Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Leaving London

It's Sunday night -- and we board the Columbus tomorrow.

This past week in London has been an education. I've seen things I've only ever read about:

*The Rosetta Stone (British Museum). WAY larger and more impressive than I would have thought. I'm not trying to be mystic, but there is something almost otherworldly about it. It nearly glows.

*The Great Bed of Ware (Victoria & Albert). Interesting, certainly -- but how in the world did 26 people squeeze onto that fat, lumpy mattress?!? Turns out it became famous as a stop along the pilgrim way -- which was abruptly discontinued when Henry VIII outlawed the monasteries. The bed persists, nonetheless. It's dark brown, heavily carved -- and frankly, kind of clunky-looking.

From vintagenews.com, via Pinterest. Couples who spent the night in it
would scratch their initials in the post, or use their wax seals as a 'Been there, done that' mark.

*Tapestries -- everywhere, you name it. Turns out that Charles I -- the British king beheaded by his own subjects -- actually founded his own tapestry works. One of the things produced there were copies of tapestries Rafael was commissioned to do for the Vatican. (Rafael's 'cartoons' of the pieces are proudly displayed at the V&A, along with an English tapestry copy.)
      Huge old tapestries of every design, often with crests and important motifs connected with the royal and well-born who commissioned them, hang behind marquetry and other beautiful furniture pieces.
     On the other hand, if people were living in the Tower or somewhere equally drafty, I can understand why tapestries were so popular.

*Buckingham Palace. It was -- a bust. If you don't get there for the changing of the guard, don't bother. Hundreds of tourists stared through the bars at two lone soldiers, motionless in long gray coats and furry hats. (Winter uniforms?) Occasionally they went through a sort of ordering and presenting arms, according to the Brick, or marched forward and back a few paces. (It was freezing. Maybe they were trying to stay warm.) The most exciting moment was when one of the guards yelled at someone to quit hanging on one of the gates.
    On the other hand, there is a huge fountain nearby, with all sorts of interesting statues. Much more interesting to gawk at than these guys, and the bored policemen who guard them.

*The Underground. Sounds romantic -- but London's subway is just that -- a subway not much different than New York City. A little worn and grubby, with garbage in spots. By the way:
      Londoners are NOT clean and tidy, from what we've seen, but they sometimes have good reason -- there are very few garbage cans out in public. And public bathrooms? Ha. The few we saw required 50 pence. (So much for the "spend a penny" phrase associated with British toilets.) The Brick was so grossed out by the way he did see inside, that he refused to use it.

*Piccadilly, Chelsea and other London areas. Who knew they'd just look like regular streets?

*Westminster Abbey and other public buildings. Westminster has some of the most delicately-worked spires, stained glass and other details. You'd swear that the statuary and arches were carved from wood -- but they're stone! This is one amazing place. Unfortunately, we were only able to glimpse the inside -- just as we were walking forward, the guard announced in a loud voice that it was closed, and wouldn't be open until Monday. When we're on the boat. (sigh)
     I was surprised, though, that the building next door, a former palace, houses Parliament. Other than no stained glass, it is just as delicate. A lot of the old architecture here is Gothic in style.
     You can just feel the age emanating from these buildings. Incredible.

*The Tower of London isn't just a tower! Instead, it's a whole complex of buildings and towers, one of which houses the Crown Jewels. (The Cullinan Diamond in Queen Elizabeth's sceptre, more than 500 carats, sparkles like a house afire.) The famous rooks are there, and croaking; no doubt, we were being given an important message for Charley and Ruby.
     Even though some of the United Kingdom's royalty made their residence inside the thick stone walls, one thing was clear -- anyone forced to live in that chilly, drafty place probably had permanent colds. Not to mention the prisoners housed there. One odd thing: the moat from the Tower is frozen over, and people are using it as an ice skating rink, complete with lights and music. The Brick wondered whether anyone during Elizabethan times did the same thing.

*Fish and chips, meat pies and other culinary delights.  The fish and chips are delicious here...but not wrapped in newspaper, like my favorite Helen Forrester novels talk about. (The fish and chips we had in Ireland were more like their Thirties versions.)
      We had steak and ale pies tonight for supper, and they were delicious. But the taste was familiar: like the Swanson's beef potpies I used to eat as a kid. Huh?
      We keep seeing advertisements for a 'full English' breakfast, but haven't tried it yet. Probably on the boat, which is run by a British cruiseline.

