TOURING LONDON, Day 2: Changing Plans

I am loving this gel Ibuprofen. It works miracles for the neuritis on my toe tops, and I rub some into my sore (arthritis??) thumb. Almost instant relief.

We leave The Citadines a few minutes before 7:00am and wander a bit before finding The Millenium--our desk clerks seem either unwilling or unable to give specific directions and the maps sometimes fail us... We are on the tour bus and travel to Victoria Station to que up with others taking our tour. After boarding the proper bus for our day trip to Windsor, Stonehenge, and Bath, I ask a fellow traveler how long this tour lasts? ELEVEN HOURS! And, we have tickets for the 7:30pm performance of Madame de Sade. We are able to de-board and reschedule the day trip for tomorrow--Sunday. No problem.

We re-start the day walking to Westminster Cathedral and Buckingham Palace, then across St. James Park to the Churchill War Rooms just beneath No. 10 Downing Street, taking the audio tour. Afterwards we trek through St. James again in time for the Changing of the Guard. Thousands of people have lined the streets to view this very English ceremony.

We have lunch at Da Mario which is purported to be the local pizza place for Diana and Princes William and Harry. The crust is good--JL has the Capricciosa and I opt for the Pizza Margherita and the Insalatina di Erbe Miste. After lunch, a quick stop at our hotel to drop off excess baggage and then we take the tube to Harrod's, Holy Trinity Brompton, and the Victoria & Albert Museum.

At Harrod's JL finds some books for the effervescent Emerson Sophia, and we wander over the grounds at Holy Trinity Brompton--since we will miss Sunday services due to rescheduling our day trip. When we reach the V&A we find there is an informational tour starting immediately, so JL joins the group and I rest my feet and head in the William Morris Rooms cafe (my favorite spot at the V&A).

We have just a bit of time to regroup at our hotel, deciding to dine after tonight's theatre, and then to Leicester Square for the evening performance of Madame de Sade. As last night, we are seated in the Stalls in excellent view of the stage and performers. The set and costuming are fantastic, as are the performances. The subject matter is raw, as expected. The cast is six women--Madame de Sade (a beautiful blonde), her sister, her mother (Dame Judi), a courtesan-type woman, a religious-type woman, and the maid.

We wander through the theatre district a bit after the performance looking for a restaurant that no longer exists, and decide to head back to Gloucester Road near our hotel. We dine at Byrons--the place for a "proper burger." A burger tastes great after nearly two weeks in Europe.

Another early wake-up call so that we can--once again!--meet the Premium Tours bus outside of the Millennium Hotel at 7:25am.

LOVING LES MISERABLES

V&A Cafe, William Morris Rooms

Going to the theatre alone is not a problem--never hesitate. Once the production begins it really doesn't matter who is sitting beside you. Having seen Les Miserables in Chicago many years ago, I expected it all to be familiar. I loved it! And, it was such a different production--Victor Hugo's story remains the same, but each production has its own perspective. Theatre in London is the best! Just walking through Picadilly Circus down Shaftesbury Avenue at night draws you into the excitement of theatre.

What a lovely day... After securing tickets in Leicester Square I took the Tube back to South Kensington and wandered the streets ending up at the Natural History Museum and took in the dinosauer exhibits and human biology--each exhibit is geared to appeal to children as well as adults.

Couldn't resist tea and scones at the V&A Cafe again today and then on to Kensington High Street for some shopping. At Marks &Spencer I bought some strawberry Wellies for my small granddaughter and a black trench coat for myelf. Since everyone in London needs a raincoat, prices and selection are excellent. London is a great place to browse and window shop, but not the place where Americans should buy clothes or other fashion items. Prices and selection all around the U.S. are better.

Late afternoon, I ended up back at the Victory & Albert Museum--explored a few more exhibits, including the remarkable Ardabil Carpet in the Asia rooms and then the Cafe for a chance to rest up a bit before heading out for the evening. Turns out that the V& A Cafe reduces the price of their prepared foods late in the afternoon. Enjoyed a Sicilian sandwich and French-press coffee.

Just at nightfall, I reached Covent Garden and explored the shops--Octopus carries much the same inventory as the Pylons stores in NYC and Paris, and David & Goliath offers quirky and opinionated clothing. Had a hard time resisting the bookshops on Charing Cross Road, but it was time to walk toward Picadilly Circus and Queen's Theatre for the 7:30pm curtain.

Thinking ahead I realized that I would be late arriving at Heathrow for catching the Hotel Hoppa shuttle, so I made sure to have plenty of pounds so that I could take a cab. My hotel borders Terminal 4, so I thought, "What can a cab cost?" Plenty. Before we even reached the outskirts of the airport the meter was up to £12 . I jut reminded myself that it's "play money" and forked over the £15. I never felt afraid during my time alone, but I did think through safety issues to make sure I never ended up alone in a scarey place.