We are unabashed tourists.
With Nancy in her bright orange jacket, David in his baseball cap, and I, unwittingly startling so many flocks of pigeons they just fly directly into my face out of spite now...add that to all the looking up...we are clearly from away.
Steven is the only one blending at the moment, but I’m sure that will change in time...
Well rested, we began the day with a hot and hearty traditional English breakfast at The Muffin Man. Everyone ordered the special which consisted of so much delicious food none of us had an appetite for the next 12 hours...
The day’s plan was to roam.
We walked along Kensington Gardens, past the Royal Albert Theater, and found our way to Harrods food hall and emporium where the pristine floor-to-ceiling displays of meats, breads, cheeses, olive oils, and desserts were enough to make anyone forget they just shpigged out on brekky.
To say their impeccable arrangements exceedingly satisfied my own personal yearning for symmetrical order would be a vast understatement. Heaven on earth, in every way.
We carried on to Buckingham Palace where I was reminded that a unicorn made it into the official Royal Coat of Arms design. The unicorn has represented Scotland since the 15th Century, and King James I thoughtfully added a crown around its neck...just in case anyone forgot whose name was on the door...
Still...the unicorn seemed weird. I may live to eat those words though; we’ll see...
Marveling at Westminster Abbey and Big Ben, we wandered across the Westminster Bridge, took a hard left and continued along the River Thames.
The first pint of the day was served at The Swan, adjacent to The Globe Theater, after which we decided to detour through the Borough Market before roaming a couple more bridges upstream to cross at The Tower Bridge.
At this point, we had walked roughly 10 miles.
It was half past 5 and, as fate would have it, we found ourselves on the business side of the city where pub-bound Londoners flowed from glass skyscrapers that seemed to elbow ancient walls of stone fortresses and churches out of their way with utter disregard.
The juxtaposition of yesterday and today by way of engineering shouts progress until tears nearly roll down your cheek...
Alas, we made it as far as St. Paul’s Cathedral before hopping in a cab and driving the rest of the way to Chinatown for an amazing dinner at Leong’s Legend: dim sum galore, duck, pork belly...the best I’ve ever had.
Dave the cab driver entertained us with a near comic routine about London black cabs vs Uber drivers and added other interesting tidbits along the way back to Kensington. He dropped us off at The Greyhound for a nightcap, before we strolled the short distance back to the hotel.
Wow. What a day!
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