London, Day 3
I started the day at Sandford, which is a map shop, with practically every type of map you can imagine (though primarily Britain-focused). By the time I was done there, it was after 11, and I was famished because I hadn't had breakfast yet. I've given myself a rule for while I'm here that I'm not allowed to eat again at a place I've already been to. And I hadn't seen a restaurant or cafe yet on my way to Sandford that had piqued my interest. Coming out of Sandford, I found myself in the Covent Garden area, which is about as picturesquely British as you can imagine: narrow cobbled roads, highly walkable, old beautiful buildings everywhere, and (most importantly for me) lots of shops. There were so many restaurants that I actually walked past one or two that looked interesting, simply because I didn't want to commit in case there was something better just down the road. Eventually I stopped at a bagel place for a Salt Beef Bagel Melt, which is as good as it sounds.
I took the bagel out to a table I found in an open area and started reading Mere Christianity as I ate. I brought two books on this trip: Manalive by Chesterton, and Mere Christianity. I chose those two partly because the authors are very British, and partly because they are both books that I'v started before but never finished. But I finished Manalive yesterday, and I'm not about a third though Mere Christianity.
Anyway, I sat down and started reading, and almost immediately the rain came. It wasn't a pour, just a drizzle. It wasn't even enough to be uncomfortable to sit and eat it, but I didn't want to get my book wet. So I packed up and found the nearest Tube station and sat on one of its platforms and read a bit more.
One distinct benefit I've found of traveling by Tube is that you can read while you go. You just pay attention when the train stops to see if it's your station yet, and other than that, read away! There are many benefits to owning and driving your own car, but one real downside is that you have to pay real attention while you drive it.
Then I found my way to the Tower of London. I debated for a few minutes whether it was worth the entrance fee (43 pounds) but I knew I'd be disappointed with my trip if I didn't go. The Tower is fascinating. It's an amalgamation of centuries of additions and modifications. William the Conqueror started it, but even he built on foundation of the Roman walls (that you can still see today!)
The Tower is so much larger and multi-faceted than I thought. At one point, it housed a palace, the mint, the armory, the treasury, a jail, and was of course used for torture and executions. Even today, it's still a royal palace, houses the crown jewels, and provides lodging for 35 "yeoman warders" and their families, about 150 people in all. Can you imagine living with your family in the Tower of London? Though to be honest, it felt more like a medieval city than a "Tower", with all the warders living there.
In the evening I went to see the musical "Hadestown," which is a retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Euridyce. I had seen it done by a high school musical group when I was in OKC, so I had high hopes for this performance. The high school musical version had blown me off my fet with how well they did, and how good the story was. But while this was the same story, told with the same songs, performed by better actors, I was decidedly less impressed. Don't get me wrong: they did a good job. It just didn't impress me as much as those high school kids in OKC, nor as much as the Shakespeare I saw last night. Maybe that's the problem: it's hard to beat good Shakespeare.