In which we Ride Under and Over the City

Jane's Journal Page Notes:
Bridge to a Higher Place...

Imagine yourself a bridge...
Maybe a bamboo bridge
Swinging in the Amazon...
Maybe an old stone bridge
Green with hanging moss

Those who need your wisdom
And your kindness
Move across your back
Into the all embracing realm
Of the powers above
Where unfound lands of love lie
for all to break in
Like a mother’s open arms.

Journal entry:
Unfortunately, it was noisy overnight--a drunk outside at 2:15, plus noisy, slamming hotel doors. I, in earplugs, heard very little of it, although the slamming doors did get my attention at times.

Up around 8:00 for breakfast today, though we didn't get downstairs till around 8:45. After eating we came back up to the room so Beast could check email before we met up with K., a colleague of his. He has worked with her for quite awhile, but has not met her before today. Things seemed to be set for the meet-up, so we set off for King’s Cross.

On our way, we stopped in at the British Library--it's right next to St. Pancras. We had barely enough time to examine most of their manuscript collection before walking over for tube tickets at King's Cross. But what we did see is amazing. Truly amazing. There is no other word for all the works on display there, from Bibles to Asian prints to another Magna Carta to Charles Dickens' notebooks.

The line for train tickets was insane; we're too chicken to use the machines, which would undoubtedly be much faster. It probably took twenty minutes to get our tickets. On top of that, we didn't realize how long a walk it is from the tube stop to the London Eye, so we were another twenty minutes late meeting K. This is probably not the best place to search for one person: very crowded down at the bottom! But Beast eventually hooked up with her. She had already bought tix for the Eye, so we got right on board after. No waiting there at all.

I wasn't sure how we would fare with this, but it turned out to be very cool; even Beast enjoyed it. It was a fairly clear day so we could see into the distance. The building we wondered about yesterday is too new to show up on the maps, but K. told us it’s called The Gherkin by many people. Heh.

The maps provided (well, actually, Jean provided ours; they do cost money!) are not all that great. I wonder if the guidebook is better. We didn't buy one to see. The cars weren’t particularly crowded, so we could really walk around while we were moving. Nice.

Aside from the view, it was interesting to watch procedure. As each car emptied, the security detail walked through with mirrors on sticks--think dental instruments for giants--to check the car for bombs. Quick, calm, professional...and none of them more than 22 years old. Great job for a college student IF s/he likes people!

After the ride, she took us to The People's Palace at the Royal Festival Hall for lunch--v. posh. Nice food. The Company picked it up. Once again we were severely underdressed, but no one seemed to care. It wasn't busy. Probably had something to do with the jackhammers in the construction site below us that started up around 2:15 and went nonstop till we left. The maitre d' was incredibly apologetic.

After lunch, we split up, after taking a photo so Beast can prove he met K. to all the people at work. K. went shopping, while we went off to see St. Paul's. We got there around 3:45, so we didn't get to spend very much time looking around since they start closing up at 4:30. We did get to go up to the Whispering Gallery, although it was so crowded that we couldn't get the acoustics to work. It was about 230 steps up that far, so we didn’t go upstairs to the dome (another 300+ steps). Because while we may be walking a lot more than usual, and we've been doing the hill thing, we aren't in THAT good of shape. While we were up there, the choir suddenly began singing: absolutely heavenly.

We wandered as much as we could after coming back downstairs, but the staff was locking up the aisles and transepts and settling everything for Evensong. We went down to the crypt to use the bathrooms and to shop. Also had a quick tea (cookies and Coke--not very British!) and then we tubed back to the British Library bookshop. We hadn't had time to look around there this morning. We dropped a lot of money there...and I didn't light any candles, which I'm kind of bummed about.

Woops: as I’m writing this we are watching the evening news in our room. They’ve just done a big bit on the service thing Jesse is doing this week--Soul in the City. No Jesse to be seen, just a lot of cute girls (wonder why he’s doing it...). Very cool! It’s a cleanup project for Christians to come together and improve depressed areas of the city.

Anyway, after the British Library bookshop, we staggered back here to rest before heading to dinner. Prob. another pub.

LATER

Yes another pub, altho' I only had chips with cheese and bacon on top. Too tired and warm too eat. We ate outside in lovely cool breezes, though. This was the place we tried to eat at on our the first afternoon in London, but the cook had gone on break between lunch and dinner. It was OK food, but the atmosphere was the best. I’ve forgotten the name, but it’s down Leigh St., so off the main traffic area, behind the University of London dorms on Mabledon. Much quieter.

We sat next to a table of Spaniards dissecting the world. A very different accent from the Spanish I’m used to listening to. I actually had trouble understanding them.

We got back here around 8 for showers and so forth. Now we’re lounging around reading the paper and some of the books we bought today. That’s what the adults are doing: Sparky is (gasp!) GameBoying.

Tomorrow we meet with A. for lunch, but otherwise I’m not sure what we’ll do. Back to the British Museum for awhile at least. In less than 40 hours we leave Britain. Boo hoo.