London, England

Tower Bridge, London, England.
If you've never been to London, GO. This, too, is a bucket-list place to be.

I went right after Thanksgiving, 2019. This was far from my first trip to London, but when last I went it was 1989; things have changed a bit since then. This 2019 trip is the first time I've done the London touristy stuff.

I'd never seen the Tower before, for example.
Tower of London, London, England.


Tower of London. That's me mugging for the camera in front of the Clock Tower that houses the Crown Jewels.

And I'd never seen Westminster Abbey (where they don't allow you to take pictures; I got this one before I knew that).
Westminster Abbey, London, England.

I'd never seen St. Paul's Cathedral with its gorgeous oculus.
St. Paul's Oculus, St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England

I'd never been to the Tate Modern...
Fons Americanus, Tate Modern, London, England

Or the British Museum...
British Museum, London, England
...or seen the Rosetta Stone, which does not belong in England at all ...


And I'd never before met Sir Ian McKellen! He was doing his one-man show and my friends and I had tickets! Charming gentleman, Gandalf is!
Sir Ian McKellen

I stayed for my week in London in a delightful B&B called Avoca House Hotel, which is not far from the Swiss Cottage tube stop in the northern part of London. The room was comfortable and Sean (who was Indian, not Irish) fed me my breakfast every morning and gave me the run of the kitchen so I could feed myself at night.
Avoca House Hotel

Americans — at least this American — are unprepared for the cordiality of the British people. A random family took me under their wing on my ride into town from Heathrow on the Tube and walked me to the platform I needed to get to, all the while helping me with my luggage. A random security officer at St. Paul's Cathedral gave ... GAVE ... me her ticket to that evening's performance of "Messiah" (it was lovely). My friends from Yorkshire came down to spend several days with me and trot around with me to the tourist spots.

I shall indeed return to England ... in fewer than 30 years!

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