After far too many years, I finally got to go on a trip to Europe. I can't say it was my ideal trip, since it was a music performance trip with a couple hundred high school students and recent graduates (Lavender and I were along as family and sort of back-up adult supervision), so the trip was planned around teenage likes and attention spans.
(6/6) The trip didn't exactly start off on a good note either; United Airlines had canceled our original flight, and they couldn't rebook all of our group of about 30 onto one plane. Lavender and her progeny ended up on a different flight from me, and mine took off hours later than theirs. It could have been worse; United's idea was to put us on a plane to San Francisco, then take a connecting flight to Los Angeles, lay over there for more than 12 hours, and then finally get on a plane to London. Fortunately the travel agency was able to book seats on an Air Canada flight that connected in Toronto, so we got to London just a few hours after the first flight.
(6/7) Day one in London was supposed to be a tour of Windsor Castle, but due to the delays, I didn't have time for that. I did get to take some pictures of the outside and have a pint at the Horse & Groom across the street. Oddly enough, just down the street from the Horse & Groom was a Southern barbecue joint called Bluegrass Southern BBQ, so I guess southern culture has invaded Europe.
(6/8) Day two in London was a walking tour around Trafalgar Square and a parade route from Buckingham Palace. It was dress rehearsal day for the "Trouping of the Colours", which is a celebration of the monarch's birthday that is always celebrated in June, regardless of the monarch's actual birth date.
(6/9) Day three started with a trip to the Tower of London. We elected to walk the outer walls in the time we had rather than wait in lines to tour the keep and see the crown jewels.
After touring the Tower, the band played in a park near Trafalgar Square. The choir sang in a church the afternoon before.
After the concert, we got to see Wicked performed on stage in London, which was cool. We also managed to squeeze in a trip to a pub for fish-n-chips and a ride in a London cab.
London is a carefully presented city. Grass in any public space tends to be mowed regularly, and you seldom see trash in public spaces. Everything is a show to make the city look good to visitors, even when there are protest marches being prepared around Trafalgar, the Houses of Parliament, and Downing Street.
Tomorrow, Paris.
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