It was 6:30 in the morning, the beginning to my last day in Europe.
I had a lot in my mind, which was maybe why I was awake. It used to be that I couldn't sleep when I had a lot on my mind, but last night I had been so tired that I fell over at 10:30 or so and didn't get back up for anything.
But though I had set my clock for 7:30, I was up at 6:30 anyway. And then I couldn't sleep.
I got up around 7:00 and started getting ready, dressing warmly – that means I was fully garbed in long underwear (yes, I did just say that) and multiple shirts. I brushed my teeth, rubbed my eyes, grabbed my mini-day pack, and set out to make one last dayfull of memories before heading home and back to University life.
It began with a walk down Uxbridge road, a large highway that I would follow to get from my host's apartment to the closest underground station, “Shepherd's Bush.”
I was surprised to find that it wasn't light outside, since I figured that with the earlier sunset there would be an earlier sunrise. Apparently not though, as it still was dark and only just getting lighter.The walk was a pleasant one though, with only the slightest chill. I was cozy though – long underwear, and all.
I stopped by a small restaurant and ordered an English breakfast, which came with a huge cup of steaming-hot coffee. I had forgotten to ask for it black, so it was interesting to taste cream and sugar in my coffee for the first time in years. The bacon/ham was really good and the meal itself was perfect for getting me off on the right foot.
I passed by a tattoo parlor called “Forevermore Tattoo” - I like the name, considering it makes perfect sense with the fact you're pretty much stuck with whatever you get “forevermore”.
After a twenty-five minute walk that saw the sun begin to rise in neat layers of pink and red hues, I finally made it the Underground station and paid for a ticket, set to make it to the London Tower to start my journey for the day.
Well I made it near the Tower, but not quite – for some reason, the Tube had closed down the station (the Tube is notorious for this, with the Underground trains often suffering mechanical errors and stations being shut down, sometimes for months at at a time). With the station closed, I got out near the river Thames and crossed it to get to the “South Bank” - which is being renovated with tons of upscale buildings after being the demolished remains of WWII for a long, long time. Apparently there is a lot of optimism in London about this area's new growth.
Anyway, I stopped by Shakespeare's Globe and peaked around there and also went to the Tate Museum of Modern Art, but the latter was closed so I took another walk across the river, this time across the Millenium bridge. The Millenium bridge is a nifty structure – later I was told by Rica that it used to be called “the Wobbly bridge” because it was wobbly early after it's construction so they had to make reinforcements on it over the years. It held up fine for me though and I got a sparkling view of the Thames as the city began to rise all around me. I made sure to dip my hands in it before going forward.
I reached St. Paul's Cathedral around 9:30, got to check that out gaain, then went to the London Monument, a skinny, but very tall tower that was built as a monument to the London fire that wiped out a 1/3 of the city, I think in the 1800s. I paid the 2 pound fare then got to work climbing up the tiny staircase, which was pretty claustrophobic. After 300-something steps I was puffing, but it was worth it to get a beautiful view of the whole city from all angles.
I got back to Rica's workplace around 11:30 and we were able to go to a nearby pub for a quick lunch, which she was very generous in covering for me. We had a fun discussion about all things European and American, including the general pessimism that clouds over European cities as opposed to the natural optimism of Americans. I told her that many Europeans told me this was so, but I was about to say that I wasn't sure if I believed it when she cut me off and said, “Oh, that's definitely true.” Lol...so take it from a woman who has lived in the U.K. for a bit now and is from the U.S.
From there I took the Underground to get to Trafalgar Square, which is really impressive. Last time I was here I tried to visit the National Art Museum, but wasn't allowed in because of my backpack. This time I was carrying just my daypack, so I checked it into the cloak room and then made my way through the art exhibitions, which were pretty cool.
There were a lot of portraits, which was good because I thought the pictures with people in them were much more interesting than the landscapes. The paintings were very interesting, most either based off of famous historical figures or famous scenes from the Bible or Mythology.
I wouldn't have liked wearing clothing during those time periods though – apparently the dresses women wear in such times never stay up, but are always sliding down beneath their chest. Maybe they should invest in some clothespins or a sewing kit?
I left there and took a walk through St. Andrews park, which was full of life. Since it had turned out to be a pretty good day, with a lot of sun and next to no wind, so there were geese and birds and bikers and walkers pretty much everywhere.
I stumbled upon the Churchill War Rooms on this walk and remembered that Rica told me I should go see them, so I stopped by and loved it. Churchill is one of the most interesting figures of the 20th century and the museum did him due justice, detailing everything from famous speeches (presented in audio, which was really cool) to letters that he wrote as a child. It was fascinating.
It was getting dark by now, so I stopped by Big Ben and Parliament to say goodbye and then headed back to my host's apartment for the night.
Before I got there though, I thought it would be fitting to write my last regular blog post in a London Starbucks, which is where I wrote my first one. This is the account of my last day and, like my account of my first day, was written in a London Starbucks so I thought it was neat.
Anyway, I will have one last post – a Summary of the Trip – posted sometime when I get home tomorrow, after the flight.
Until then though, good night and happy new year!
Nick
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