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London Travelogue
May. 21st, 2005 09:36 amTuesday, 10 May
We arrived at Gatwick airport at 7:30 a.m., which still felt like 2:30 a.m.—I hadn’t been able to sleep on the plane. It took us about 2 hours from landing to get to the Royal National, our hotel in Bloomsbury, and then we waited until 11 so we could check in. It wasn’t nearly so overwhelming as I had feared. In fact, London seems much more negotiable than New York, and no one mocks you for being a stranger.
We ate lunch at an Indian restaurant near the British Museum, then spent the afternoon in the Museum until we were walking in our sleep. I liked the Reading Room best, which used to house the British Library. I like to imagine all the famous personages reading here within a few feet of each other. The Museum also has the Rossetta Stone, which is impressive I suppose, but I preferred the Sutton Hoo exhibit of Anglo-Saxon artifacts. I like imagining my ancestors acting out their Beowulf lives.
We went back to the hotel for a long nap, then had dinner at a much cheaper Indian place closer to our hotel. We decided to explore a bit after that, even though the sun was down, so we took a bus. We crossed the Thames and alighted near the London Eye. We walked along the river’s South Bank and crossed on a pedestrian bridge that gave us a great view of Big Ben and Parliament. We walked up to Trafalgar Square and appreciated Nelson's Column and the fountains, where we waited a long time for the right bus before deciding to just walk back. It didn’t take long: some things are further than they seem on the map, and some closer. We went by the Theatre District and saw historical pubs, and also walked past the British Museum again. I saw a bookstore I hoped to visit but never made it back there.
Wednesday, 11 May
I slept later than I meant to. We had continental breakfast at the hotel (i.e. toast, cereal, and juice) and then went our separate ways at 11 a.m. I spent the day at the National Archives in Kew while Judson was at Regent’s Park and the London Zoo, where he took about 50 pictures. Kew is a nice little suburb. The townhouses have little gardens in front of them, about 4x8, and each is different. Before lunch I managed to obtain my reader’s ticket and order my first documents, then I checked my email while they were delivering them. I can only order 3 documents at a time, and they take about 15 minutes, but it only takes me 2-4 minutes to read each, and so I’m left with free time.
I took the Tube back to the hotel (about 40 minutes), dropped off my work and headed to the rendezvous with Judson at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Since I wasn’t sure when exactly he would be there, I took my time, stopping to shop along Brompton Road (very swank) and to walk through Harrod’s, a famous, super-huge department store. I bought some shower gel and a sponge at the Body Shop: when traveling abroad, you should always bring your own wash cloth. I should have remembered that from Greece. Further down the street I passed a statue of Cardinal Newman before I successfully located the V&A, where Judson found me. We walked back up Brompton Road to the Area Café, which was overpriced but fine. I had one of the few pizzas I had in London that was actually cut. We strolled around the Museum until it closed at 8. Then we took a bus and rode up top at the very front down to Tottenham Court Road (where Eliza sold flowers!). The large windows give a great view but it can be disconcerting to be at the very front of a vehicle, especially when your driver seems to aim at pedestrians. We walked from the end of the line back to our hotel, passing a lot of dance clubs and pubs.
Thursday, 12 May
This morning we went to the British Library, where I saw some manuscripts by Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, along with the Guttenberg Bible and the Lindisfarme gospels. I also got a reader’s card so I can do research there later. I hadn’t been planning on it, but as Judson said, who knows when I’ll get to come back? We had lunch at an Indian place, then switched to our new hotel, the Blair Victoria, which is in Westminster near Belgrave. All the buildings are 3 stories tall and very cute. I preferred Bloomsbury, but at least this is more convenient for Kew. Judson came with me to the PRO, briefly checked his email while I waited for document delivery, then went to Kew Gardens. I could only do research from 3-6 today, for which I blame the switching of hotels. We spent the evening resting—we’re still acclimating.
Friday, 13 May
I virtuously spent the entire day at Kew, 9-5. The pond outside the Public Records Office has ducks and geese and swans. This morning a goose was trying to get her goslings to jump into the water, but she didn’t push them.
I was thinking of Possession and how careful they are here at the PRO with archival material. I don't think you could rip a page out. It might be possible to hide a note on your person, but they check your folders (which must be transparent) when you leave. It amazes me that I’m touching handwritten depositions from the 1840s. They’re rather fragile. Unfortunately, the archive only has 2% of the cases, chosen arbitrarily. Some of the files are just notes asking to be excused from trial until the next session, which records are pretty much worthless, I should think.
