The worst pies in London

Another day winds to a close. Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny, which made for an enjoyable walk to church at All Souls, where my friend Andy used to go. London, especially that area around Oxford Circus, manages to maintain a sense of charm despite the paucity of trees.

In the afternoon, I met up with a guy from my NYC church, Tim, who happened to be in London the same time as me, Tim's host Helen, and Helen's son Barnaby. Helen's husband Jonathan was away watching a rugby match, which is just as well since two Jonathan's in one party can make things complicated. We met at the recently developed Canary Wharf area and then took a train across the Thames to the lovely park at Greenwich. The hill afforded sweeping views of London and the river; perched at the top of the slope was the observatory with 0 degrees longitude running through it. That's right, Greenwich Mean Time. I enjoyed the sunshine, and the weather, probably approaching sixty degrees, was far warmer than New York has been this year.

We strolled down to the water and took a cruise up the Thames to Westminster, viewing such sights along the way as the Tower of London, the Tower Bridge, the City Hall, St Paul's Cathedral, the Eye of London, and the Houses of Parliament. (Pictures to follow) The guide had a running line of witty commentary, and the delivery was even more impressive considering he probably gives it multiple times daily. There, I learned for the first time that ''wharf'' is short for ''warehouse at river front.''

From there, Tim and Helen headed back home, whereas I, armed with my Rick Steves' London 2007 (Thank you, Scott--one of the best host gifts ever!), set out in search of dinner. I had some tradional British fare near Picadilly Circus--roast beef, yorkshire pudding, carrots, potatoes, tea, and an apple crisp.

Even after crawling into bed at 10:00 PM, it wasn't hard to sleep till 8:00 sans alarm. I'd arranged to meet Tim again at 10:00, which didn't leave much time for sightseeing beforehand. There was just enough time to take a half-mile walk to Hyde Park and romp about in the foggy cool morning before heading back to the hotel to meet Tim.

After Tim ate breakfast and I had a cup of tea, we ventured out again. Our first stop was Westminster Abbey, which was closed today. So we instead explored the neighborhood a bit before walking again up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square. I suggested we could see the National Gallery, but Tim responded that he preferred the outside of museums to the inside. (Sometimes it is easier, perhaps, to vacation by oneself!) I stopped by the TKTS at Leicester Square, and then we began the long walk down the Strand, across Blackbriar Bridge, by the Tate Modern, and back across the Millenium Bridge to St Paul's. The day, again, was sunny and warm enough for a tee-shirt, so I tied my sweater around my waist.

Sitting atop a red double-decker bus was a great way to see London as we rode all the way back to Hyde Park and walked through some parts I hadn't seen this morning. We finished the afternoon walking through South Kensington where Tim and I split paths. He heads back to New York tomorrow.

After a short nap at the hotel, I showered & changed before heading back to Picadilly Circus for my £25 musical--Les Miserables.

I'm nearly out of time at my internet cafe, so until next time...