Off to London on a fine sunny day

Well, the weather has finally turned fine here now. This morning our B&B hostess delivered us to the local train station (see pix) and off we went to the magic city of London. I had pre-paid for 3-day train vouchers so we didn't have to figure out how to buy tickets at the station. We just waved our vouchers at the ticket agent and boarded the train. The ride was smooth and comfortable and we enjoyed it very much. I've always been drawn to the idea of taking the train to work every day and riding in comfort while I read my morning newspaper. The closest I ever got to it was when I lived in Chicago. Had I stayed in Chicago when I got out of the Navy, I might indeed have commuted to work via rail. Alas, it was not to be. But this morning I got to see just what it would be like as we rode amidst the many London commuters on their way to work.

Concetta's request for the day's activities included the National Art Gallery (photo 2)and the Imperial War Museum. Both sounded okay to me so once we arrived at Charing Cross Station, we wandered out onto the sidewalk looking for clues to the proximity of our quarry and before long had literally stumbled over the National Gallery. It was only a half block from the station. The museum is free, however Concetta and I sprang for the cost of the audio tour to the tune of about fourteen dollars. The audio is really worth it as your eyes would probably give out long before you managed to read the captions under every painting. I say every, but it would take days and days to view every painting AND listen to the background and interpretation on each one. We viewed as many as we could, but didn't get much beyond the 16th and 17th century art. There's a wonderful collection there to see, but it would take many visits to do it justice. Around two o'clock we finally returned the audio gear and headed for the dining room for a spot of tea and a muffin.

Once rested we set out to find the Imperial War Museum (photos 3 & 4). This destination proved more elusive. Just as I did with the train vouchers, I had purchased the necessary tickets to ride London's red buses months ago and they had been delivered by mail right to the house. It's definitely worth it to get these items in advance and save yourself the headache of trying to figure it out "in country."

There was only one problem: no one told us that specific buses stop only at specific bus stops. We thought naively that every bus eventually would come by the stop where we were patiently waiting. Well, after we had stood at the Trafalgar stop nearest the train station for thirty minutes without once seeing our Number 3 or Number 159 bus, we finally got smart and re-read the sign there. Yes, indeed, we had to go around the corner and wait at the correct bus stop before the 3 or 159 would be coming by. Well, once we got the little gray cells working properly it was a piece of cake to catch the bus and ride to the War Museum.

For those of you who are wondering why Concetta might want to visit a war museum of all things, I'll tell you that she's been reading a couple of different series of novels, each of which takes place in the WWI time period. All the descriptions of miserable trench warfare, vintage flivvers hauling endless loads of wounded from the front lines, and cloth-covered Spads and Jennies winging overhead made her want to experience some of these things in person. And let me tell you, experience it we did. The Imperial War Museum has the finest depictions of warfare I've ever seen. The displays of uniforms, equipment, and firearms are second to none. Each display area comes complete with audio and video depictions in addition to masterfully-crafted display cases. I was just enthralled.

One of the most moving exhibits in the museum is the one on the impact of war on children. Here we experienced the stories of thousands of displaced kids, many of whom were sent to other countries by Jewish parents caught up in the maelstrom of Hitler's advance into their respective countries. Most never saw their parents again. But British children also experienced separation from parents as many were sent into the countryside to live with friends, relatives, and even perfect strangers in hopes of saving their lives as the bombing of English cities took place.

We also toured the Holocaust exhibit. While we have not had an opportunity to view the Washington D.C. Holocaust Museum yet, we certainly found the story they told here at the Imperial very, very moving. The museum sought to individualize the stories with pictures and letters and personal items from the murdered people and through audio interviews with survivors as well as news footage shot by the Nazis at the time. It's not a "feel-good" experience, but one everyone should try and acquaint themselves with.

One high point at the museum for Concetta and me was the display devoted to the personal effects of Thomas Edward Lawrence (bottom photo). You may know him as "Lawrence of Arabia." Concetta and I have been fans ever since we saw the epic movie with Peter O'toole. To be just inches away from his uniform, weapons, and, most spectacularly, his personal motorcycle was just thrilling.

Sorry for the lateness of this post. I had it all done last night and suddenly Google just erased about 1/3 of everything I'd written and all but two of the photos. So, I had to do it over this morning.

Ciao, tutti.