Photos: Roses at Imperial War Museum, the Imperial War Museum, Neil on bench by the River Thames
Thursday June 17, 2010
Slept well and got up with the intention of an early breakfast—got downstairs 30 minutes early, Went back up, worked on blogs, camera etc. Had a wonderful free breakfast eggs, toast, ham and sausage, and COFFEE! Emphatically strong coffee. Got ready for the day.
We walked to Victoria Station, got information on busses and bought our Oyster passes which are good for a week. Oyster passes are cool! You buy your card and then you get to use it for both the busses and the tube. The tube may be fun, but from the busses you get to sightsee along the way. Our first bus ride was the #38 from Victoria Station to Picadilly Circus. However, before we left Victoria we made one of our dumb decisions: We bought two books and then had to carry them all day--not too bright. Took a bus to Picadilly Circus and then walked to Trafalger Square—very impressive the Nelson Column is no small stone work.
We went to the National Gallery which borders the square on the North. We saw Rubens, Van Gogh, Monet, Gainsborogh, and other recognized masters. Very interesting, but we did not try to see all, stayed mostly with 17th, 18th, and 19th century. We left the Gallery and set off for the Thames and a spot of lunch. Second dumb decision, by the time we could agree—remember Neil is tight and ended up at Charing Cross Station—we were almost back to Trafalger, and did eat in the square. We walked in a complete circle for no real purpose. Then off once more down to the embankment. We checked on the boats for the Thames River Boat Services for tomorrow.
We then walked back to Westminster, near Big Ben to catch the 148 to the Imperial War Museum across the Thymes. We got off at the wrong bus stop and got to walk 8 blocks extra to find the museum. Nancy’s feet are getting sore. Oh, yes, that’s the third strike for the day.
The Imperial War Museum was very interesting--lots of artifacts, arranged in a compelling order. Most interesting was the Children’s War about kids, and leaving London or leaving England for safety, and rationing, and life in Britain. We walked through World War I and World War II exhibits arranged chronologically and including inter war years, so it's like one large war with a break. We then went upstairs for the Holocaust exhibit. It was extremely powerful with individual life stories for every twist in the story from European anti semetism to Hitler’s final solution. Some of the histories ended as shot, arrested, gassed, but some of them survived. At the very end of the exhibit were video presentations by survivors. One lady said she had been back to Germany to visit girls she had known in school, but when asked if she has forgiven them she replied NO not forgiven—a very powerful exhibit. As the museum closed we bought a guide book and a postcard or two. The gift shop reemphasized our error as we both saw books more interesting than the two we had carried around all day.
Nancy took over navigating and got us on the right bus and off the bus at the proper time so we had only a few blocks to walk to the Hotel. We stopped in an Italian restaurant to eat; even most of the staff were Italian. We had a wonderful spaggetti dish, and a wonderful calzone which we shared. The English seem a little uncertain about liquids—they are expensive and in small quantities. It is even difficult to get a glass of water. Walked back to the hotel, two blocks, and to our room to watch soccer and work on blog pages.
We did an amazing 14, 873 steps today…..no wonder our feet hurt.
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