Stupidity

On Sunday I went back to London. There were still things there I didn't get to see yesterday. Most people are very polite here. The automated intercom system of the train station apologized for any inconvenience because our scheduled train was going to be 3 minutes late. I catch the train in and then hop the underground (subway) over to the Westminster stop. Coming out of that station leads me right to Big Ben. There are no tours of Big Ben and Parliament houses. So, I walk around it taking pictures like hundreds of other people. I think about a third of the population of London are tourists. Again with the many different languages and everyone with cameras. I head into a park next to Parliament and check the map to get my bearings. I, of course, have wandered away from Westminster Abbey...so, back I go. That's when stupidity steps in. That should be Stupidity with a capital 'S'. I'm showing up for a tour of a place of worship...on a Sunday. Yeah, it's not going to happen. I'm a dumbass. So, I take a couple pictures of the place and move on.

It's no secret that I've been pretty anti-iPod for some time. Not sure why. Maybe it's just that they seem to be everywhere and I've had no major need for one. Therefore, somehow, they must be useless to society if *I* don't need one. As I said, not sure why. But, I did break down and purchase one for this trip. I knew the plane flight was going to be severely lacking in the tunes department. Besides, I can download and watch the couple of the television shows I'm missing when I'm over here on it. Pathetic, I know. However, it is nice to tour London with my own soundtrack.

Lots of statues in this part of the city. I take pictures and damned near every one of them. I say damned near, because later in the day I get tired of taking pictures of statutes of people I've never heard and of statues I don't think were particularly well sculpted to begin with. I run into a small crowd of people taking pictures of a street guarded by police with MP5s. A brief look around tells me it's Downing Street (where the Prime Minister lives). I take a couple snap shots and move on. Not like Mr. Blair is going to come out and pose for us, people.

I've been headed North trying to find Trafalgar Square when I find a similar crowd around a soldier on a horse. It's the Horse Guards' Parade Grounds. They have a couple of the gates open...so, I wander on inside to take a look. Nothing too spectacular, I wander on out the back; into a big lovely park. I could use a small rest. I take some pictures of the ducks and geese hanging around and wander through the park. It' dawns on me that I'm in St. James park. Keep walking through this park will take me straight to Buckingham Palace. What luck! Praise Najm.

My train pass is an all day, all access pass for London's transportation. I can use the underground, the train system and the buses. I just can't bring myself to hop on the bus. Everyone told me that I should, which is probably why I'm not. I'm such a stubborn prick sometimes. At any rate, I find it nice to wander around and see things as I see them and go wherever the whim strikes me. It's also the only nice part of sight seeing alone. Is that site-seeing or sight-seeing. I am seeing sites. But, I'm also seeing various sights as well. Never mind. When you're traveling around with someone else, you have to be mindful of where everyone wants to go. Community is more important than the individual. But, when you're alone, all bets are off. You have only yourself to blame. Then again, you can't admire the same site/sight/scene with a non-existent traveling companion.

I do find the Palace and take a bunch of pictures there. It's just not as impressive a structure as Parliament. After my pictures are taken I wander off...and stumble into Trafalgar's Square. Strange, I'd wandered off on a tangent and forgotten that I was looking for it. Glorious! I take pictures of the various statues and Nelson's Column. Nelson. You don't know who Admiral Nelson is, do you? He's probably the greatest British naval commander that's ever existed. Killed in the late 1700's or early 1800's (can't rightly remember which) in the battle of Trafalgar with the French.

After that, I realized I was hungry...and thirsty. And look what's just down the street; an open pub. It beckons me in. I give in without much fight...or any fight, really. I pull up to the bar and order Fish & Chips and a Fuller's London Pride Ale.

She asks me, "A pint?"
"As opposed to...", I reply. She then shows me a small, pitiful looking glass that nobody but small children drinking kool-aid should use. "Yeah, a pint, please." I look around and several people are drinking out of the kool-aid glasses. I suppress the urge to weep for them. Then I forget those poor bastards as I notice that the TV in the corner is just staring to play some rugby. I find myself a table and they bring me my Fish and Chips and I begin to chow down. These are *much* better than yesterday's.

Mom and Dad my find this fairly interesting; They serve Fish & Chips with peas. Either garden peas (your standard pea) or mushy peas (your standard pea smashed into a mush like mashed potatoes). And here comes the interesting part...I ate the mushy peas and didn't dislike them too much. I'll wait for both of them to come to...I was just as surprised.

So, there I am, eating, drinking and watching sports in a downtown London pub. It dawns on me that, sports-wise, I was born in the wrong country. I can't stand basketball. What's there to cheer about in that game? If your team gets the ball, you pretty much guaranteed a score. With so much scoring going on, there's nothing to cheer about. American Football is just a sissy version of rugby with too many stoppages of play. And, unless I'm actually at the game, I can't really sit through too many baseball games. On the other hand, I love to watch real Football/Fut ball/Soccer, Rugby, Lacrosse and Hockey. I know, we have hockey. But, unless you have super cable television and know the ultra-secret handshake, you can't watch it on television. And the Gulls have left San Diego. And Lacrosse - It's like hockey, but, with sticks that you're legally allowed to beat other players with. At least I don't have to be saddled with Cricket, though... ::shudder::

I finish up lunch with a pint of Broadside Ale and head out with my eye on the Eye. The London Eye. The gigantic ferris wheel across the Thames from where I was. I got caught up with a bunch of street performers around the place, though. I was teased by one of them for being American ("Are you here on holiday, or have you come to finally learn the language"). He was a street magician and was pretty good. Some of his tricks were pretty darned good. Others I could see the slights as he did them. All in all, worth the price of admission, though :). It was worth the couple pounds I tipped him.

I take one look at the line to get onto the London Eye and keep walking. I really didn't feel like standing in line for a half hour to go on a ferris wheel for another half hour. So, I wander around a bit more until I find myself right back where I started. I take this as a sign that it's getting on in hours and I head back home. I would like to return one of these Saturdays when I could actually get into Westminster Abbey...what a dumbass.