Random Notes on London

Here are some miscellaneous observations about London:

--The guide on the double-decker sightseeing bus today said that London has more theatres than New York City. Many of the travelers on this trip took advantage of the opportunity to take in a play; I heard good things especially about "The Postman Always Rings Twice," starring Val Kilmer, and a new and very snazzy production of "Mary Poppins."

--This city is *so* steeped in history, from the church where Robert Browning married Elizabeth Barrett, to the Tower of London, where Ann Boleyn lost her head, to Westminster Abbey, where William the Conqueror was coronated as king in 1066 and where Princess Diana's funeral was held in 1997. Not to mention the fact that London is the site of the original Hard Rock Cafe.

--There's a pub just across from the Tower of London called The Hung, Drawn, and Quartered.

--It's hard to get the hang of being a pedestrian over here. Since cars drive on the left-hand side of the road, when you cross the street you have to remember to look to your *right* -- because that's where the cars are that are inches away from flattening you.

--I thought this might be the first trip where I *didn't* buy a T-shirt, but I couldn't resist at a restaurant/pub called The Albert. On the back of the T-shirt is a list of all the British prime ministers who've been seen at The Albert since the 1880s -- from Benjamin Disraeli to Lloyd George to Winston Churchill to Margaret Thatcher to Tony Blair.

--There is a statue on just about every street corner in London, it seems. If you were an important figure in British history and they *didn't* put up a statue in your honor, you should file a complaint somewhere.

That's all from London. We head to the airport tomorrow to come home, so with any luck, there won't be anything further that's interesting to report from here on out! Hope you've enjoyed hearing about our adventures in the British Isles.