LONDON

          A Wonderful City

London is a popular travel destination and with the recent royal wedding, coverage of the city has been extensive. A quote from my diary on my first visit to the city seems to say it all: London is one of the most exciting, historic, traditional, vibrant and artistic cities in the world. Centuries of  history, timeless traditions, and culture with its familiar landmarks draws one to London. Once the capitol of a world empire, London has harmony, elegance, and royal magnificence. There are exciting visions around every corner.

The popular tourist spots have been so well covered that I’m going to bypass them and concentrate on a few lesser well know items. Language terms can be a little mystifying at first. Elevators are lifts and tend to be small. The subway is called the tube or underground. Be prepared to climb lots and lots of stairs. Getting off the tube you’re always reminded by a recorded voice to mind the gap (watch your step, there’s a gap between the train and platform.) Most stations have 3-4 entrances/exits so to avoid walking around the block pay attention to which exit you want . A circus is a traffic circle and there are many in the city. Remember the English drive on the left so be careful crossing the street. Often crosswalk signs warn one to look right. A flashlight is a torch, and a washcloth, which you will not find in your hotel room, is called a flannel.

Public transportation is very good making it  easy to get around the city. It is also a very walkable city, especially in areas where many tourist attractions are located.

The once well known drab, tasteless English food is from a bygone era. Today there are over 6000 restaurants in London representing every ethnic food you can imagine. This is not a city to use a McDonald's or Pizza Hut as a reference point or meeting place, as there is one on every corner! One can eat in elegant and expensive restaurants, in pubs, single bistros, fast food establishments or picnic in the park with carryout or take away. The pub has long been the center of the community, and it is an important social institution known for its humor, warmth, and good food. It is a good place to have lunch. There are over 5000 pubs in London.

The English are not coffee drinkers and if you are a real coffee drinker you’ll probably be disappointed unless you are a Starbucks fan and partake there. Although tea is the drink of Britain it is not drunk with or after a meal. Tea time is generally 11AM and 4PM.  Tea is also a crisis drink; any time one has a problem it is talked about over tea. Tea drinking is pretty much the center of the family. The English consume 345 million pounds of tea annually! They like their tea strong and it must be brewed. Tea bags and/or lemon are both frowned upon.

          High Tea in the late afternoon is an event in itself. It also is a meal which can include finger sandwiches, scones, crumpets, and sweets with jams and jellies, and or clotted cream. There are a couple of rules governing the taking of high tea: take small sips, small bites, and small talk, no big or controversial subjects.

The well know fare of fish and chips is difficult to find in London today which is really a shame. On one trip we spent a fair amount of time trying to find a spot to partake this favorite meal. We asked numerous people and even stopped at an information booth for directions. Finally we found a pub in Soho and enjoyed our indulgence.