Back at the hotel, I waited for Judson until 8. This was his shopping day. We rode the bus up to Trafalgar Square and had pizza. I like riding the buses around London at night. Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament have a comforting glow about them. It makes one respect the institution of government more. I saw the front of Victoria Station for the first time—but I neglected to get a picture.
Saturday, 14 May
I believe Judson spent this day at Hyde Park, Kensington Palace, and Buckingham Palace. He’s doing all the tourist stuff while I’m amusing myself with scholarship. I feel quite at home in the National Archives.
I wasn’t quite as virtuous today as yesterday, as I didn’t arrive at Kew until 10:30 and I stopped at 4. They were only open until 5, anyway, and I couldn’t do much more without starting something I couldn’t finish, and this was my last day. I saw the mother goose and her goslings again, this time begging food from tourists.
I walked around Kew before heading back in to central London. I walked past the larger townhomes, some having the luxury of a garage. I bought a copy of I Capture the Castle at the local bookstore and had a Frappucino at Starbucks. (There wasn’t a non-chain coffee store right there.) Judson and I had dinner at an Indian restaurant around the corner from our hotel, then we walked about looking for a laundrette. We spent the evening watching TV and reading. Judson hoped to be able to watch Dr. Who, but he couldn’t find it on.
Sunday, 15 May
A day off, as both the British Library and the National Archives are closed.
There was quite a crowd at breakfast this morning. We had to share a table, which Judson dislikes. We succeeded at leaving on schedule and arrived at Parliament Square at 9:20. The London Eye was already turning. We were able to get tickets right away and without waiting in the queue. The Eye moves so slowly that you’re hardly aware of it at all. I didn’t feel a bit of vertigo or motion sickness, unless I happened to glance at the other capsules. It does provide a fantastic view. Next we went to the London Aquarium, which is located in the old County Hall building along with the Dali Museum. The best part of the Aquarium is that they have a touch pool where you can pet the rays.
I had my usual “Kew” lunch, a prepacked sandwich from the convenience store. We took a boat up the Thames from the London Eye to the Tate Britain Gallery. It was a short ride, but still worth the ₤2.65. We had a wonderful vantage point. I enjoyed walking around the Tate very much. I saw many paintings by Constable and Turner, and many of my favorite Pre-Raphaelite paintings. We spent quite a while there but didn’t even make it into the modern wing. We finished in time that I could wash a load of clothes at the Laundrette in Pimlico. Afterwards we rode the bus to Charing Cross and had dinner at an expensive Italian place, where I had some fantastic mushroom ravioli. We walked to Oxford Circus and then took the #15 bus to the City and the Tower of London. This is supposed to be one of the best views, but I really prefer the #24 with its views of Big Ben and Bloomsbury. I did like seeing the City. I’m sad that I didn’t get to take the Dickens walking tour that I had planned or see the Dickens museum, but at least now I have a mental image of the Inns of Court.
Monday, 16 May
We checked out of our hotel on Warwick Way and stored our luggage at Victoria Station for ₤5 each. I spent the day reading at the British Library and discovering what I need to do for the next time I’m able to come. It’s difficult to know how to plan until you know how things work. I read for most of the day in the Humanities Room, looking at some books on penny dreadfuls. If I had planned better, I could have requested the books before I came and not have had to wait an hour. I fell asleep about every 2 hours and would have to take a break at the overpriced café. Around 3 I wanted to find out more about the collection of penny dreadfuls in the Barry Ono collection, which are on microfilm. I discovered that I needed to go to the Rare Books room, which had not been immediately apparent. The guide to the collection listed in the catalogue is only a partial guide; a complete index is published as a separate book. Of course, I only discovered this as it was turning 4:00, the end of ordering for the day. I was feeling frustrated and wondering how I would spend the next 4 hours until I was supposed to meet Judson, but when I took a break at 4:30 I happily found that he was already there. We had dinner at Pizza Express across from the BL. Pizza Express is a large chain and each of the restaurants are very different. Some are fast-food and some much nicer. This was a nicer one. I had a 4-cheese pizza, which of course I had to cut myself, as it seems the British haven’t discovered pizza cutters. After dinner we retrieved our luggage from Victoria Station and struggled to discover which platform we were leaving from. The best way (sometimes the only way) to discover the answer to questions like these is to ask a real person, any of the attendants rather than a person in a booth. It surprised me that people were so willing to help with what I considered a dumb query.
