Observations & Impressions

Photo of a Leaf

(oh, and Hungerford Bridge)

I observed and reflected upon these things while in London:

Westminster Abbey

• The lovely mature lady, dressed in an expensive black suit with a large black hat and black gloves, was kneeling and praying fervently at the Sunday evening service in Westminster --

What was in her heart? Had she lost a loved one? Was she repentant? I hope her prayers were answered and that she received comfort.

• Several people pushed the stop button on the bus which meant they wanted to get off at the next stop--the driver stopped, but didn't open the bus door. A cockney man yelled at the top of his lungs and cursed the bus driver--the door eventually opened, but the man continued to shake his fist and curse after he disembarked--walking to the front of the bus so the driver could see his displeasure!

Was this man just having a very bad day or was he having a bad life? I wish him well.

• The young couple on the subway--the girl with long stringy blond hair wrapped herself around the pimple faced boy, kissing him on the neck and rubbing his thigh--the embarrassed boy glanced at me and pushed the girl away.

Now there's a switch! Was he repulsed by the girl? Or was he just against public displays of affection?

• A tiny little girl in pink was adeptly scooting through the park on the tiniest pink scooter I'd ever seen calling "I'm coming Mummy" in a darling British accent. She fell and cried. Crying in the same in any language.

Children are my weakness in any country, in any language!

Speaking of children--there were several school groups visiting the National Portrait Gallery while we were there--

• On viewing the portrait of an elderly gentlemen of the 19th Century who had very wispy white hair, a boy in the group spoke up, "Ma'am, is that Queen Victoria when she was very, very old?"
• On another floor of 17th Century paintings, was a portrait of a very garish woman with bright lipstick and rouge. A young man asked his teacher, "Ma'am, is that a man dressed up as a woman?"

The London Eye is located on the South Bank of Thames next to the old County Hall, now the London Aquarium and the London Marriott Hotel. When we got off the Eye, a group of preschool children were lined up against the building waiting to go into the aquarium.

All were dressed in tiny navy blazers with crests on the breast pocket. They had tiny red striped beanie caps, white shirts with tiny blue pin-stripes and red ties. There were about twenty darling well-behaved uniformed three-year-olds with five or six adult guardians. I took out my camera to take a picture and all the adults jumped in front of the children yelling, "No pictures. No pictures!"

Were they children of Parliament members? Children of Lords? And why couldn't they be photographed by grandmas from Utah?

Electric Car ~ Smaller than The Smart Car

• Everything in England is smaller than in American. Europeans are more Green than Americans.

The Orangery in Kensington Park

I could eat here everyday and be very, very happy! £££!!