Last weekend found me treading the streets of london with Nina, Leah, Katie, Lis and her students.
I flew out of Nice on Friday afternoon and so had time to meet up with the crowd for dinner and drinks (cups of tea, all round) in the lcal pub. Then, Saturday morning found Nina, her mum Marie, and I treading the streets of Covent Garden and gawking at all the pretty hand-made goods and the rather daft street performers. One performer got the shock of his life as Marie crept up behind him to turn up the false time-winder on his back! We stopped for a look in a grat tea shop before muching down on a great Veggie lunch in Food for Thought. After lunch the rain came on, so we bustled along the streets to the British musuem where I was to meet up with the others.
In the museum, I'd love to say i walked and walked the corridors and studied and studied the art and architecture. i have to be honest, though, and say that after a quick look at the Elgin marbles, Leah and I nipped to the upstairs restaurant for several cups of tea and a might good chat. After the museum, we headed for fish and chips before arriving at the dark gates of the Tower of London. Therein, with our invitations, we were privy to the 'changing of the keys' - an event that has passed every night for the last 700 years and is wonderfully dramatic.
Halt! Who goes there?
The Keys?
Whose Keys?
The Keys of Queen Elizabeth II.
Whey-hey, great stuff.. particularly as the bugeler sounded his bugel at the bells of the tower sounded their 10pm goodnight cries.
And particularly because 10am the following morning found us crossing the Millenium (wobbly) Bridge to Shakespeare's Globe and the Tate Modern as the the bells of st pauls resounded overhead.
And particularly bcause by 2pm I was on a train to Canterbury to talk and walk with Jillian, and to spend the night all content curled up in her house chatting with her, Josef, and Aena.
Long weekends are magic....and not least when they are spent with old friends from distant places.
love,
Robynx
