Of course, the Tube lines and stations I wanted to use were closed for weekend maintenance, so I just took a cab from St Pancras ; and allow me to say - How Civilised! The cab drivers are nice and pleasant, they know EXACTLY where to go, they understand what you’re saying, they don’t drive like madmen, etc. Just driving along the streets in the morning was a treat.
I got to Trafalgar Square and went to the Starbucks around the corner for a chai latte - again, it felt great to be in a place where one can walk down the street with a take away coffee cup - from a major US chain - in a size larger than a thimble - and not feel like a pariah.
Blue skies, light breeze, crisp air, wispy white clouds, sun reflecting off Parliament. Perfect.
The tour itself was very good, and was detailed perfectly in my Blue Guide London book (thanks Norah!). You can do virtual tours on the Parliament’s website. (Since I haven’t spent serious amounts of time on the US government website, I don’t have a comparison ; but, I think UK’s site is really good.)
The intricacy in the details inside were great. In some ways the House of Lords is way ostentatious when compared to House of Commons (or from the opposite view, the House of Commons is pathetically drab). Either way, both have their charms. Photography inside was not allowed.
I was surprised that both Houses do NOT have enough seats for all Members. Where is the whole Representation in that?
After the tour finished, I crossed over to Westminster Abbey and took that tour. The Abbey was less impressive than I remember it being 15 years ago. It is 15 GBP to get in, and you get a headset to listen to for descriptions of everything. I found that those descriptions, and the whole headset thing, took away from the overall awe/peace that one would’ve otherwise felt. It definitely felt more like a museum / mausoleum than a place of worship. Every place on the floor and in the walls are stones either marking someone's gravesite, or an 'in honor' thing. A lot of them on the floor are nearly illegible because they have been walked on so much they have worn away. Photography inside was not allowed.
Both Parliament and the Abbey were MUCH brighter inside than I expected. Sure, I know part of it has to do with the fact it was a sunny day, but the sheer number of windows was impressive. From a distance, Parliament doesn't really look like it has a lot of windows, but from closer look it is nearly 50% windows I think.
Every time I see historical things like this, I am just amazed that none of them were bombed to ruins in wars.
After that tour, I had just enough awkward time before my train : meaning, it wasn’t really enough time to take a cab/tube to a shopping area, as the transportation aspect would’ve minimised shopping ; but, by going directly to the train station, I had a lot of time there.
Sure, St Pancras International has a lot of shopping, but the bookstore didn’t have what I was looking for and the food choices, while good, were not what I was craving. I think, too, by this point I was tired and ready to get back to Paris. So this just means more shopping when in the States in a few days, especially at Borders.
Good things about London :
--black cabs
--the parks - they are huge, and people use them, and you can sit on the grass, and they have great flowers
--less smokers in the street - you can walk behind a group of people and not be walking in a 2nd hand smoke cloud
--all the pubs - just the way they look, with beautiful overflowing baskets of flowers adorning the front
Bad things :
--air seems dirtier, even on a crisp fall day
--lack of trash bins on the streets (I know, it’s a safety thing)
--more crowded, just a lot more people
Overall, London feels like a city of purpose, energy, action. Paris is “pretty” (image focused), laid-back, and philosophical. If one were to use the historical, stereoptypical, gender descriptions - London is male and Paris is female.
I prefer London.
But, I find that weird because when I lived there, I never really feel like I fit in, or felt ‘at home’.
*So why do Americans in general complain that the French (and Spanish) take all of August off as holiday. US Congress is in recess, and UK seems to be as well. Sure ‘members work away from Westminster’ but one has to wonder...
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