Today is my last day in London.  I went back to the area near the Tate Modern and visited the adjacent Shakespeare’s Globe theatre.  This is a reproduction of the original that was built 400 years ago.   Now open 10 years, they perform mostly Shakespeare plays and have tours at other times of the day.  The 45 minute tour was interesting along with the exhibits about the building that I explored before the tour started.  This building is the first thatched roof building in London since the Great Fire of London in the 1600s.  They have a sprinkler system on top, just in case. 

I then headed over the Millennium Bridge and one tube stop to the Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery at Somerset House.  I had not heard of this gallery until A.B. mentioned it a few months ago, but my guide book (Rick Steves) was on top of things and gave it a two triangle rating.  The gallery was great.  In one room of the gallery, there was better stuff than the entire Tate Modern.  It has an excellent Impressionist and post-Impressionist collection, in addition to other works.  It holds one of my favorite paintings, Manet’s “A Bar at the Folies-Bergere”.  Shockingly, this painting is not on display!  It’s on loan to the Getty museum in Los Angeles.  When purchasing a museum catalog, I ask how long it’s been gone and he says since May and that the Getty and Courtauld have a good “working relationship”.  I’m disappointed, but if anyone wants to take a trip to LA before mid-September to see it, I’m game.

After the Art Gallery, I break for lunch at the café.  Having the British take on a bagel with lox and crème cheese (didn’t seem like I bagel, but was good) I spring for the glass of wine which is less than a buck more than a coke.  I make some more notes for the blog and relax a bit.   

I visit the Hermitage rooms collection after lunch (also at Somerset House).  These were okay with a few highlights, but not nearly as good at the main gallery.  I skip the other museum here as it doesn’t interest me.

Since it’s not much past 1pm, I head to the British Library.  I tour the highlights which include a Gutenberg Bible, the Magna Carta, some old religious texts, and some Beatles stuff.   Well worth an hour and you can’t complain about a library whose snack bar has beer (I just get a cookie and water).  I have a little time left before the pre-tour meeting at 6pm and find an internet café to write the last couple blog posts.  The Contiki basement has internet on a few computers at the sky high price of 1 pound per fifteen minutes.  I find a place near the British Library that charges 99 pence for an hour.    

After my internet break, I return to the Imperial Hotel to drop off my backpack and go to the pre-departure meeting at the Royal National at 6pm.  I arrive an uncharacteristically five minutes late and am aurprised that the meeting started so promptly.  I didn't miss much and the whole meeting wasn't that useful.  We were told to be back at the Royal National at 6:45am and that the 20kg bag limit is strictly enforced (bags will be weighed).  We fill out some paperwork and provide emergency contact information.  I resist putting "doctor" for who they should contact in case of an emergency.  I wonder why they want my phone number on the paperwork since 1) they already have it and 2).  I'll be with them on the trip.

The folks I met the last few days (Sarah, Danny, and Ang) are heading to the pub next door and I join them.  I mention to a few fellow travelers that I just saw at the pre-trip meeting that they are welcome to join us and they do.  We have an enjoyable pub dinner together.  A couple new arrivals- sisters Jen and Megan- want to go to Buckingham palace after dinner and I join them.  I wave to the Queen, but apparently she's not home.  I use the final hours of my three day tube pass to get some dusk photos of Parliament Square and Buckingham Palace before returning to the hotel to pack up.  

Early tomorrow morning, the tour departs London for Windsor.  I’m slightly concerned about the weight of my luggage for the tour since I’ve been told they do in fact weigh the luggage. I think that if the airline didn’t mind the weight, the tour shouldn’t. 

View the London photo album.