[Yes, I know we’ve been back home for two weeks. I’m still behind on trip reports but will be done soon.]
Today we departed our beautiful Viking Sky. I wish we could have stayed on longer. Someday we’ll have to do the Great Britain and Scandinavia leg of the trip, all the way back to New York City.
The luggage that we put outside our cabin last night was waiting for us on the pier, and was loaded into a van to take us to the Royal Lancaster Hotel, our home for the next two nights.
On the way to the hotel, we passed Westminster Cathedral, not to be confused with Westminster Abbey. The Cathedral is the largest Roman Catholic church in England and Wales. Completed in 1903, it is made almost entirely of striped brick and stone, with no steel or concrete reinforcement.
After dropping off our luggage in our room, we went out for a walk. The hotel is directly across the street from Hyde Park, so we set off through the park heading east.
We came across a troop of horsemen facing several canons on a wide stretch of lawn, with a few spectators gathering at a safe distance, so we joined them. We thought it might be part of the city’s four-day celebration of the 80th anniversary of VE Day, but I just looked it up and it was a 41 gun royal salute fired by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery to mark the second anniversary of the coronation King Charles and Queen Camilla. In true British fashion, the official announcement warns, “Those walking dogs are advised to avoid the area during the salute as the sound of guns firing can be startling.”
Some random photos from our walk:
Line of five red London telephone boothsAngel clock on Selfridge’s Department Store
We were not too far from Paddington Station, and there were quite a few Paddington statues in the neighborhood.
I need to catch up on the Paddington movies before watching “Paddington in Peru.”Bruce joined a bunch of paparazzi dogs taking Paddington’s photo.
The sculptors of the dogs, British and Australian artists Gillie and Marc, are also the creators of The Wild Table of Love, which we visited on the Eastbourne Terrace next to Paddington Station.
From the sculptors’ website: “This public sculpture experience is an invitation to join the best banquet in the world. Expertly crafted in bronze, the table is set and the animals are already tucking in, all that is left is for the public to take their seats. Rabbitwoman and Dogman, the internationally beloved hybrid characters who have travelled the world spreading messages of love, acceptance, and adventure, play host to the party. They sit at a huge banquet table, adorned with some of the most delectable foods imaginable. Their guests; six of the worlds most endangered animals. Rabbitwoman and Dogman have opened their table to the animals in a symbol of love and support, welcoming them into their family and promising to protect them in every way they can. But this sculpture is not just to be looked at, it is an interactive experience. Two empty seats will be placed around the table alongside the animals, ready for the public to take their seats.”
Across from The Wild Table, high on the wall of an office building, we found Maarten Baas’ Real Time Clock. Trapped inside the clock, a man has to perpetually keep cleaning the face and drawing new hands on the glass. Most people walk by without noticing the amazingness of it. My photos don’t do it justice, so here’s a link to a YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJcXt8P74cQ
In the evening, we headed to the West End to see Hadestown at the Lyric Theater. Although we’d never heard of it, Hadestown is the winner of eight Tony awards including Best Musical, and the Grammy award for Best Musical Theatre Album. It tells a version of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Eurydice, a young girl looking for something to eat, goes to work in a hellish industrial version of the Greek underworld to escape poverty, and her poor singer-songwriter lover Orpheus comes to rescue her. We enjoyed it very much.
Last photo: I was seated just to the left of this seat. No one sat in it, but if it were to be sold, I hope it was very cheap.
We didn’t realize that the theater district was adjacent to London’s Chinatown, but we had arrived early enough to go for a little stroll there.
Tomorrow is our last full day in London. We’re planning a walking tour and an early night before our 8:30am flight home on Thursday.
