We then hopped over to London for a short visit, landing at Gatwick which has an express train into town. We were ensconced in the new and edgy Mint Hotel Westminster, from which our cab driver assured us we could stroll to many of the leading attractions. We also wanted to get up to what remains of the airfield where Cliff served at in WWII, maintaining the machine guns the bombers used to defend themselves. We arrived in good enough spirits & energy to get right to work on that trek; found a train out to Diss and picked up a taxi, figuring the place would be well-known. NOT!
We did luck into a jolly, if quite bewildered, cabbie who played along much better than necessary and got a little misty looking out over the field, realizing that Gabe's grandpa would have had the very same view. Finding it was a real adventure, careening along 1-lane roads with endless hedgerows and a lot of prayer. Surely we spied Peter Rabbit in the distance, and Mr. Toad was riding with us, I'm certain! We benefitted from some education on legal issues concerning public taxis (if you don’t pay your fare, you can be charged with highway robbery; taxis actually are still required – though this is enforced only in the breach – to carry a bale of hay (for the horses); and it's OK to take a leak -- but ONLY on the left-rear tyre!) Best of all, the gentleman driver charged us only one-way fare, between his own confusion and his collegial sentiment about the family-history nature of the jaunt.
Back at the hotel, it was getting late so we went upstairs to the bar for a light meal. Gabe achieved his goal of experiencing fish'n'chips (completed with mashed, minty peas) I think his essential response was ... SERIOUSLY?? All that fuss about THIS?? (Not that it was bad, just ... well ... not compelling).
Breakfast buffet was cold but generous – heaping fruit platters, ham’n’cheese stuffed croissants, cereals & yogurts, cheeses. Hot toast came on request, along with a carafe of coffee.
We had considered the “hop on/hop off” bus tour with a couple dozen stops to experience, but decided to hibernate the next morning until the weather kind of broke. Meanwhile we explored entertainment options for our return evening in London, and found the last two tickets to Wicked that night. I’ve seen the show and Gabe hasn’t, it will be a treat to introduce him. Then we trekked up to Sir John Soane’s museum, which was indeed a worthwhile experience. He was a “central casting” traveller and gentleman collector in the 1800’s, and left his double-wide townhouse and all its contents to the City on the terms that it never be altered or disturbed. It would have been quite an amazing place in which to dwell … and I thought that I had extensive collections!! After a healthy trot back to the hotel from the nearest (not-so-very near, though) tube station, we decided to eat at a pub nearby, where we enjoyed a loud, friendly atmosphere and ample portions of curry & a sandwich’n’crisps. An authentic experience! And then fairly early to bed.
True to forecast, the new day came in pouring down rain again; the umbrellas Judy had loaned us got a workout. We had an afternoon flight back to Amsterdam, so attended the Miro retrospective at the Tate Modern in the morning. We got going early enough to get a look at both the Tower of London and St. Paul’s, then hydroplaned across the Millennium Bridge over the Thames to reach the museum. We enjoyed lunch at their top-floor café with a long window wall overlooking the river. Just lovely! And meanwhile the sun came out so our train ride out to London City airport was quite pleasant.
At the airport bookstore I suffered separation anxiety as I had (purposely) brought not a single BOOK along, favoring the stash of periodicals which I could leave behind as I completed them. Discovered I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving the English-speaking world without a tome or two; the sale was buy one/get one, so of course I bought four. Got one mostly read while waiting for the flight. A quick visual from Schipol … a fellow on what amounted to a stand-up lawnmower, scooting around pushing the biggest dust-mop attachment I’ve ever seen … could easily sweep up a small pet or child, wonder if that’s where the announcements come from?!!
An uneventful return to Judy’s; we knew she had a meeting that evening and had provisioned the ‘frig for our culinary imagination. We got a big chuckle as everything was neatly labeled for us! You have to love a hostess who trusts you with the entire kitchen. A decent night’s sleep, and the next day lots of laundry done, exercise the kitties, finish Book #1, and continue to catch up with Judy. Repack, and early to bed for an early car to Schiphol.
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