23 July, 2013 London/York

We’re on our way to York, after a rather eventful day yesterday.  But first…

Speaker’s Corner.  Remember my goal?  To give a speech. 

 

Here I am giving Hannah a speech on proper Speaker’s Corner etiquette.  She was not happy, but who cares?  I met another goal.  Afterwards we headed east, back toward the boat, but on the way decided to hop into Spitafield’s Market. 

We found this pretty street, I hope the pictures do it justice.

Yesterday was THE BIG DAY!  The royal baby was coming.  Was I called to deliver the baby?  Here’s the thing.  Today, Monday, we had planned to go to York, and considering this was her first baby, the labour could have lasted more than a day.  Because we made reservations, and paid a deposit, and all that other stuff, I told Kate I wouldn’t be able to make it.  Sorry Kate and Will, but I knew you were in good hands.  Failed Goal.

We did look for the muffin man, but didn't see him.

Yesterday was more of riding trains and buses.  We paid a visit to the post office, which is a 20 minute walk, or a five minute bus ride.  I just had way too much stuff in my bags, and had to mail some of it home.  After I got to the post office I realized that I didn’t bring it all with me.   The clerk casually asked if I had anything more to ship and he explained I could save quite a bit of money if I returned to the boat to get those things, and then back to the post office, then if I just shipped them off on a different day.  

The thing is we walked in a huge circle, just to get back to the dock, where we were to catch the bus.  There is a tube station right near the post office, and I figured we could just take that somewhere, but I learned it goes in the opposite direction of anything I wanted to see.  We took a bus instead, heading to a particular tube station, but we missed it.  We got off and found a different station, the marquee said our train was next, it arrived, we got on, and I soon learned it was the wrong train.  We got off at the next station, got on the right train, and continued on our way.  

This was kind of how our whole day went, but it wasn’t a wasted day, because I found this really cool, No Disco Dancing sign.

  At least that’s what I think it means, with that cool 70’s-style suit.

This morning, around 1:00 I woke up when someone started tapping on the window of the boat, then more and more tapping, faster and faster, as I slowly woke from my foggy sleep, and realized it was the promised rain, accompanied by the promised thunder and lightning.  It suddenly went from a hard drizzle to a downpour and I had to quickly close all the windows.  “All the windows” being six windows, but BUT those six windows are in different places and I had to hop over wires, and climb over a sleeping girl, and limbo under the web of the resident spider, who lives in the  kitchen, so don’t be so quick to think I’m making too big a deal out of it.

We woke up around six, finished packing, and headed to The Kitchen, where we discovered that Andrew, the friendly waiter, is from York and he gave us some places to visit including Clifford’s Tower, site of the largest massacre in the UK, and Whitby, where the fictional Count Dracula landed once he arrived in the UK.  Sound like my kind of places.  Poor Hannah.

Now we are on the train to York, and Hannah has enlisted a brother and sister to play card games with her.  They remind me of Jacob and Hannah because of the age difference.  The little girl was reluctant when Hannah asked if she wanted to play Madlibs, but like most kids, didn’t take too long to warm up.

Once safely in York we started walking toward the house.  I had the directions on my phone, but I had memorized the first few steps.  Once we had completed those I looked at my phone and... THE DIRECTIONS WERE GONE!!! I had printed them, but before we left the boat I looked and couldn't find them.  We stopped on the side of the road, I emptied the contents of my suitcase, and found them, but don't think I wasn't completely panicking.

We met our host, the roommate, and settled in.  We are exhausted.

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Speaker's Corner

Wow, what a day of walking we had today.  Our plan was to go to Speaker's Corner.  It is a spot where people go to speak about whatever they like on the corner of Hyde Park.  Yesterday the Australian woman we met told us it is within walking distance of where we are staying.  I guess it is if we consider that "walking distance" is open to interpretation.  Along the way we got lost and asked a woman for directions who said "You're walking to Hyde Park?  That's quite a distance.  It's at least a half hour's walk.  But...go that way, turn left at your first stop then head right then blah, blah, blah."  We headed in that direction (whatever direction that was).  We  got confused again and asked a couple who said, "You're walking to Hyde Park?  That's quite a distance.  It's at least a half hour's walk.  Then it is another half hour just to walk across the park. Well, if you go through Holland Park and then take a left down this little alley then head blah, blah, blah.  We're going to Holland Park."  I said, "Oh, then we will follow you.  Don't be afraid."  We followed them and then when we got to Holland Park they gave us more directions that sounded mostly like "blah, blah, blah."  We finally found our way to the park and they were right, it really was at least a half hour's walk across the park.  On the way we found a fellow American who was headed there so we walked with her. Yes, we even needed directions through the park.  When I tell you this is the largest park I have ever been in I am not exaggerating.  It is 625 acres.   Technically it is two different parks, but they are connected, so who cares about technicalities when you are trying to walk across it/them.

You might be wondering how on earth two adults could get so lost in a city.  Here is a map of London... Anyone would get lost.

Don't be confused by the fork and knife, this is not a plate of spaghetti, this is a map of London. 

While walking through the park we came across a gift from the Norwegian people to the English.  Now, I am not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but this gift did seem a bit silly, especially to the people who can claim Stonehenge as their own. 

It says "This stone was erected by the Royal Norwegian Navy and the Norwegian Merchant Fleet in the year 1978.  We thank the British people for friendship and hospitality during the Second World War.  You gave us a safe haven in our common struggle for freedom and peace."

A rock?  Seriously?  Of all of the gifts to give...a rock?  How do you think that conversation went?

"What should we give them?" 

"I don't know, what do we have that they don't?" 

"Fish?"

"No, they have plenty of that and after just a couple of days it will start to stink anyway." 

"Ooh, I've got it... a rock.  Not just any rock though, a giant rock."

"A giant rock?  Where will we get one of those?"

"I've got one in my yard the wife's been nagging me to get rid of.  We can give it to them.  We'll even engrave it for them."

Speaker's corner was great.  There were about seven or eight men, all standing on step ladders, and shouting about whatever they wanted.  Some were religious and they turned into debates about God, vs. Allah, vs. atheism.  Quite a few were about the riots.  We stayed for a while listening to one man in particular talk about the hypocrisy of the prime minister and the mayor of London who both admitted to rioting and setting things on fire while they were in university.  After the hour's walk (at least) and the hour standing around listening to the various speakers a good American cup of coffee was in order.  Of course that was  not going to happen so I settled on something called a "white Americano".  Then it was time to head back home.

Here's a picture of the crowd...

When we arrived home we got directions to a steak house in another neighbourhood that we promised to take Jacob to for his birthday.  We took two buses and walked, asked some police for directions, and finally found the place. We enjoyed our  meal and got lots of funny looks from people who were trying to figure out "if they were all ours".  In America people simply ask, here they try not to appear as if they are staring and just wonder.  We quietly sang Happy Birthday to Jacob.

On the way out I approached one of the couples who kept trying not to stare and told them, "Yes, they are all ours."  Then they told me of their own family planning ideas.  I didn't have the heart to tell them that six kids is not family planning, but rather lack of family planning. 

On our way back we caught the wrong bus, but it was okay because the people on the bus were helpful and friendly and where they suggested we get off was well within walking distance of the house.  

There is a continued heavy police presence all over the city, and very little continued concern of more rioting.  I am sure it's all over.  (Unless one of you lets this email out).