The ride to Brighton took 1.5 hours. We passed through some lovely country. It surprises me that in a country this old that there is still so much pasture and farmland near major towns. In the US within 100 years the city spreads—doubtless because we have so much room. It was misting rain when we alighted in Brighton, but we were still pleased with the town, and even more so with out hotel. The manager was exceptionally friendly and energetic, and our room was a palace compared with our London lodgings.
Tuesday, 17 May
We woke at 5 a.m. with the sun, then later had a lovely vegetarian English breakfast, courtesy of the hotel. (The veggie sausage had peas in it, and the eggs were disturbingly pinkish.) I slept for much of the day while Judson read. Our hotel is in a lovely location. Stepping out and turning to the right provides a lovely view of the sea. At lunchtime we walked around the beach and the Pier and the little shops in the Lanes. We were surprised that the beach has rocks and pebbles instead of sand. We imagined that we could see France over the waves, but of course it’s too far. The Pier has tourist shops, a little carnival, and a casino; we left quickly. We ate lunch at a little café which was called the Mock Turtle. I had “Cream Tea,” which is a pot of tea and 2 scones with jam and sweet cream. We ate dinner at an Italian restaurant; I had a calzone and Judson had the pizza. I don’t know why people are so despairing of the food options in the UK. It seems that almost no one eats traditional British food anymore, rightly preferring Indian, Italian, and French. I stopped briefly at an Internet Café to catch up on the news.
Wednesday, 18 May
Taxi to the train station, a 45-minute train ride to Gatwick, then flying home to Atlanta. At Gatwick, you can’t go to your gate until it’s time to check in, so we waited in the main lounge with the stores. Luckily we found a quiet corner with comfy chairs. At the Gatwick bookstore I at last succeeded at finding a copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. I also bought a comical book by Tom Sharpe called Wilt, which I read on the return flight. I highly recommend him. I also read a biography of EBB and Robert Browning that I bought at the British Library.
We arrived at Gatwick airport at 7:30 a.m., which still felt like 2:30 a.m.—I hadn’t been able to sleep on the plane. It took us about 2 hours from landing to get to the Royal National, our hotel in Bloomsbury, and then we waited until 11 so we could check in. It wasn’t nearly so overwhelming as I had feared. In fact, London seems much more negotiable than New York, and no one mocks you for being a stranger.
We ate lunch at an Indian restaurant near the British Museum, then spent the afternoon in the Museum until we were walking in our sleep. I liked the Reading Room best, which used to house the British Library. I like to imagine all the famous personages reading here within a few feet of each other. The Museum also has the Rossetta Stone, which is impressive I suppose, but I preferred the Sutton Hoo exhibit of Anglo-Saxon artifacts. I like imagining my ancestors acting out their Beowulf lives.
We went back to the hotel for a long nap, then had dinner at a much cheaper Indian place closer to our hotel. We decided to explore a bit after that, even though the sun was down, so we took a bus. We crossed the Thames and alighted near the London Eye. We walked along the river’s South Bank and crossed on a pedestrian bridge that gave us a great view of Big Ben and Parliament. We walked up to Trafalgar Square and appreciated Nelson's Column and the fountains, where we waited a long time for the right bus before deciding to just walk back. It didn’t take long: some things are further than they seem on the map, and some closer. We went by the Theatre District and saw historical pubs, and also walked past the British Museum again. I saw a bookstore I hoped to visit but never made it back there.
Wednesday, 11 May
I slept later than I meant to. We had continental breakfast at the hotel (i.e. toast, cereal, and juice) and then went our separate ways at 11 a.m. I spent the day at the National Archives in Kew while Judson was at Regent’s Park and the London Zoo, where he took about 50 pictures. Kew is a nice little suburb. The townhouses have little gardens in front of them, about 4x8, and each is different. Before lunch I managed to obtain my reader’s ticket and order my first documents, then I checked my email while they were delivering them. I can only order 3 documents at a time, and they take about 15 minutes, but it only takes me 2-4 minutes to read each, and so I’m left with free time.
