From Gherkins to Wrens to Moderns...

We took a cab to the City to see some of the big skyscrapers there, including the Gherkin, Norman Foster's "green" skyscraper that houses Swiss Re. They were replacing a window when we got there, so we got to see workmen gingerly taking down a huge glass panel. Quite an operation! Just down the road was the Lloyd's of London building, which has these extremely cool exterior glass-box elevators. Both buildings make it seem like they'd be fun places to work.

Next up was the Monument to the Great Fire of London. Christopher Wren designed it and I climbed up it, all 311 steps. Near the top I got this curious sensation of both claustrophobia, from the tight spiral, and acrophobia, from the height. But I got over it and went out to the viewing platform. Since Wren was a scientist as well as architect, he designed the tower to be used in barometric experiments. To that end, the steps are exactly six inches high. There's also a lab in the basement, but alas, for my two quid I wasn't allowed to go down there.

From the monument we hotfooted it to three Christopher Wren-designed churches. (He designed a bunch of 'em after the Great Fire of 1666.) The most beautiful was St. Stephen Walbrook. It has an elegant dome with exquisite decorations. The pews are laid out in a modern fashion, in a great circle that makes use of the space. To top it off, noted sculptor Henry Moore designed the altar that sits in the middle. (Although not everyone agrees that this modern innovation is positive.)

From the churches we went across the Thames to see the Tate Modern. It looks fine, with an outstanding profile and magnificent views. Unfortunately, it's absolutely bollocks for use as a museum. There are several ill-defined entrances and some confusing escalators. The architects just won some big award, but they don't know from circulation, I can tell you. The collection inside justifies the Tate Modern's standing as the most-visited contemporary art museum in the world.

We had a pizza across the street from the hotel at a simple but chic place called Strada. It's a small chain of wood-fired pizza shops and they whipped up a tremendous margherita pizza, with thin, crispy crust and a chili-infused oil that was simply magnificent. (I'll have to make some with my own chilis!)

Then we went to see Tom Stoppard's "Rock 'n' Roll," a play about music and the Czechoslovakian Velvet Revolution. It used loud rock music to signal scene changes, but despite the noise it was an intellectual tour de force that moved over Marxism, Sappho, and Pink Floyd with a light and sure touch. Sorry lads, it's too political to make it to the States!