London: Tuesday & View from the Top of a Double Decker

Journal for Tuesday, Feb 3, London

I hope all of you understand that I actually am very appreciative of getting to do something like go to London, and that I really did enjoy much of the trip, (even though I have now discovered a new fondness of mocking the British reaction to snow.)

On this second day of our trip, we found that the city was still acting like Drama Queens about their "adverse weather conditions." We were able to have a full English breakfast at our hotel this morning, and we got to order eggs the way we wanted, and have sausage or bacon, toast, jams, mushrooms(!), muesli, coffee and tea.

But when we set out to try and catch the Big Bus, we waited and waited and it never came. This is one of those hop-on, hop-off kind of buses that brings you from attraction to attraction, and provides an audio-tour of what you are seeing. We saw other, classic English red double-decker buses running, but not the Big Bus. Finally, we crossed the street and talked to the operator of The Original London Tour Bus. they told us that the Big Bus company had chosen not to run on this day, because of the weather. We purchased tickets with the Original Tour.





First, we traveled to the South Kensington and Knightsbridge area, along the Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. This is the Albert memorial, built to commemorate Queen Victoria's consort.
We walked through the Royal Albert Hall, and then headed to the Science Museum. Because I'm obsessed with my Dyson vacuum cleaner, I was mesmerized by this Dyson hand drier in the women's bathroom. This very nice young woman agreed to model the drier so I could photograph it, since I couldn't dry my hands and shoot it at the same time by myself. I still can't believe I asked her to do this, and she giggled hysterically, while fleeing from me, the crazy American, shortly afterwards. But I got my shot!


Again, note the horror nature wreaked on the city with the mountains of snow.







Once we caught the bus again,I discovered that other than Brian, pictured here all the way in the front of this bus, I could have the open top of the double-decker bus all to myself! It was cold, but not THAT cold, mainly only a bit windy, and a great view! Later, I thought it might have been prudent of me to listen to the warning about not standing up on the top of a double-decker bus, because there really could be low-hanging branches. But I was fortunate, although foolish, and was spared any "adverse events" from this, as I raced about the top to my heart's content, photographing everything in sight.






Again, see all the snow hindering our travels? I think the British are basically confused about snow. Monday, when there actually was more snow, I didn't see any children playing in it, just adults. Where I come from, first sign of snow, you bundle up the little ones till they look like brightly colored Pillsbury Dough Boys and throw them out in the snow. British parents must have thought snow was toxic. (Could it be that the British reaction to snow played a role in what happened to the British during the American Revolution?)

But then there was the question in the London paper about whether snow is safe to eat. An "authority" weighed in, seriously speculating that as the snow falls through the air, it could pick up viruses and bacteria. But this was followed by a recipe involving snow and sugar. (?)

OK, raise your hand if you want to be the one to inform the Brits about yellow snow.

Tomorrow: more photos from the top of the double-decker part, and the body part I sacrificed to my trip to London