"I have business in London."
JOHN BATES
JOHN BATES
Wednesday morning began with our daily gathering in the front lobby of the Sherlock Holmes Hotel. Immediately after eating the wonderful buffet breakfast, lunch was far from my mind, but Tom was taking orders for the afternoon’s pub lunch. We could choose from an array of about six pies. I chose venison and was jokingly chided the rest of the morning about ordering Bambi for lunch. Venison isn’t something I regularly have at home, though, so I wanted to try it.
We traveled to the City of London. Capital C. The City is one of the world’s leading financial centers, roughly marked by the boundaries set by the ancient walls of Roman Londinium. At its heart is the awe-inspiring, massive dome of architect Christopher Wren's St. Paul’s Cathedral. This is one huge church, folks. Photographs are not allowed inside, so I don’t have any of the interior to share on this page, but all the more reason for you to make your own visit! I now understand why Lady Diana Spencer's wedding gown was over-the-top poofy. It had to be! Otherwise she would’ve been a mere speck in relation to the structure.
Our group had a guided tour of the church, and some of us climbed the 259 steps to the Whispering Gallery in the dome. It's quite the workout, so take your jacket off before you start! We also toured the crypt, pausing at the tombs of Lord Nelson and Lord Wellington. (Perhaps traitorous to say so here, but I admit I prefer the dark quiet of the John Paul Jones crypt at the U.S. Naval Academy to Nelson’s final resting place.)
After stopping for a coffee break (of course!), we continued our tour of the City, feeling slightly out of place as bankers in their sharp suits briskly walked past our group. We walked through some of the small alleyways of the district and saw guild signs from trade groups. Our final stopping point was The Counting House public house. The Bambi, er, venison, pie? It was fantastic!
We traveled to the City of London. Capital C. The City is one of the world’s leading financial centers, roughly marked by the boundaries set by the ancient walls of Roman Londinium. At its heart is the awe-inspiring, massive dome of architect Christopher Wren's St. Paul’s Cathedral. This is one huge church, folks. Photographs are not allowed inside, so I don’t have any of the interior to share on this page, but all the more reason for you to make your own visit! I now understand why Lady Diana Spencer's wedding gown was over-the-top poofy. It had to be! Otherwise she would’ve been a mere speck in relation to the structure.
Our group had a guided tour of the church, and some of us climbed the 259 steps to the Whispering Gallery in the dome. It's quite the workout, so take your jacket off before you start! We also toured the crypt, pausing at the tombs of Lord Nelson and Lord Wellington. (Perhaps traitorous to say so here, but I admit I prefer the dark quiet of the John Paul Jones crypt at the U.S. Naval Academy to Nelson’s final resting place.)
After stopping for a coffee break (of course!), we continued our tour of the City, feeling slightly out of place as bankers in their sharp suits briskly walked past our group. We walked through some of the small alleyways of the district and saw guild signs from trade groups. Our final stopping point was The Counting House public house. The Bambi, er, venison, pie? It was fantastic!
After lunch I took the Tube to Embankment and walked up the short hill from the station to Twinings on Strand. This narrow shop is the original storefront for the tea merchant and is stocked with two long walls of their special blends. Samples are available. I purchased a limited edition tin of the Queen’s 60th Jubilee tea. While walking along the Strand, I stopped in some of the churches that sit in islands in the center of the street. All of these churches are in Rick’s London book, and while none of them are tier one attractions, if you have the time, slow down a bit, and drop in. These are the places we miss when we do whirlwind tours of cities, and quite frankly they provide a few minutes respite from the noise and traffic.
That evening I had a ticket to Our Boys in Covent Garden. Covent Garden is a warren of small lanes and stage doors. It's frequented by theatregoers and office workers who pack themselves like sardines into pubs and cafes. When the happy hour crowd gets too big, the patrons simply stream out onto the sidewalks, resting their pint glasses on window sills. Our Boys is a comedy-drama about recuperating soldiers during the first Desert Storm (early ‘90s). I picked this play because I’m a huge fan of Laurence Fox who is known stateside for his role as Sgt. Hathaway on the Masterpiece Mystery! series Inspector Lewis .
Good to know: Buying theatre tickets before hand and want to know what the theatre looks like or if one row is better than another? Check out Theatre Monkey for seating plans, candid reviews and tips. I was able to look up the Duchess Theatre, read comments, and find the best seat for my price range. Want to know what’s playing? That's easy. Ads are posted on both sides of the escalators and the tunnels in Underground stations.
Good to know: Buying theatre tickets before hand and want to know what the theatre looks like or if one row is better than another? Check out Theatre Monkey for seating plans, candid reviews and tips. I was able to look up the Duchess Theatre, read comments, and find the best seat for my price range. Want to know what’s playing? That's easy. Ads are posted on both sides of the escalators and the tunnels in Underground stations.