London

I guess I can now say that the trip has begun in earnest, as I have left the Emerald Isle for Jolly Old England. And I must admit, it is fairly jolly. Not Santa Clause jolly, more like "we're well dressed and fairly happy in our jobs" jolly. Either way, London is a fantastic city with lots to offer the casual tourist, such as myself. Not only are all the national galleries and museums free (not the specialized ones though), but the architecture on every block offers up something new for the photog's. Victorian towers mix with modern geodesic structures to create a surprising harmony. Much like the new ROM Crystal in Toronto, of which I am a huge fan, London has not shied away from fusing the old onto the new, presenting itself as a city that celebrates its past without seeming sentimental or redundant. Couple that with a sprawling and yet simple to navigate Tube system, and you've got a formula for very satisfying day trips. 

To orient myself to the major monuments of London and learn more about the cities past, I signed up for a Fat Tire bike tour, an experience I recommend for all newcomers to London. Led by Dave, a mid-20's Texan who runs the London branch of the company, about 15 of us rod our California-cruiser style bikes throughout the city, covering Hyde Park, Trafalger Square, Buckingham Palace and many other landmarks in about 4 hours. The bikes were super comfy, and Dave's narratives about the monuments were informative, interesting and infused with some great tidbits of info and jokes. I think he rattled off about 6 or 7 of Winston Churchill's wittiest comebacks, including the famous "I may be drunk, but you ma'am are ugly. In the morning I will be sober, but you will still be ugly." Our group was even lucky enough to see the changing of the guard; somehow the modern automatic rifles seemed a little out of place against the traditional beefeater outfits.

Other highlights of London have been: the National Gallery, which houses Monets, Gaugins, Van Goghs, and a less famous Seurat (he of Pointilism notoriety); the south bank of the Thames, which had a great used book market and buskers; the Princess Diana memorial fountain, a very cool spring-fed fountain that encourages visitors to chill out on its banks.

Mitch and Ann, who have taken me in for the last few days, have been fantastic hosts, and I could not have asked for more. Mitch, a correspondent for the Toronto Star, has been regaling me with stories of being embedded in Afghanistan, or traveling through the Congo, or living in Egypt on 50 cents a day. Talk about a well traveled guy. Tomorrow I leave for Brighton for a few days, then fly to Amsterdam where I will begin to railroad portion of my trip. I will be leaving my computer behind at the Potters, as well as a bunch of other gear I don't need, so my posting of photos and blogs may be a little less frequent. However, I will try to stay on top of things through internet cafe's as much as possible. If anyone who does not have facebook wants to view my London photos, just go to this link:  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2229105&l=d2246&id=72602674

Cheerio!