I'm writing this for the second time since Picasa didn't post the entry for me properly. Ho hum never mind, perhaps that will encourage me to write less this time and save it more often. We started Monday at the Tower of London (see the bemused looking beefeater above). It was a gorgeous day for pottering around the Tower; our first visit was of course to the Crown Jewels, which were much better laid out this time than when I had last seen them as a child. However seeing a proper exhibition rather than being squeezed into a safe somehow detracted from the experience. No doubt security has become better and a little more subtle in the last 30 years... So plenty jewel encrusted maces and crowns for the delectation of those who are into such things.
Although there was an exhibition of medaeval torture instruments and a rather silly tabloid mock up reporting the Gunpowder Plot through Sun-style screaming headlines and News 24 reporting on the Catholic terrorist threat, in general the Tower seemed to be playing down the more fearful aspects of its history -- yet fear of the Traitor's Gate, encarceration and gory death are surely what it was known for as part of the State's apparatus of power?
From the Tower to Tower Bridge which I hadn't realised was as recent as it is, opening as it did in the early 20th Century. I had always fancied walking across the high-level walkways and indeed the photo above is taken from the West Walkway, part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition. As well as access to the walkways (which contain a history of the bridge) there is also access to the engine room, a good oily distraction for an engineer feeling a bit over-exposed to history.
From Tower Bridge we walked past HMS Belfast, Southwark Cathedral, the rebuilt Globe Theatre and Southwark Cathedral pausing only for a bagel for lunch. Our next visit was to the Tate Modern where the main exhibit was Carsten Höller's helter-skelter slides which descended the height of the Turbine Hall... good fun undoubtedly, but art? Sorry I'm a bit philistine when it comes to such things.
The Tate Modern also offers excellent views over the next part of our visit (see the photo above); across the Millennium (bouncy) Bridge to St. Paul's Cathedral. And so we went, Caitlin and I getting as far as the Stone Gallery above the Whispering Gallery. Unfortunately we had to forego the 300 further steps to the Golden Gallery above the Dome, staff shortages apparently. however footsore as we were this was probably no bad thing. From St. Pauls a quick walk across Paternoster Square and a bus back to the hotel.
Monday evening was our theatre night out and so dinner consisted of a rather chaotic meal at a large Wetherspoons near Holborn station. A nice pint of Everards Stout though did mitigate things a little. "We Will Rock You!" as many will know weaves a corny Ben Elton storyline around Queen's blockbuster songs providing a visually spectacular sing-a-long. The show over Anne and I retired to the Swan pub adjacent to the hotel. A pleasant pint of Adnam's Broadside for me, but a rather too sweet white wine for Anne, due mainly to the otherwise charming barmaid's difficulty with English. Not a good evening for pub service I'm afraid.
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