Next Time

If I ever go to London again, I’m going to the theatre every night.  If I had a “do over” from my trip to Europe, that would be it.  We went to a single play and saw the irreverent “Book of Mormon”.  It’s the kind of play where you either laugh or leave.  I laughed.  

My traveling companions and I stayed in the Covent Garden’s District.  We were only a few blocks from several London theatres.  We could have, and should have, taken the opportunity to see more theatre productions. Hindsight is 20 – 20.

My big take away from London is the people we met tended to be from somewhere else.  They’d come to the city to make their mark.  Our first Uber driver, Alex, was from London, but every other service worker I asked, were from other countries. Several were from South Africa. Another Uber driver, Bilar, was from Turkey and a third, Milan, was from Ghana

We had dinner one night in a very nice Italian restaurant.   Denby was our beautiful twenty-six-year-old server.   I know because I asked. Old men can sometimes get away with asking intrusive questions to young women.  Especially if we look harmless.  I asked because she didn’t look old enough to serve alcohol. She was from Australia studying to be a fashion designer and she served me the best seafood linguini I’ve ever eaten.

Other than the theatre, we had no real plan for our time in London.  We did take the Hop On Hop Off Bus.  That was a great way to experience the city, and while the buildings are definitely older, they house some of the same stores you see in the United States. 

The streets are narrower, with signs that remind you to “Mind the Gap”.  Signs inside the buildings remind you to “Mind the Step”.  I think they use “mind” rather than “watch out for the” because they can use smaller signs and save a few dollars when they make them. 

It may also be a variation of the English saying, “Mind your P’s and Q’s.”   That expression serves multiple purposes.  “Mind your manners”, “Mind your language”, “Be on your best behavior”, and “Watch what you’re doing.”  In any case, the Brits want you to be careful.

One of the London highlights was the changing of the guard.  We took an Uber so we wouldn’t be late.  It’s a grand production.  Very formal.  There were “Bobbies” to help maintain law and order.

We took pictures everywhere we went.  Without them, the entire trip would be a blur.

 

Everyone who’s ever been, told me that I’d be impressed by what I saw.  I was.  While I enjoyed my time in London, I preferred some of the other places we visited.  People weren’t in such a hurry.

London, like most big cities, is a melting pot of humanity.  Everyone seemed to be in a hurry to get someplace else.  No one seemed content where they were. Those we spoke with were all very nice.  I appreciated their willingness to share their knowledge and their time.  

We filled each of our days with adventure.  I’m glad I went, but as they say:  “It’s a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.”