*British people. The 'typical Brit' we've seen, over and over, is Muslim! A good 50% or more of the women we've seen on the street are wearing hajib full-robes...or at least headcoverings. What I would have thought of as 'British'... fair-haired, red cheeks, striding along in a trench coat or tweeds...were probably 10% or less of the people we've been walking with, or sitting on the Underground carriages.
     On the other hand, we've been in a lot of heavy tourist areas, where all sorts of languages and accents are flowing around us. (And not a lot of them American, I might add.) Surprisingly, we've seen very few people with Irish accents. I thought there would be more, but even the waitstaff in the pubs tend to be Polish -- or from somewhere else -- with heavy accents.
     Spanish, like the strong Hispanic/Mexican presence at home in Colorado? Fughgeddabout it.

     I may be just one of those rascal Americans, but in places like the British Museum and especially in the V&A, I got a distinct feeling that we were being given a subtle but continuing pep talk on how accomplished, wonderful -- and above all, important for continuing existence -- Great Britain's monarchs are.Surprisingly, ol' Charles I -- whose portraits often suggest he was a whiner who wanted his own way -- seems to be heading up the cheerleaders, especially in the V&A. 

Here he is -- what a wussyboy.

     Granted, I am not a huge fan of royalty past or present, though some, like King George VI, Elizabeth's father (and he of The King's Speech) certainly kept chins up and life continuing during WWII. (Unlike George's brother David, who gave up his throne to marry what else -- an American.) What exactly are they doing to earn their keep? Why should a shared DNA give you the right to rule over a country? (And on a side note: why didn't a British king who was the mirror image of his cousin Nicholas of Russia, try harder to rescue that wretched family?) 

     Sorry, Prince William...you might be a fine chap, but I still believe in electing your country's leaders, no matter if that may be flawed on occasion.

     Maybe I'm not the only one who feels this way. Maybe the Brits need regular reminders why they should be funding incredible sums for these people. Who knows.
      So --my overall impression of London? Full of traffic, busses (many double-deckers) and people on their way to one place or another. Colorful, lots of lights, and jammed with all sorts of cultures -- and more than a little grubby around the edges. The "foggy day in London town" rhyme still holds. Although it only rained at night, and obviously hadn't had a killing frost yet, the cold fog made walking around numbing. 
     Lots of incredibly old buildings -- and many more old-looking brick homes, sandwiched next to each other, that originated closer to post-WWII.  (Thank the Blitz and various fires, which really wiped out architecture -- and surprisingly, revealed old Roman foundations, walls and artifacts as places were being rebuilt.)
     The resemblance to New York City, particularly the older areas like Greenwich Village, was surprising. So who inspired who? 

     I'm skipping some other surprises, like Nelson's TALL pillar at Trafalgar Square, the statue of Boudicca, whipping up her horses while her daughters cower alongside, and a rather sad embroidery in the V&A by Mary Queen of Scots, using motifs representing courage and patience during troubles. (After a short reign, she was imprisoned by her little sister for 19 years -- then executed. An equally sad painted miniature, done not long before Mary's death, was commissioned by that sister, Queen Elizabeth. She had never met her sister in person...and never did.)

From allposters.com, via Pinterest. The sky never looked this blue while we were there.

And the Charles Dickens museum. I made it there -- but it deserves its own post. 

In five or so days of staying here, we only got a taste of this busy, fascinating city. Guess a return trip is in order. 

This is the first time I've been online all week, so only a few items are on the Monday Stuff list. Our time sense, thanks to the 7-hour difference from Colorado, is all messed up. The Brick just reminded me it was 2 a.m., and we've still got suitcases to lug to the boat this morning. (He's snoozing now. I, unfortunately, am wide awake.)

     It feels a little weird to be here -- but wonderful.

10 surprising outer space discoveries from 2019...drinking wine will keep you healthier out there! (From Listverse)

Just watched Gladiator again -- that fine Russell Crowe movie that's 'sort of' based on history. Noticed several nuances this time around, including the fact that Crowe fights his final battle right-handed. Know why that's important? Because Commodus knows he's naturally left-handed...and not being able to use that arm, due to a stab wound in the side, should be critical.
     Unfortunately, the Emperor doesn't factor in the General's war experience. You would have to be able to use both hands well. In fact, lefthanders all through history, yours truly included, have learned to be ambidextrous, out of necessity.
      Nice touch, Ridley Scott. Good onya.

How to start 2020 on the right financial foot.  (From The Simple Dollar)

Is the United Methodist Church splitting? Some very important issues and questions rotate around this possible action. (The Brick and I, by the way, are Christians -- not Methodists, Baptist or any other --ist label that can be pasted on.)


Have a great week. I'll check in when I can.