more on London

Ok, so I was about to fall asleep during the last post.

OK...so I stayed in a hostel. I know one person who totally knocks that. So he has lots and lots of money to spend. I wasn't totally destitute, but why waste all of your money on hotels when you're there just to shower and sleep? And when travelling alone, why stay isolated in a hotel room when you can meet all sorts of people from all over the world in a hostel? UK hostels have quite a high standard, and the one at St Pancras far exceeds any average standard. Other than the two Aussies girls who were travelling together and are pretty young, I didn't have any problems with anyone in the room and there were several throught the 7 nights I was there. We sort of decided that those two probably had never stayed in a hostel, as their stuff was spread out all over the room, they dominated use of the bathroom, slept in other beds than their own (within the room, not down the hall) and never quite got the hint to go hang in the lounge when people wanted to nap. Oh well.

London is an old city, and I could feel it. When I first saw the Thames, there were boats running around on it, but I didn't really see the modern boats, I just saw the activity as it's probably been for several hundred years. Kind of like when I cross the Mississippi River, it makes me think of all the steamboats that have run up and down that river. The history of the place remains. I did feel the history (more modern) when I let my self picture the kiss between Charles and Diana on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. And in Westminster Abbey--images of the funeral jumped out at me. This is crazy. I am really not THAT into Diana and her legacy. But they are the modern images of UK that were seared into our heads by the media.

So...one last reference to that defunct royal family and I'll end this story of my trip. If Charles and Diana's wedding got me interested as a child, it's quite ironic that I ended up over there just days after Charles' wedding to the other woman, Camilla. I stood looking at postcards at a vendor's booth on the street. There was a handkerchief of C + C, and it made me laugh and think even the strangest things come full circle. (Wanted to be in England around the time of the first wedding, was there....yeah yeah yeah)