School in London - Bank Holiday

Monday 29 August  2005 

Bank Holiday for the English and a tourist day for me. I got up and worked a bit on the computer, finally leaving the house about 10:30. Took the Tube to Green Park, and after I got off had my morning banana from the fruit vendor next to the Ritz. I then walked down to Caffe Pascucci for my morning caffe. I should warn all North Americans coming to London for the first time: whenever you’re crossing the street, look down! It will tell you whether you should look right or look left before crossing. So far that is the hardest thing about being a tourist in this otherwise lovely city. 

OK, so after coffee I walked back to the Green Park Tube station where the Big Bus double-decker tour buses start out and I paid my 20 pounds for day ticket of hopping/hopping off all around London – I cannot recommend this tour enough if you are going to be in the city for a very short period of time. It is not only a great way to see many if not most of the major attractions (at least their exteriors) but also a way to help you decide which places you might want to return to for a more in-depth visit. And being able to get off and on regularly is a pretty good deal as well, particularly if your guide (they have on-board running commentaries) isn’t so hot. In my case, our bus had “Fraser” who was quite funny and full of insights into the city’s history and although it was difficult to disembark I had to at St. Paul’s cathedral, one of the few structures in this part of London, which survived the blitz during WW2. The cathedral is absolutely stunning on the inside and if you are ready for 534 steps take a trip to the top of the dome for some of the best views you’ll ever see of London. (You can stop at two levels on the way up, the “whispering Gallery” which overlooks the interior of the cathedral and the stone gallery, which is the first level outside near the top.)

After leaving the very top of St. Paul’s I descended all the way to below ground level, to the crypt where Wellington is buried as well as nelson – although nelson’s chamber is under renovations in preparation for the 200th anniversary of his death this coming October. St. Paul’s is in effect a huge memorial to many of the great men of English history and should not be missed – plus it has a great little café and restrooms just off the crypt area both of which I believe can be reached without paying the 8 pounds admission charge.

Back outside in the sun and cool air – the climb to the top was close and rather hot – I grabbed the next Big Bus (the red tour) and was off again. After we reached the Tower of London I decided to disembark – our guide was terribly dynamic – and opted to take the river cruise up the Thames to Westminster (the cruise was part of the tour package I purchased in the morning). After about 25 minutes we pulled in near Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. I walked up Whitehall passed No, 10 downing street – Tony didn’t have the common decency to invite me in – so I decided I would find my way to the Apple superstore. I stopped at the Virgin mega-store in Piccadilly and asked the guy at the door where the Apple store was and learned it was only about a 10-minute walk away. So I hiked up the trendy shop-ridden Regent’s street and found the store just before Oxford circus. 

I was properly awed by this Temple to the Mac – and will go back first thing in the morning when they open to use their wireless hotspot for free! Here’s how it should work: Jubilee line to Bond street change to the Central line and get off at the next station Oxford Circus, then back to Oxford Circus take the Victoria Line to Green Park so I can then pick up my morning banana and head to school where we have to check in between 11:30 and 11:50 – school will run tomorrow from 12 noon to about 6:30. Whew. Then it’s home for dinner and I presume schoolwork (Susan are you listening?)

And speaking of dinner tonight was the first night I ate at “home”. I left central London about a little after 6 pm and after getting to Willesden Green stopped at a nearby grocery store for some apples and then found the internet café our hostess told me about. I sent off an email home but left the rest until I can access them through my own computer tomorrow morning (Apple Day). I then headed home and ate dinner with another new student, an Algerian engineer named Yuseff who is studying English for two weeks. (Having these students here learning English is going to be great practice for me.) Shortly after I returned to my room there came a knock on the door and my next door neighbor, Jackie from China, introduced herself – we chatted for a few minutes.. It turns out she has been here studying English for two months already and was curious as to why an American came all the way to London to studying English . . . Then I told her I was actually here to learn to become a teacher of English and she also thought that interesting and that I would have to learn who to speak British English, It will indeed be a most curious experience I’m sure – and tomorrow it begins!