N/D's last two days in London

Finally, we're getting to the end... After getting back from Paris, N/D had two days left in London before jetting home. We spent the Friday in meetings (really), shopping in Kensington, walking in the parks, using the toilets in Harrods, and watching Daorcey roll in the mud. Saturday, we slept in, then rushed thru the Tower of London and St Paul's church...

Friday

In the morning, Daorcey had a meeting (yeah, big surprise--but does the man ever stop working?? Poor Nat.) and I had an interview for a story, so we let Nat sleep in, and then met up around noonish at Charing Cross. From there, we headed to Kensignton, for lunch in a pub, where Daorcey had Fish and Chips and a guiness--sorta like two meals in one! And, very cliche British.

Anyways, then we walked around a bit, and hit up the Sale! Sale! Sale! store, which seems to have new owners, and then introduced Natalie to the wonder that is H&M--the best store in the whole world. (Cheap yet cool... best ever.)

At this point, I should mention, Daorcey was either pissed that we were dragging him shopping, or his stamina was finally wearing out (I think a little of column a, a little of column b) and he got bitchy. He might deny it, but it's true.

So, after the whole hour we spent shopping, we wandered into Kensington Park Gardens so Nat could marvel at the swans, and so we could marvel at the ugliness that is the Albert Memorial (he must have been a hated man to be remembered with such an atrocity).

While in the Park, we stumbled across a play ground, and Nat, in an absolutely wonderful, giddy mood--it was great--decided we needed to play. So we all went on the swings, and clambered over the little fort-thingy, and then Daorcey got on one of the little springy animals, with the handles on their heads, that you rock back and forth on. Well... not such a good move, for a man with no centre of balance, in a grumpy, tired mood, who's still wearing his good clothes.

He just couldn't control the damn thing. Nat and I were laughing histerically, so much so that I could barely get my camera out, and he just fell over sideways on the thing, right onto the dirty ground. Oh, he was not pleased, let me tell ya. We, on the other hand, were. Damn funny, tho it didn't do much to brighten his mood.



Neither did our ability to master the springy-animals, either. After getting up out of the dirt, he challenged us to see how we would manage, and of course, we did just fine. At one point he even pushed me sideways, so I was almost touching the ground, and I still stayed on. So Booya, we girls have better balance than Daorcey.

After that, we went to Harrods, to gaze in awe at teh ugly, expensive elevator, before using their "luxury" toilets. They are indeed nice toilets, but they are still public toilets, which in my opinion negates any luxury about them.

Then... Off to the West End for A Life in the Theatre, starring Patrick Stewart (Yes! That Patrick Stewart! Not the annoying Jamican guy I worked with at the track!) and Joshua Jackson (of Dawson's Creek fame).

This was the funniest play I've seen since I got here. They were both awesome, and Joshua Jackson surprisingly held his own--more than that, he was really very good. So I take back any previous mocking of the man.

At several parts in the show, they're sitting in their underwear, on stage. With our front row seats, I was seriously concerned Natalie would die of joy, or something. She was smiling the whole time. Awesome.

So after seeing Hollywood stars in their briefs, we headed back to New Cross and drank at the Amersham until close, making Daorcey even tireder than before. But he had a good time, I think, talking to some random pub-regular, so that was cool...

Saturday

As we'd been out late, we slept in late, too, and didn't get to the Tower of London until after noonish.

While we did get to see the crown jewels, and the buildings, from around 1077, or something, are really cool, it was definitely not worth the time nor the 13ish pounds. And, we lost daorcey at one point. He reads slow, and actually bothers to read all the signage with every exibit, so we (me and nat) lost him.



And, I saw one of the British Guard Guys, the ones with the big hats that guard the Queen's stuff--I saw one nearly fall over. While waiting for Nat and Daorcey to exit one of the towers, I was watching the guards change. It was raining lightly, this being London and all, and one guy was walking around a corner to the little booth, and slipped, kicking his feet up in the air, and waving his massive machine gun around. Damn funny! Even better, once he recovered himself, he just kept walking, with the same steady blank look on his face. Well done.

After the Tower, we went to St Pauls Cathedral. First, we went to the tombs, eternal resting place of Lord Nelson, Christopher Wren (architect of the Cathedral, and half of London) and Lord Wellington, hero to all fans of Sharpe.

Then, insanely, we climbed more stairs to the top of the church. The first set of stairs leads to the Whispering Gallery, but it was so busy we couldn't check and see if the acoustics really are good enough to hear a whisper from across the room.

The second set of stairs led to the first viewing point, and offered really nice views across London. After so recently viewing Paris from the Eiffel Tower, it's hard not to compare the two cities, tho in truth, I don't think such things are comparable, being so subjective to personal tastes and all that.

While I couldn't, and still can't, decide which city is prettier, the contemplation did remind me how much I really do love this city.



Anyways. We then headed up the next set of stairs, to the very top. It took awhile, as the stairway was clogged with people. Nat, with the aforementioned fear of heights, did not enjoy being stuck on a metal staircase, not being able to go anywhere. We finally got to the top, and the view is amazing, but the railing is only as high as my stomach, so Nat freaks, and just tears back down teh stairs. I don't blame her; it was a bit freaky.



From St Pauls, we went to Covent Garden area, hit up a pub, and then had a really good, really expensive Indian dinner--which was fine by me, as Nat and Daorcey were paying.

And, in one last touristy moment, we went shopping in Marks and Spencer, for chocolate pudding things, and wine. Good times. Oh, right--then, to satisfy Nat's Harry Potter mania, we went to Kings Cross Station, to see the platform they used in the movie, but a train was boarding from that one (number four) so we couldn't go see it. After that, N/D wanted to go to Paddington Station to see the bear statue, but I lied--not wanting to travel so far to see a damn statue--and said it was in like, zone 6, so we couldn't get there on our travelcards. They figured it out, but we were already on our way home, so Bwhahah! I won.

And that, my friends, was the Nat and Daorcey ten-day tour of London and Paris.

Photos of the whole trip are here: http://njkobie.dotphoto.com/CPViewAlbum.asp?AID=2240845

Photos from their last two days in London, are here: http://njkobie.dotphoto.com/CPViewAlbum.asp?AID=2240972

and here: http://njkobie.dotphoto.com/CPViewAlbum.asp?AID=2240981&IID=71364960&Page=1

Luckily, I haven't been doing much in London since they left (all touristed out) so I really have nothing else much to say, at the moment.