Just warming up

Well! We hit the ground running yesterday, and we've barely stopped yet. I know, I know--most of what we'll be doing/seeing is probably old hat to most of you. But it's my first time in Europe, so please forgive us if we do all the touristy things that we worldly types are supposed to avoid.

So. We landed at Heathrow a bit before the scheduled arrival (flew over much of the UK coming in), and just like at the beginning of this trip, getting through Customs was easy-peasy.

We were on the Heathrow-to-Paddington Express in no time at all.

Cindy at Paddington Station

Trekked from the Waterloo Station to our room at the Stage Door Pub, where we were able to check in early. It's a very nice room in a 1665 building, and there really is a pub on the ground floor.

Took a few minutes to drop our suitcases, then off to walk to the Tower of London, getting pleasurably lost a few times. The fun of that is finding so much beautiful architecture every step of the way--like The Hop Exchange in the Southwark area--and right around the corner, the W.H. and H. LeMay Hop Factors.

The Hop Exchange

Hop Factors

Hops are, of course, worth their weight in gold around here. These folks have spent centuries refining and polishing the conjoined arts of brewing and serving ales (e.g., we ate lunch today at a very new pub; it only dates back to 1862.)

Anyway, we did finally find our way to the Tower of London after finding the Queen's Walk alongside the river and crossing the Tower Bridge. Made it through the Bloody Tower, a brief conversation with one of the ravens, a delicious ice cream, a bloody long line to, of course, see the Crown Jewels and all the gold that seemingly may be left in the world, then on to the White Tower--where Cindy and I discovered that we were suddenly on the verge of collapse, and that no matter how much more there was that we wanted to see, we just couldn't.

So we headed back to the Stage Door, this time taking the walk along the north side of the river (the Custom House Walk). Found more whimsical and beautiful architectural touches along the way--for example, the fish atop Old Billingsgate, which was the city's fish market for over 100 years...

...and is now an event space (similar to how Richmond's Craneway has been transformed). The building itself is beautiful, but those fish! Dave Wegner and John Wehrle, we thought of you two especially, knowing you would appreciate the whimsy.

Or check out this one mural in a series of historic sketches of old London that we found in a tunnel along this walk:

Tom Butt, perhaps you've encountered this tunnel in your travels, but it reminded us of you.

Finally, after much alternate wandering and sitting (more beautiful, stunning, ancient, really modern architecture), we found ourselves at the Blackfriar Pub, a most wonderful flatiron building that was built in 1875 and was decorated inside and out in 1905-06. Having narrowly escaped demolition in the 60s, it is now one of the only art nouveau pubs in London. Thank heavens it wasn't demolished! It is breathtakingly beautiful--AND, of special interest to Cindy, it sits on the site of a former Dominican monastery. Dominicans wear black habits and thus were known as "Blackfriars." Most of you know that Cindy taught at St. Albert's Priory in Oakland for years, so this pub has some extra meaning.

We also discovered that Thursday is apparently a BIG night for getting out to the pubs and every other kind of bar after work. Every place was packed to the gills. We were going to get a drink at the Blackfriar, but then remembered we had been up for at least 24 hours by then and we were too tired to hold a pint. So... on to the Stage Door for dinner and then an early bedtime.

And that was just Thursday. Friday was even more...but I ... must ... sleep...