ANother Innocent Abroad part trois

Another Innocent Abroad part trois

London. Beautiful, historic, friendly, laid back London. I couldn't believe that I was here! I have only wanted to visit London since I was 13 years old -when I watched John Steed and Emma Peele take down the bad guys with a cool and very British "nothing to it" style. The Avengers weren't the only attaction that I had with "the Mother Country". I've always had a feeling that I had lived there before in another life, or maybe growing up around second and third generation Europeans rubbed off on my psyche. Another time when I was 18, my brother Gary and I rode our brand new Honda 125cc motorcycles to the top of Paris Mountain on a beautiful spring day. The terrain and the beautiful floral landscape mixed with the wonderful weather made me feel that I was riding the cottage lanes of rural England, or so I imagined. I could almost hear the sheep lowing (or is it cows that do the lowing?)
Dreams of London had finally turned to reality and now I stood on the corner of Euston Rd and Crestfield St and took in the pace. Across the street from our 'magnificent half-star hotel' was once the mother of hotels- The Midland Grand Hotel. Designed by Architect Sir George Gilbert Scott, this magnificent old hotel was built between 1868-77 (Sir George Gilbert Scott was the grandfather of Sir Giles Gilbert Scott who designed Southwark power station (now the Tate Modern) and the iconic Battersea power station).
The old palace, sitting empty and forlorn since the 1980s, is experiencing a renaissance as workmen pour over it's gothic facade and vast interior to remake it into a grand hotel once again. It will be appropriately name The Renaissance St Pancras Hotel and is scheduled to re-open in 2010. My first photos of London are of this grand lady and the station next door. The Kings Cross Saint Pancras Station is the new home of the London Eurostar line, a high speed train that will, in a few days, take Kim and I to Paris. The station itself is amazing, with it's iron columns supporting a 243 ft. single span roof, and is often called the "Cathedral of Railways".
Standing on the corner, I took in the views of these two amazing structures and was reminded that I was not in Kansas (or South Carolina) anymore. Kim arrived at the corner and we darted down the steps to the 'tube', bought a couple of tickets and boarded the subway for Westminister Abbey.
The thing that I liked about traveling via the old subway was that I could imagine Londoners, during the nazi blitz of World War II, taking shelter in these massive underground spaces. I could feel the overwhelming sense of history at each station as we climbed the stairs leading to the street and our destination for the day. Reaching that top step to see a new world was one of the exciting aspects of traveling with my dear friend Kimberly. She gave me no information as to what we would see upon arriving at street level, but always looked at me to gauge my reaction to the awesome sights we would always encounter. I was a kid in a city-sized toy store, she was my guide and I her charge, and we explored and discovered and laughed and 'wow'ed' and did all those touristy things that one must do on a first time visit. Kim had lived in London for awhile and worked in Nottingham, taking the train into work everyday. While she had seen much of London during her time here, she confided in me that seeing it through my eyes made her feel that she was seeing the city for the first time - again.

Westminister Abbey is beyond description. To know of the history that it has witnessed, the personalities it has hosted, the drama it has beheld ...then add the awe that it inspires, how could you describe something like this?
Built over a thousand years ago by King Edward (consecrated in December, 1025) the Abby is the final resting place for greats such as St Edward the Confessor (King Edward was canonised in 1161), Chaucer, Darwin, Dickens and Livingston, Sir Issac Newton, Oliver Cromwell, and William and Mary, to name a few. The ornate detail that surrounds this architectural jewel silences you, demanding reverence from you and makes one marvel at its inspired greatness. Go humanity!
We took in the Abbey and lit candles for Ruth E. at each opportunity. Since daughter Ruth Elizabeth's passing, candles have now been lit for her in St Patrick's Cathedral in New York, Westminister Abbey in London and Notre Dame in Paris.
Stepping out into a gorgeous spring day Kim then pulled me into a cab and asked the cabbie to give us a tour down to Trafalgar Square. A very accomodating fellow, he gave us an informative and fact-filled ride to the Admirality Gate , through Old Mayfaire then up to the houses of Parliament and Big Ben. We were walking across the Thames toward the "Milleneum Eye" when I spun around and caught the famous view of Big Ben. Kim took a picture of me there. I was happy!
After a full day of walking, and still pretty jet-lagged, we decided to call it a first day and retire to the suite.
It had been a great first day in Europe!

Part I
Part II