London Calling

When one travels free-form like I’m doing I need to book my trip as I plan it.  I spent hours trying to decide where to go after York.  First I looked at north Wales and then Holyhead to Dublin but the weather outlook wasn’t good.  Sheffield also seemed interesting but I decided to return to London.  I really like this city.  Last time I stayed at the Hotel Boka in Earls Court. It’s only a couple blocks from the Tube station and the Oyster card allows easy travel on bus, Tube, tram, DLR (Dockland Light Railway), London Overground, TfL Rail, Emirates Air Line, River Bus services and most National Rail services in London.  The system charges the lowest rate for every mode of transport and has a cap each day that is about half the cost of  individual tickets.  Boka also has refrigerator and microwave, ensuite, hot breakfast and the best Wifi of anyplace I’ve yet stayed. And the best part is that I’ll get 6 nights for under £250!  On my last visit needed to get to Liverpool to satisfy my Mother’s request to  see her Dad’s house there and the manager spent some time while I was seeing London to find me the cheapest train possible.  I wanted to thank him and did.  It turned out he had just gotten a new system for such work and I was the first guest he helped out so when I booked my room my name was familiar as it was the first on his system.  His greeting was genuine and he was happy he had helped me satisfy Mom’s wish.  Is it a classy hotel? No, but since a room is just that to me, with all it’s pluses, it more than fit my needs.  I had booked 4 nights but decided at that rate to add a couple.

A couple of years ago I read “London” by Edward Rutherford.  It takes you from the Lundinium  of 54 BC to 1997. I loved it, as I have any of his other works I’ve tackled (these are long but terrific books) so when I realized there was a museum dedicated to the history of this ancient city I had to check out The Museum of London whose address seems to be One Wall Street. I was not disappointed. I saw the design of wooden walkways over swamps from 200BC and tools used by prehistoric peoples. 

The creation of a city by the Romans (London’s Wall Street is aptly named) as this sits just outside the Museum

 These models depict the first London Bridge, Roman baths and the main city.

This grain mill would have been turned by a horse. and although the furniture is obviously reproduction, everything else including the mosaic floor was excavated.

A model of St. Paul’s Cathedral that burned in the great fire of 1666 so well described by Sam Pepys in his diaries.  The cathedral’s base was situated on the highest point in the city, the current one is a design of Christopher Wren.

This iron chest was kept in the basement of Guildhall in the 15th century to store CitySeals, documents and other valuables.  It’s 6 locks had keys held by 6 prominent citizens so all had to be together to open it.

This death mask of Oliver Cromwell is a bit creepy.  But then again so was The Lord Protector.

The Lord Mayor’s Coach was first used in 1757 and even today it it used to convey the Mayor to the Royal Courts to pledge allegiance to The Crown.

From the Museum I headed over the rainy Millennium Bridge to the Tate Modern.

 I get Picasso’s Weeping Woman and even Jane Alexander’s African Adventure depicting European intervention in African affairs.  But other stuff like a set of concrete walls that were painted and then the paint was squeegeed off or yarn hanging from bars.  I just don’t see the art. And I found myself both especially disgusted and astounded by White Tiger.  All white tigers in the USA are bred for their whiteness.  The result in “Kenny’s” case is an animal that is mentally retarded and has deformed front legs that affect walking.  His deep set nose causes breathing problems and his deformed jaw effects eating. So I am disgusted by his very existence and astounded that such a picture is “art”.  I guess maybe it is though, as a form of horrific protest.

 I’ll keep trying to grok modern art but am not hopeful.

 

And now a word about cannabis.  When I was helping Nana take care of Dad I used to do a bowl or two after we put him to bed both to relieve the stress and help the pain from the fibromyalgia and arthritis. Nana probably knew but neither of us ever mentioned it. Not having had any for over a month now, I am surprised how much it had helped the pain. Whisky is ok but nowhere near as helpful. By the time I return to my hotel the past couple weeks I can  barely walk and it is pain that wakes me each and every day. That this stuff is banned in most places is terribly misguided.