I have been flying at almost 500 mph at 37,700 feet altitude at -80º out side the 767 for about 7 hours. I arrived in London today just after noon. Customs and baggage claim were a breeze at Gatwick airport. After walking for an eternity from the gateway (literally 15 minutes!) I then took a train to the North Terminal where I caught the Gatwick Express in to Victoria Station.
I then tubed my way in to Gloucester Road Station in to Kensington. I’m staying at the Holiday Inn virtually directly across from the Gloucester Road station. Since I was having a near death experience from lack of sleep (I just don’t sleep when in a car or plane.), I took a nap for a couple hours. The room, on the top floor (6th) was hotter than hell itself. No worry, I slept anyway!
When I got up, I tubed it to Westminster Station and took some beautiful pictures of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. The weather was glorious, so atypical of England. As a result, the Nordic Hoards were out–people were everywhere! After walking down the Southbank of the Thames, seeing the London Eye and a street performer who had painted himself gold and was appearing to be a statue, I made my way across the Jubilee Bridge, constructed to celebrate the Queen’s 50th year of reign.
I had dinner at Garfunkles, a traditional British establishment, and then headed through Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, much of the West End, and ending up at Piccadilly Circus where I saw The Complete Works of Shakespeare, Abridged by the Reduced Shakepseare Company in the Criterion Playhouse. The light comedy was well suited to my jet-lagged brain.
I must include in this post the fact that I had not been in London for 24 hours before I heard the British people repeatedly slamming the absurdity of the US President, referring to him as the village idiot, among other less printable things.