I took the Tube back to the hotel (about 40 minutes), dropped off my work and headed to the rendezvous with Judson at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Since I wasn’t sure when exactly he would be there, I took my time, stopping to shop along Brompton Road (very swank) and to walk through Harrod’s, a famous, super-huge department store. I bought some shower gel and a sponge at the Body Shop: when traveling abroad, you should always bring your own wash cloth. I should have remembered that from Greece. Further down the street I passed a statue of Cardinal Newman before I successfully located the V&A, where Judson found me. We walked back up Brompton Road to the Area Café, which was overpriced but fine. I had one of the few pizzas I had in London that was actually cut. We strolled around the Museum until it closed at 8. Then we took a bus and rode up top at the very front down to Tottenham Court Road (where Eliza sold flowers!). The large windows give a great view but it can be disconcerting to be at the very front of a vehicle, especially when your driver seems to aim at pedestrians. We walked from the end of the line back to our hotel, passing a lot of dance clubs and pubs.
Thursday, 12 May
This morning we went to the British Library, where I saw some manuscripts by Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, along with the Guttenberg Bible and the Lindisfarme gospels. I also got a reader’s card so I can do research there later. I hadn’t been planning on it, but as Judson said, who knows when I’ll get to come back? We had lunch at an Indian place, then switched to our new hotel, the Blair Victoria, which is in Westminster near Belgrave. All the buildings are 3 stories tall and very cute. I preferred Bloomsbury, but at least this is more convenient for Kew. Judson came with me to the PRO, briefly checked his email while I waited for document delivery, then went to Kew Gardens. I could only do research from 3-6 today, for which I blame the switching of hotels. We spent the evening resting—we’re still acclimating.
Friday, 13 May
I virtuously spent the entire day at Kew, 9-5. The pond outside the Public Records Office has ducks and geese and swans. This morning a goose was trying to get her goslings to jump into the water, but she didn’t push them.
I was thinking of Possession and how careful they are here at the PRO with archival material. I don't think you could rip a page out. It might be possible to hide a note on your person, but they check your folders (which must be transparent) when you leave. It amazes me that I’m touching handwritten depositions from the 1840s. They’re rather fragile. Unfortunately, the archive only has 2% of the cases, chosen arbitrarily. Some of the files are just notes asking to be excused from trial until the next session, which records are pretty much worthless, I should think.
Back at the hotel, I waited for Judson until 8. This was his shopping day. We rode the bus up to Trafalgar Square and had pizza. I like riding the buses around London at night. Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament have a comforting glow about them. It makes one respect the institution of government more. I saw the front of Victoria Station for the first time—but I neglected to get a picture.
Saturday, 14 May
I believe Judson spent this day at Hyde Park, Kensington Palace, and Buckingham Palace. He’s doing all the tourist stuff while I’m amusing myself with scholarship. I feel quite at home in the National Archives.
I wasn’t quite as virtuous today as yesterday, as I didn’t arrive at Kew until 10:30 and I stopped at 4. They were only open until 5, anyway, and I couldn’t do much more without starting something I couldn’t finish, and this was my last day. I saw the mother goose and her goslings again, this time begging food from tourists.
I walked around Kew before heading back in to central London. I walked past the larger townhomes, some having the luxury of a garage. I bought a copy of I Capture the Castle at the local bookstore and had a Frappucino at Starbucks. (There wasn’t a non-chain coffee store right there.) Judson and I had dinner at an Indian restaurant around the corner from our hotel, then we walked about looking for a laundrette. We spent the evening watching TV and reading. Judson hoped to be able to watch Dr. Who, but he couldn’t find it on.
Sunday, 15 May
A day off, as both the British Library and the National Archives are closed.
There was quite a crowd at breakfast this morning. We had to share a table, which Judson dislikes. We succeeded at leaving on schedule and arrived at Parliament Square at 9:20. The London Eye was already turning. We were able to get tickets right away and without waiting in the queue. The Eye moves so slowly that you’re hardly aware of it at all. I didn’t feel a bit of vertigo or motion sickness, unless I happened to glance at the other capsules. It does provide a fantastic view. Next we went to the London Aquarium, which is located in the old County Hall building along with the Dali Museum. The best part of the Aquarium is that they have a touch pool where you can pet the rays.
