We awoke with a bit of anticipation, having arrived in London and ready to explore the city. For it's size, it would be impossible to see everything in just a few days, but that's just fine with me. Mona made (great) coffee this morning, as she has this entire trip, and we talked about our must-see lists and planned for the day's excursion. The weather was going to be in the mid 60s, so we'll see how hot we get moving around.
We started our day by heading out in search of Travel Passes, which would let us get around by the Tube (Underground), train or bus. We needed to head back to the London Victoria Station to get them, so we returned to the station and attempted to board a train headed back that way. Except, I picked the wrong platform and headed the wrong way. Doh! We switched directions at the next stop and were on our way!
At the Victoria station, we found the right counter to purchase our Travel Passes. Now, where to go? Why, the Tower of London of course! Our first stop would be a cultural landmark originating before the 15th Century.
The Tower of London was an interesting visit, allowing us to maneuver up and down narrow stairways and old towers. The exit also afforded us an excellent view of the Tower Bridge, where we snapped a few pictures and planned our next stop, Shakespeare's Globe Theater. We headed over the bridge and along the Thames River, passing through Borough Market, a large venue like the St. Lawrence Market we'd visited in Toronto. This outdoor bazaar was nestled under the train trestles and filled with every manner of produce stand and dining experience. More on that later.
Arriving at the Globe Theater, we discovered we'd missed the last guided tour (they're only held in the mornings) so we took a quick look in the gift shop before leaving. It was lunch time, so the Borough Market was a good choice for lunch. The selection of food was immense, and we had no trouble finding new and interesting things to sample.
Onward from the Market, we traveled further west towards St. Paul's Cathedral. Along the way, we stopped at the Monument of the Great Fire of London. In 1666, a massive fire ravaged the city for nearly three days.
St. Paul's Cathedral was a sight to behold - it's massive dome and sweeping arches filling much of the sky. We circled the grounds and stopped for ice cream, pausing for our first pictures of an iconic British phone booth!
Our walk continued onward toward the Museum of London. There were several features on the history of the city, its growth, decline and rebirth through the ages. I vaguely remember the manufacturing decline in England in the 70s and 80s, and was very surprised to see how closely it mimicked the decline of manufacturing in the US that we still experience today.
In the museum cafe, Mona mentioned a nearby theater and suggested seeing a movie. We hadn't been to the theater to see a movie since our beloved Alamo Drafthouse Theater had closed in Kalamazoo. So, we were off to the Ritzy Theater in Brixton!
Along our walk from the train station, we picked up a snack of cupcakes from a local baker and had a quick bite while we walked. The documentary we saw, "Can I Be Me?" covered the life and times of Whitney Houston, one of our favorites. While the topic was sad, it had us engrossed for a time.
As we headed back to the evening streets, we walked back to the Brixton Village, another bazaar teaming with restaurants. A Mexican restaurant caught our eye, so we snagged a nice meal, relaxed and made plans to return to our flat. There were fewer trains as the night grew later, so we headed to the nearby station, only to find the next train was canceled and the following train wasn't due for another half-hour. Ah well - time for the bus!
Google Maps has been an excellent tool for getting around. When we pick our destination, it gives us the option to use public transportation and provides details about train times, bus timetables and where to get them. We used this to pick a bus, and found one that ran from our current location all the way back to the flat! As long as I can get my bearings, Google Maps has been a great way to get around!
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