We arrived in London at Acacia Hostel after travelling about nine hours--first the ferry, then my first passenger train ride, and then the underground. We were relieved to find out that we were given our own room with Nigel and Laura, so no sharing with strangers after all. We were less excited about being on floor 4... And may I also mention that it seems that ground floor is considered 0, not 1 in Dublin and London. Ah well--it was obviously a well-to-do area in South Kensington, beautiful cars, and well-dressed people relaxing in restaurants. Unlike Dublin, we felt we maybe should dress up a bit to fit in better.
Nigel and Laura went to bed early to prepare for a day trip to the track at Silverstone, so Andrew and I went out in search of good wifi to plan our day on Friday, and found a delightful restaurant called Muriel's Kitchen. The espresso is good, the waiter was Italian (we've encountered a lot of Italian everywhere we've been!), and I had my first little bit of cheesecake since I've healed of my allergy to its ingredients--it was a worthy one!
After a good long sleep, we began our exploration of London at St. Paul's Cathedral for 12:30 Eucharist. Unlike at St. Patrick's in Dublin, they don't shoo out all the tourists during service, so there was a mild bit of noise constantly in the air. It seems like an interesting ministry, though, to speak the words of the liturgy where people may hear them without intending to. The service took place by the low altar, where they have rows of chairs in a half circle. There were countless memorials to English and American troops, arched ceilings with glittering paintings. Numerous angels were depicted. After trying to walk up near the ceiling and being told off for sticking around after service without paying entrance, we made our way into the crypt, where there were yet more war memorials. The Queen's jubilee service was held there, and there is a statue of her out front (see below).
We wandered down a street called "The Strand" which Wiki tells me used to be where the banks of the Thames came or, before the embankment was built. Now it is about a block away. We came across Somerset House, which we will go back to another day for the art exhibits, but on a warm sunny day, the fountains were delightful. I also appreciated the inscription featured by the fountain--it was a reminder of how God has cared for us, and how much I appreciate this vacation!
We happened upon St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and found ourselves listening to a rehearsal for a concert that evening. Being July 4th, it feTured some American works, and I do believe the one we heard was American Seasons.
The musicians in the chamber group seemed to all be pretty young, but they were playing really well. The featured window, though not stained glass, is quite striking, and I thought it showed how Christ interrupted and rearranged time and space when he redeemed us, but maybe that's a bit lofty.
After crossing through Trafalgar Square, which was partially barricaded in anticipation of the Tour de France, we walked past St. James Park, where there is a lovely English garden, which upon further inspection was actually mostly vegetables, but had a nearby pond. This is the black swan which came to say hello.
After a bit of a rest back at the hostel, we ventured back onto the underground to be tourists and ride the London Eye. I've seen it on Sherlock so many times, so I figured it was necessary.
The station at the end of that bridge is Charing Cross, and the big box of a building lit up on the right used to be the largest hotel in Europe. I think it is office space now. Just beyond that, outside of the photo, is the Savoy hotel, where we are going to dinner and a show tomorrow night. If you look to the left, you can see the National Gallery, with a dark tower in the middle of it, which is Trafalgar Square. We walked past Big Ben and Parliament Buildings a couple times that day, but here is a shot from across the Thames with the light of a street lamp. It is neat to hear bells ring on the hour all over the city.
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