We found ourselves sitting next to a couple of young women from Illinois, and I think all we a bit happy to find fellow Americans. We took a quick dinner, then headed back to our room to watch TV, rest, and get to bed early. Of course, we stopped at Sainbury Local in Paddington one last time.

Oh, and it snowed today in London. Nothing really noteworthy, certainly nothing major, and it didn’t even stick, but hey, it was something!