Dear Family,
In the future, I hope you’ll realize how amazing this email is …
I happened to arrive in King’s Cross Train Station at Platform 9. As I walked out I remembered how Harry Potter got to Hogwarts, through an invisible passage at Platform 9 3/4. I went through a passage, turned to my right, and there it was. I caught some kid pushing his cart right through the wall into the village near Hogwarts!
It’s Friday night before a long weekend due to a Bank Holiday. I knew the town would be hoppin’ so I decided to walk from my hostel to where I knew the action would be … the Theatre District. First, my hostel. I am literally in the shadow ofSt. Paul’s Cathedral, a mere narrow block away from London’s most famous church.
Two blocks from me is the start of Fleet Street, the center of banking and financial services in England. I walked along it and found more bankers socializing at pubs than I’ve ever seen. I’d say more by a factor of three and I worked in NYC! Good weather and a Friday evening will sure bring them out!
Continuing on I headed to Covent Garden which is famous in the evenings for restaurants and bars that support the theater business. I was not disappointed. The place was bustling with thousands of people all looking their best … and then there was me. 🙂 I meandered for a while, people watching and looking at stores as I made my way to Leicester Square, then was about to turn back when I heard some outdoor music.
At Trafalgar Square there was a huge outdoor celebration of some Indian centennial event. I didn’t get the cause but I did get the music. There was lots of it and even more people. The picture above was of an Indian Pipe Band, basically a Scottish Tatoo. Their performance was impressive and well received.
See the huge pillar on the left? That’s in the center of a fountain in the middle of the square.
It was getting close to 9:00 PM and, though I knew Big Ben was quieted for repairs, I wanted to get a night shot of it for you. By now I was tired of walking and still had to get back so I didn’t get too close to Big Ben. Consequently, even with my best efforts, I still only got a blurred picture. I guess that makes it all the more genuine, eh? 😉
So, in one walk I hit a myriad of famous London sights.
I plan to see much more these next few days.
Wish you were interested and here to enjoy it with me.
Love you all! Dad