I had my usual “Kew” lunch, a prepacked sandwich from the convenience store. We took a boat up the Thames from the London Eye to the Tate Britain Gallery. It was a short ride, but still worth the ₤2.65. We had a wonderful vantage point. I enjoyed walking around the Tate very much. I saw many paintings by Constable and Turner, and many of my favorite Pre-Raphaelite paintings. We spent quite a while there but didn’t even make it into the modern wing. We finished in time that I could wash a load of clothes at the Laundrette in Pimlico. Afterwards we rode the bus to Charing Cross and had dinner at an expensive Italian place, where I had some fantastic mushroom ravioli. We walked to Oxford Circus and then took the #15 bus to the City and the Tower of London. This is supposed to be one of the best views, but I really prefer the #24 with its views of Big Ben and Bloomsbury. I did like seeing the City. I’m sad that I didn’t get to take the Dickens walking tour that I had planned or see the Dickens museum, but at least now I have a mental image of the Inns of Court.
Monday, 16 May
We checked out of our hotel on Warwick Way and stored our luggage at Victoria Station for ₤5 each. I spent the day reading at the British Library and discovering what I need to do for the next time I’m able to come. It’s difficult to know how to plan until you know how things work. I read for most of the day in the Humanities Room, looking at some books on penny dreadfuls. If I had planned better, I could have requested the books before I came and not have had to wait an hour. I fell asleep about every 2 hours and would have to take a break at the overpriced café. Around 3 I wanted to find out more about the collection of penny dreadfuls in the Barry Ono collection, which are on microfilm. I discovered that I needed to go to the Rare Books room, which had not been immediately apparent. The guide to the collection listed in the catalogue is only a partial guide; a complete index is published as a separate book. Of course, I only discovered this as it was turning 4:00, the end of ordering for the day. I was feeling frustrated and wondering how I would spend the next 4 hours until I was supposed to meet Judson, but when I took a break at 4:30 I happily found that he was already there. We had dinner at Pizza Express across from the BL. Pizza Express is a large chain and each of the restaurants are very different. Some are fast-food and some much nicer. This was a nicer one. I had a 4-cheese pizza, which of course I had to cut myself, as it seems the British haven’t discovered pizza cutters. After dinner we retrieved our luggage from Victoria Station and struggled to discover which platform we were leaving from. The best way (sometimes the only way) to discover the answer to questions like these is to ask a real person, any of the attendants rather than a person in a booth. It surprised me that people were so willing to help with what I considered a dumb query.
The ride to Brighton took 1.5 hours. We passed through some lovely country. It surprises me that in a country this old that there is still so much pasture and farmland near major towns. In the US within 100 years the city spreads—doubtless because we have so much room. It was misting rain when we alighted in Brighton, but we were still pleased with the town, and even more so with out hotel. The manager was exceptionally friendly and energetic, and our room was a palace compared with our London lodgings.
Tuesday, 17 May
We woke at 5 a.m. with the sun, then later had a lovely vegetarian English breakfast, courtesy of the hotel. (The veggie sausage had peas in it, and the eggs were disturbingly pinkish.) I slept for much of the day while Judson read. Our hotel is in a lovely location. Stepping out and turning to the right provides a lovely view of the sea. At lunchtime we walked around the beach and the Pier and the little shops in the Lanes. We were surprised that the beach has rocks and pebbles instead of sand. We imagined that we could see France over the waves, but of course it’s too far. The Pier has tourist shops, a little carnival, and a casino; we left quickly. We ate lunch at a little café which was called the Mock Turtle. I had “Cream Tea,” which is a pot of tea and 2 scones with jam and sweet cream. We ate dinner at an Italian restaurant; I had a calzone and Judson had the pizza. I don’t know why people are so despairing of the food options in the UK. It seems that almost no one eats traditional British food anymore, rightly preferring Indian, Italian, and French. I stopped briefly at an Internet Café to catch up on the news.
Wednesday, 18 May
Taxi to the train station, a 45-minute train ride to Gatwick, then flying home to Atlanta. At Gatwick, you can’t go to your gate until it’s time to check in, so we waited in the main lounge with the stores. Luckily we found a quiet corner with comfy chairs. At the Gatwick bookstore I at last succeeded at finding a copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. I also bought a comical book by Tom Sharpe called Wilt, which I read on the return flight. I highly recommend him. I also read a biography of EBB and Robert Browning that I bought at the British Library.