Saturday, May 27, 2006
A Day of Near Misses
Note: I wrote this last night, May 26.
Near miss is one of those annoying terms I try to avoid because it doesn't make sense: if it is a near miss, isn't it a make? Nevertheless, today we managed to have a blast with the Neffs amidst several near misses. Our lovely tour guide, Donna, had planned a wonderful itinerary for our day. We did not realize how time-sensitive it was until a comical series of unfortunate events.
To avoid waiting in line (or queue if you will) for too long, we planned to be at Westminster Abbey by 9 AM after eating at a 24-hour London diner. The queue was quite long when we arrived around noon after sleeping in and the Starbucks' drinkers partaking in the consumption of their favorite Starbucks' beverage. My scar was burning especially badly, perhaps because of the proximity of the evil forces: Starbucks and He Who Must Not Be Named. We decided to skip the waiting and go back early Saturday. So we headed to The National Gallery.
We saw works by Rembrandt, Monet, Seurat and other influential artists. It is amazing how accessible these priceless pieces of art are. It made me think of Ghostwritten and The Da Vinci Code. Apparently looking at art builds up an appetite because we were all pretty hungry.
We went to an English-style pub where the men had fish and chips with their pints while the women had womanly meals. Next we hopped on the Underground and headed to Vinopolis to buy tickets for a wine tasting. When we arrived, we were told to simply come back when we were ready: advanced purchases were not necessary. So we walked about 10 minutes to the Shakespeare Globe where we were told to either buy a ticket for the matinee that was in progress or come back before noon tomorrow if we wanted to see the inside of the theatre. So we crossed the River Thames again and headed to St. Paul's Cathedral and arrived 30 minutes before it closed for the Evening Song Service. So we crossed the River Thames again and headed back to Vinopolis. The busted plans did not bother anyone.
For me, I just enjoy being in the city. Surrounded by buildings that are thousands of years old and people from all over the world speaking different languages is enough to keep me entertained. The wine tasting was fun. We learned why you swirl the wine, what to look for and how to smell and taste it. Donna and I learned that there are many wines we don't like, notably Smelly Socks Wine and Wine that Tastes Like Wood are two of them. I don't think those are their official names, but that is how I'll remember them. As part of our tour we also tasted Absinthe and three whiskeys. Curtis especially enjoyed the Tilaskey whiskey and ended up buying a bottle. Some video I took after the tastings may make it up here. We had a good laugh. My drink of preference is still a Cherry Coke.
For dinner, Curtis had suggested Chinatown or Little China as Donna likes to call it. He had fond memories of walking by restaurants with crispy ducks (with their heads attached) hanging in the window. Here we are (3 Photogenic People and a Bloke):
We ate at a restaurant with some such setup. The food was good, we all enjoyed it but Curt did the most. We've got the picture to prove it. Here Curtis is doing cleanup duty, finishing off Donna and Therese's meals.
From dinner we headed to the Easy Internet Cafe to finalize our plans for tomorrow. We're planning to head back to Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral and take a tour of Fulham Football Club's grounds, Craven Cottage. We'll see how that works out.
Thanks again for all the comments. They make this worthwhile.
All the best,
Andrew
Near miss is one of those annoying terms I try to avoid because it doesn't make sense: if it is a near miss, isn't it a make? Nevertheless, today we managed to have a blast with the Neffs amidst several near misses. Our lovely tour guide, Donna, had planned a wonderful itinerary for our day. We did not realize how time-sensitive it was until a comical series of unfortunate events.
To avoid waiting in line (or queue if you will) for too long, we planned to be at Westminster Abbey by 9 AM after eating at a 24-hour London diner. The queue was quite long when we arrived around noon after sleeping in and the Starbucks' drinkers partaking in the consumption of their favorite Starbucks' beverage. My scar was burning especially badly, perhaps because of the proximity of the evil forces: Starbucks and He Who Must Not Be Named. We decided to skip the waiting and go back early Saturday. So we headed to The National Gallery.
We saw works by Rembrandt, Monet, Seurat and other influential artists. It is amazing how accessible these priceless pieces of art are. It made me think of Ghostwritten and The Da Vinci Code. Apparently looking at art builds up an appetite because we were all pretty hungry.
We went to an English-style pub where the men had fish and chips with their pints while the women had womanly meals. Next we hopped on the Underground and headed to Vinopolis to buy tickets for a wine tasting. When we arrived, we were told to simply come back when we were ready: advanced purchases were not necessary. So we walked about 10 minutes to the Shakespeare Globe where we were told to either buy a ticket for the matinee that was in progress or come back before noon tomorrow if we wanted to see the inside of the theatre. So we crossed the River Thames again and headed to St. Paul's Cathedral and arrived 30 minutes before it closed for the Evening Song Service. So we crossed the River Thames again and headed back to Vinopolis. The busted plans did not bother anyone.
For me, I just enjoy being in the city. Surrounded by buildings that are thousands of years old and people from all over the world speaking different languages is enough to keep me entertained. The wine tasting was fun. We learned why you swirl the wine, what to look for and how to smell and taste it. Donna and I learned that there are many wines we don't like, notably Smelly Socks Wine and Wine that Tastes Like Wood are two of them. I don't think those are their official names, but that is how I'll remember them. As part of our tour we also tasted Absinthe and three whiskeys. Curtis especially enjoyed the Tilaskey whiskey and ended up buying a bottle. Some video I took after the tastings may make it up here. We had a good laugh. My drink of preference is still a Cherry Coke.
For dinner, Curtis had suggested Chinatown or Little China as Donna likes to call it. He had fond memories of walking by restaurants with crispy ducks (with their heads attached) hanging in the window. Here we are (3 Photogenic People and a Bloke):
We ate at a restaurant with some such setup. The food was good, we all enjoyed it but Curt did the most. We've got the picture to prove it. Here Curtis is doing cleanup duty, finishing off Donna and Therese's meals.
From dinner we headed to the Easy Internet Cafe to finalize our plans for tomorrow. We're planning to head back to Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral and take a tour of Fulham Football Club's grounds, Craven Cottage. We'll see how that works out.
Thanks again for all the comments. They make this worthwhile.
All the best,
Andrew
Andrew 2:17 PM
4 Comments:
I have to say that Andrew, you definitely make me laugh out loud and at times a pretty good chuckle comes out. This past entry was the best so far. Only one more day and we'll be seeing you two. Be safe.
Andrew, I have to admire you when you refer to a wine as smelly socks. Since I've never tasted smelly socks, I wouldn't have such a reference point. Must be a University of Kentucky thing.
We had the best time with y'all there, too bad we have to go back to work! Clean up duty in China Town? You bet! I don't know what happened to the Chinese food in Sweden, but they just don't make it like that 'round here. Hope you guys enjoyed Scotland, and try not to read "Look left" upside-down, it could be dangerous for your health.
Yes, we Wildcats are fearless; we'll try anything once. They didn't have any wine that smelled like the Beast, Natty Light, or the Red Cedar; I know that'd be a better reference point for you Spartan types.
Kristin, glad to hear Isaac has recovered well. I think the store name should actually be Tiny Stitches, Ginormous Cost. Your secret is safe with us and our tens of other readers.
Curt, we're so glad you joined us. It was a blast. We moved onto France where they drive on the right side of the road before any tragedies could occur.
Kristin, glad to hear Isaac has recovered well. I think the store name should actually be Tiny Stitches, Ginormous Cost. Your secret is safe with us and our tens of other readers.
Curt, we're so glad you joined us. It was a blast. We moved onto France where they drive on the right side of the road before any tragedies could occur.
