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12 December 2007


Last night I received my big package of London information and treats from the tour company handling the details of my trip. It included the requisite travel bag with the company's name emblazoned across the front, which I assume tour members use in the United States if they want other people to know they're taking a trip abroad or that they use in London when they want to announce to the natives, I'm a tourist. Please sell me cheap stuff plastered with photos of the royal family and be annoyed at me for not knowing how to use the tube. Also, please consider mugging me.

The package included my itinerary AND a DK London book. I love DK. They are my favorite publishers. Their travel books are FULL of photographs and illustrations. DK can be one of my imaginary boyfriends. The whole company. I take this as a very good sign.

I have a couple of free days while I'm in London, so I'm deciding where to go. I've been to London before, but only for a week, so if you have suggestions, let me know. I didn't make it to the Victoria and Albert Museum last time, so I'm hoping to go this time. I want to see this: Why, yes. Yes, that is a life-size pipe organ shaped like a tiger "in the act of devouring a prostrate European." Oh, yeah. Labels: Going Places M.E. said...

Why is that tiger eating that man?
 
Jealous. Very jealous.
 
In no particular order (except no. 1.):

1. See Wicked
2. Walk through some parks (Green Park, St. James, Kensington, and Hyde are my favorite in that order). Or if the weather is truly bad glance in their direction for me--a complete stranger that keeps invading your blog (I’m a friend of Nemesis).
3. Consider a visit to the Dickens home. The downsides are that it is small and out of the way, but they let you wander around it unaccompanied for as long as you want and when I was there at the beginning of January they still had the Victorian Christmas decorations up in the sitting room.
4. The Buckingham Palace Mews were surprisingly interesting. I had a get-in-free card (London Pass), but would pay to see this again—it is all the Queen’s Horses and all the Queen’s men and the royal carriages too. Really it was surprisingly interesting.
5. I love all the museums, but the last time I was there I visited the National Gallery and really enjoyed that—V&A, British, and Imperial are also all favorites of mine.
6. Go to St. Paul’s Cathedral for either a sung Eucharist or Evensong—You get in free for religious services (but you can still sit and gawk) and the singing/acoustics are cool. Check their website for details.

What are the sites you are seeing as a group?
 MBC said...

M.E. - Tigers are carnivores. It is their way.

Yankee girl - Feel free to invade. I love comments and the whole blog community deal. I read your blog sometimes, too. Thanks for the suggestions. Evensong at St. Paul's is way up on my to do list. I went to Evensong at Westminster last year and it was one of the highlights of the trip. We're touring Stratford, the Globe, Windsor Castle, and the National Theater as a group (there might be a couple more places) and seeing four plays.
 chou said...

I loved the fashion stuff at Victoria and Albert. Great fun to mock. And they had all the art deco furniture in an easy to find location. Hooray!
