London Bestiary


I'm going to wait until tomorrow to post about tonight's meal because I forgot the menu and name up in the room. (I'm in the business center of our hotel.) But be sure to wait for it, because tonight's meal was both underground and out of this world.

The morning started beautifully, so we sauntered over to Trafalgar Square. The Marc Quinn sculpture of Alison Lapper on one of the plinths fit in with the triumphal male statuary perfectly.

Ira wanted to see if we could walk by No. 10 Downing Street (nope) and then go to the War Room. On our way there we noticed a crowd of people in a square. We learned there was to be some sort of changing of the horse guard in five minutes. The best part was when one of the black, restive horses completely broke line and had to be wheeled back into place. The worst part was when it unexpectedly started to rain, not just drops but whole skyfuls of rain. We immediately wre drenched to the skin and ran for cover.

Cover turned into the War Room, which was a nice bit of lagniappe. I would rather have asked for directions than been forced there by the downpour, but ca y est, as the frogs say.

I wrung my shirt out in the sink, toweled off my hair and we prowled through the rooms where Churchill stayed (but only for three nights!). The Churchill museum next to the War Room was a multimedia dream, but I still saw lots of bored kids. Even projections, and touch-screen computers can't bring history to life it seems. I was fascinated at least. I never knew Churchill learned to smoke cigars in Cuba....

We next walked up the Thames to the pedestrian Millennium Bridge. We'd heard it vibrated dangerously when it was first put up, but neither Ira nor I could figure out what they changed to reinforce it. Maybe they did nothing!

Then it was time for a rest at the hotel, then dinner with Paul Templeton's friend Barney Wan, who's a book designer. That will have to wait for the next post.

But again, check back, because it's a damn fine resto.

The dragon? What else should I take pictures of?