London Day 4: March 25, 2006

This is going to have to be fast because I decided about 30 minutes ago to walk up to the half-price ticket booth in Leicester Square and see if I could get tickets to "Whistle Down the Wind," which is the latest Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. They didn't have any, so I walked a few blocks to the theatre itself and asked for the cheapest seat for tonight. I got a ticket for £10 and it starts in 35 minutes!

First thing this morning I had to check out of my hotel by Victoria Station and take all my suitcases on the tube to my next hotel. I wanted to get to know several areas of London, and so chose hotels in 3 different areas. This one is the Rushmore and I like it. I think I will put my Moms & Daughters tour here in August. The last one wasn't really nice enough, although the location was terrific for what I needed.

It was too early to get into the room, so I decided to find a bus to the Portobello Road Market. Bus took forever in traffic, and then the street market wasn't all that easy to find. At any rate, I finally found the street market, and it was pretty extensive and lots of fun. There were lots of antique booths and clothes and ethnic food stalls selling Greek and French foods and olives and vegetables. There were even street performers, which I did not expect because it's winter and threatening rain. I bought (what a surprise) a blue and white dish.

Took the tube back (faster though there were delays because they are working on it) to put the dish away and check into the room. It looks like a tiny version of something out of Mary Poppins. The ceiling is high and it has a tall window. The room is, like every other room in London, just big enough to turn around.

Off again to finally get into St Paul's Cathedral. Cost me £9! That included the climb to the dome, though. Way the heck up 500+ stairs, but at one point you can see down into the church. that's the shot you see at the left. I was way high up iin the dome. At 2 higher points you can see all over London. There is an American memorial in the apse paid for by the people of Britain. I wa quite touched by that. I went down in the crypt and saw where Sir Christopher Wren (architect who built the cathedral) and Lord Nelson and Lawrence of Arabia are buried. In the gift shop I finally found my first 2 decent posters of London. While I was there the organ started, and then a church service with a choir processing in, all boys and men in white robes. The music was fabulous! Another lump to the throat . . .

By this time it was raining, so I hopped a bus toward home. Since it was only 5:00 I didn't want to quit yet, so I got off and took another bus going the other way. By Westminster Abbey I got off and wandered around the statue of Churchill, and then walked up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square. On Whitehall are all their power offices: the Foreign Office, their Pentagon, 10 Downing Street, the Horse Guards, the Welsh and Scottish offices, and the Banqueting Hall (first of the new white classical style by Inigo Jones in 1620). I cut through the block and found the Cabinet War Rooms where Churchill ran the war and a lovely park where the daffodils are starting to bloom.

At Trafalgar Square I wandered around the fountains you see in the picture, and then came up here to the theater district. Got to go; the show starts in 17 minutes and it's up the block. I love the theater here!