Matthew's web log

On my first day in London, I woke up early- around 6am.  This is no doubt related to the fact that I was asleep by 9pm the previous night thanks to jet lag.  Taking advantage of the early start, I was showered, shaved, and ready to go before 7am.  I bought my 3 day tube pass and headed to Westminster right on the river Thames.  Popping out of the train station, several landmarks are in view- the London Eye, Big Ben & Houses of Parliament, and Westminster Abbey in the distance.  I wandered around the area taking the required photos and then proceeded on the "Westminster Walk" up Whitehall.

My sightseeing priorities were to see things that either didn't exist, I don't remember, or I'd appreciate more compared to my trip to London as a kid.   To that end, I planned on visiting the Cabinet War Room & Churchill Museum (CWRCM).  Since it was still before the 9:30am opening time, I checked out stops on Whitehall- 10 Downing St. (where former Prime Minister Tony Blair recorded his lines for the Simpsons), a couple memorials on the street, and St. James park.   As it approaches 9:30, I head back to CWRCM to be there as it opens.

The CWRCM is where Winston Churchill ran Britain's war effort during WWII.  I learned a lot of things, such as that Churchill didn't inhale his cigar, lost the election shortly after the war ended,  and that, like me, he took naps (although, unlike me, he worked 18 hours a day and lived in a bunker).  He also won a Nobel Prize in literature.  Having lunch at the "Switch Cafe" inside the War Rooms, I can imagine all the generals here trying to survive their battle with Germany.  I had a good sandwich and a yummy Coca Cola in a glass bottle.

Finished with lunch and the CWRCM, I headed back up Whitehall towards Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery of Art. Since it was still just past noon, I found the nearby theater district and bought a ticket for the following night's performance of Avenue Q.  I spent the rest of the afternoon at the Gallery which is fantastic and includes one of my favorite paintings, van Eyck's "The Alfini Portrait".  Lots of other good stuff at the museum.  

As the museum is close to closing, I head back to the main Contiki Hotel to meet up with a few other early arriving travelers.  We have dinner at a pub (and to those who told me otherwise, the beer is indeed cold).  Ending the evening we chat at the hotel bar.  By around midnight and after an 18 hour day, I head home to get some sleep.

 (I apologize for any spelling mistakes, no spell check in the internet cafe, plus some of the special characters are in a different place than back home)

View the London photo album. 

After an overnight flight, I arrived in London safe and sound. The shuttle was about forty minutes late, but I still had plenty of time at the airport. I was getting a little concerned when we hit some slowdowns on 101, but that turned out to not be a problem. Unfortunately, since I didn't know about checking in online the day before to claim a seat, I got stuck in the back with a middle seat. On the plus side, British Airways has a great movie selection so I watched the entertaining "Blades of Glory" before attempting (mostly unsuccessfully) to fall asleep. I made it to the hotel before 1pm, checked in, washed up, and darted off to the British Museum. I spent the whole afternoon there seeing pretty much the whole museum. The audio guide was not nearly as good as some of the excellent ones last summer, but I still saw the highlights- Rosetta Stone, Marble reliefs from the Parthenon, and a four thousand year old body. It's very convenient of the British to plunder the world and bring everything here for a tidy display. My pre-tour meetup with a tourmate is delayed till tomorrow. I'll now grab a bite to eat and fight to stay awake. I'm not too tired, but tomorrow's another action packed day. And for those interested in the accomodations, the location of the hotel is great, but it's definitely a budget place (noticable downgrade from last summer), but given the awful exchange rate, it's a good value. My internet time is almost up, so that's it for today.

View the London Photo album

Departure is rapidly approaching and I'm busy wrapping up final odds and ends here. I've straightened up, done laundry, and packed up everything. It's a tight squeeze getting all the stuff into the luggage, but I think all has now made it. I may have to toss something during the trip in order to fit the Leprechauns in, but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. To get into vacation mode, I've already gone to see the "Simpsons Movie" at the midnight premiere and watched a few Spongebobs today to get some more humor loaded in. Despite the drenching that the UK received in recent weeks, the latest forecast looks promising with dry weather for at least as far as weather.com predicts. I'm prepared for all climates, in any case. I should have internet access the first few days and intermittently during the trip. I'll attempt at least a short update whenever possible. .

Last week was my semiannual trip to the East Coast. Spending most of the week in Florida and finishing the weekend in NY resulted in a fairly busy week. Most meals were eaten out and friends and family were happy to see me (and I them). The major photographic activities resulted from a day trip to Fairchild Gardens in Miami, some photos of the always adorable Whitney, and NY views of midtown and Central Park.

The photos can be found here and a few previews are below:

http://sanjoseabrams.com/photos/FlaNYApr2007/index.php

Enjoy and comments are always welcome.