Gene Kelly in “Singing in the Rain”:
A scene from “Get Our”:
Linda is a fan of Paddington:
I admit that I have always loved Mr. Bean:
And I couldn’t pass up a pigeon on the head of William Shakespeare:
We found just the right place near Green Park to sit outside in an arcade and enjoy a pastry.
We had tickets to an East Wing tour of Buckingham Palace. We went through the front gate between two security officers with rifles and were led to a side door. We went through security screening. Then our purses and phones were taken from us. There were to be absolutely no photos taken. Only one person disobeyed the rule and his phone was soon confiscated from him. Security was tight. We all wore lanyards that identified that we were there for a tour. Throughout the tour there were always four “chaperones” following to make sure no one darted into a side room or broke a fine piece of art.
Our tour guide spoke for 90 minutes with hardly a breath. I had no questions for her because she pretty much answered everything before I could ask it. A tour of the East Wing means that you walk along the full length of the second floor that faces the front of the palace. I assumed the East Wing would be somewhere obscure. Everywhere you turned there were incredible portraits, paintings, ornate furniture, impressive chandeliers and exquisite art from around the world. We learned about how connected by marriage the royal families of the world are. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had nine children. Victoria made sure her children married royalty of other counties. She was referred to as the “Grandmother of Europe.” It would be fascinating to run a genetic chart of that family!
Our last stop was to the room with the balcony that faces the front of Buckingham Palace. It was fascinating to peer through the curtains and see all the tourists waiting outside to watch the guards march.
When the tour was over and we had once again collected our valuables we were escorted back through the front gates. I made sure to give my “queenly wave” to all the peasants peering through the gates.
Linda and I headed to the borough of Belgravia in search of a pub that served fish & chips. You can’t come to London without some fish & chips. We ate at Thomas Cubitt and the fish was excellent…..and so very large!
By then we were ready to rest our feet. We walked to Victoria Station to get a quick tube ride home. The place was packed. Linda said I didn’t need to worry about holding onto anything in the subway because I wasn’t going to move anyway! I know what people in London do on Saturday. They go somewhere….anywhere….using the Underground.
Once back at the hotel I fell fast asleep and had a dream that I had been hit by a fire truck and pinned inside my car. If Bryan were alive I am sure he would tell me what that dream says about me. Once I was fully awake we headed to Trafalgar Square. We didn’t realize it was so close. We walked around and looked at all the statues. Alas, there were no pigeons on any statue heads.
We have tickets tonight to see a concert called “Soul Sisters” in the Crypt at St. Martin of the Fields. Every time I have been to London I have wanted to hear a concert in the crypt. I was so glad it worked out this time. We entered through this glass structure.
This is a photo of the crypt where you walk over the burial sites of Thomas Chippendale (the furniture maker not the male stripper), Nell Gwynne, actress and mistress of King Charles II and many more.
We had read that we could come early and order food. We ordered the three of the four items available on the menu: mixed olives, the antipasto and a pizza. The mixed olives looked like a can of green olives and a can of black olives dumped in a bowl. The antipasto was mostly sun-dried tomatoes with some pickles and onions.
The pizza had so little flavor I spent time adding olives, sun-dried tomatoes and onions to make it tastier. We have had amazing food on this trip….if you exclude tonight’s dinner. If you ever go to a concert in the crypt be sure to eat before you come.
The concert was two hours of fun. The two female singers were exceptionally good, singing Whitney Houston, Chaka Kahn, Pointer Sisters, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Sister Sledge…..to name a few.
They encouraged us to get up and dance. I loved watching a woman in her 70s with a cashmere sweater and leather pants dance with her friend in lace and pearl necklace, while their husbands stayed glued to their seats. One older woman acted like a cruise director getting everyone up on their feet. It was a concert of soul music with a geriatric audience dancing all around the room.
Eventually, the “cruise director” got me on my feet and danced with me. She didn’t take no for an answer.
The evening ended with 75% of the audience standing and dancing to “We are Family”, Linda and I included.
As I left the crypt I felt like I was leaving behind new friends. I left “Oliver” singing, “Consider yourself at home. Consider yourself part of the family.” I left the concert tonight singing, “We are family. I’ve got all my sisters with me.” I love London.
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