Imperial War and Delicious Dinner

Waking up at 9:30am from my somewhat comfortable sleep on the extra mattress, and especially thankful for the duvet that Rickard lent me, I got ready for the day, grabbed Erik's map, and set out for the free Imperial War Museum. Per his plan, Erik was awake far earlier to continue to write his essay dealing with Arab Nationalism.

With map in hand and a simple route to follow, I avoided the tube and the buses and set out down Rosebury Avenue toward Farringdon Road. On the way, I ate at Cafe Nero - a local coffee shop chain - and passed by numerous construction sites. When I arrived at Blackfriar's Bridge, I again noticed the skyline set with many cranes, a site not foreign to Dublin while the tiger lived, but a rarity today.

With the weather a balmy 50 or so degrees complemented by blue skies, I was content with my decision to Walk to the Museum. Of course, the simple direction and the now wind-torn map was a significant help as compared to my hectic journey on the tube the night before. Shortly after crossing onto Lambeth Street, I could see the Imperial War Museum, with its front evident as framed by two enormous naval guns.

Facade of the Imperial War Museum

The lobby of the Museum opens into an extraordinary hall filled with various vehicles, pieces of artillery, and fighter planes from the Great War and World War II. Arriving at a near perfect time, I hopped onto a free 11:30am tour of the front hall, as led by a gentlemen who remembers hearing V2 rockets pass overhead during his childhood in London. Also on the tour was a former member of the RAF who supplemented the history to me as provided by the volunteer guide. The conversation I had with them both during and after the tour continues to demonstrate to me that there are many interesting stories to be heard, especially if you are the only American in the group.

Beyond the large pieces, the Museum houses a War Crimes and Holocaust exhibits on its upper floors. No matter the number of times I confront each variation of the exhibits they remain unique in their impact and subsequent need to question the senseless brutality of humankind when justifications are sparse but groupthink is rampant. After passing through those exhibits, I entered the enormous collection of Great War, World War II, and Modern Conflicts and Wars in the basement of the building. The scale of the collection is humbling given the numerous uniforms, weaponry, and articles from the home front. Already I had spent nearly three hours in the Museum, and with my knowledge of those conflicts, I was able to pass through fairly quickly.

Outside of the Museum, I headed over to see the London Eye. On the way, I ate a delicious and affordable sandwich, crisps, and drink at a bagel shop for 3.50 pounds. However, I refused to pay the over 18 pounds for the Eye and instead snapped a couple pictures and watched a few of the street performers who line the Thames by the Wheel. One performer was finishing his act as I arrived. He forced himself through a tennis racket, which involved dislocating an arm and to the crowds horror spinning it like a helicopter's blades.

Passing along the river, I walked onto the Westminster Bridge and headed towards Parliament and the famous Abbey of the same name. Parliament or officially 'the Palace of Westminster' with its well-known 'Big Ben' clock tower is astonishing given his size and ornate exterior. Every space on its walls are covered with statues and shields representing Great Britain and (Northern) Ireland. Several statues surround the grounds including one of the infamous Oliver Cromwell.

Parliament from Westminster Bridge

Just by Parliament is the Westminster Abbey. As with many favorite tourist destinations the Abbey is priced at an exorbitant level of around 18 pounds. I satisfied my curiosity with few a pictures of the ornate building that boasts the crowning of kings and queens, and headed towards Trafalgar Square.

Whitehall road gives a direct route to the famous Square and its towering Nelson's Column that commemorates a naval victory during the Napoleonic Wars. On the grounds behind the column is the National Gallery, which during my visit boasted a Pro-Democracy Egypt Rally complete with a myriad of signs, signing, and megaphones.

Turning from the Gallery, I walked down Strand Road away from Westminster and back towards Farringdon Road. At the time it was nearly 4:00pm and I needed to return to Rosebury before heading to my cousins for dinner at 5:30pm. En route, I passed the Embassy of Zimbabwe and the related Anti-Robert Mugabe protest that is ongoing every Saturday since his election.

National Gallery with Egypt Protest

Full London Album

Nearing Farringdon, I passed by the London School of Economics (Erik's dorm is a 30 minute walk away) and the Royal Courts of Justice. However, before deciding to turn back towards Rosebury, I caught sight of St. Paul's Cathedral, and decided to run towards it to snap a few pictures. Without much time to spare and fewer pounds to spend, I satisfied myself with a quick glimpse of the building and its towering dome that is reminiscent of the US Capitol.

At that point I was running short on time before 4:30pm and decided to sprint back to Rosebury. While the effort succeeded, I arrived to find Erik still feverishly finishing his essay. Looking dispirited he said we could leave for my cousin's at 5:15pm (I sent another failed text to Susan to say we would be late).

By 5:30pm, he shut his laptop and we were prepared to leave. Yet he stopped at the door, thought about his essay, and said he wanted to edit just a few more sections. Leaving without him, I boarded the Tube at Angel and took another unnecessarily long route - even given the lines closed for maintenance - and arrived at High Street Kensington on the District Line after 6:30pm.

Susan and John's was just a couple minutes away from the station, but unfortunately I ran in the wrong direction before realizing that I was not on the correct street. Even so, I managed to arrive at their house no more than 1 hour and 45 minutes late. Inside, John offered me a drink and mentioned that Erik had called Susan to tell her that I would be late and not to worry. Lia and Sonia were happy to see me as a new visitor, though at the time they could not remember me. Still Lia took the time to follow me on the grand tour and to show me all of her many toys.

Afterwards, John, Susan, and I left for Windsor Castle Pub to grab a quick pint before heading to our dinner reservations at 8:45pm. The pub presented a peculiar layout with sections of the bar divided by oak walls with small doors set into them. Still, we grabbed out pints and went to the outdoor patio with its many space heaters.

Several good conversations later, we found a taxi and headed to a nearby Chinese Restaurant for Dinner. At this point, I no longer remember the name, but it started with an 'M' and could have been 'Memories of China' for its menu and proximity. For dinner, John grabbed the menu and proceeded to order a stunning array of dishes from clams to lobster and spicy chicken. Each dish was displayed at the center of table and then divided by the waiter onto our individual plates. In contrast to my previous difficulty with chopsticks, I mastered the art and was eating rice off of them by the end of the night. Perhaps the saki and the pints beforehand are to credit for the success.

Arriving back at their house at 11:00pm, they counseled me to stay the night. While I regretted not returning to LSE and not having Erik attend dinner with us, I agreed to stay, watched an episode of entourage via their Apple TV, shared another drink with John, and was asleep after 12:30am. I found out later that Erik missed my Facebook post indicating that I would stay the night, and as a mark of a concerned friend called Susan at 1:00am to see if I was on my way to Rosebury.