London Calling

We are staying in Lambeth across from the Imperial War Memorial Museum, a great neighborhood with easy access to the bus line and not far from the underground. Last year we stayed here and came back again for the great location.

Down the street a block or two is the Tankard. This pub had just opened their doors last year when we arrived wandered in for a drink. It was really nice and had a Charlie Chaplin theme to the art work. Charlie lived in the area. One year later, it is thriving. A youthful crowd was gathered when we went back to see it. We relived the memory with a scotch egg… yum!

Today was a glorious day. The rain from the night before cleared the air and it was cool and breezy. We hopped on a double decker and made our way

toward the theatre district. When in London… go to the theatre. The city was buzzing( no bees this time) No more sleepy Cotswolds, now we are now in the bustle of the crowd. A biking event was taking place and cyclists from all ages were taking part. Trafalgar Square was full of student tour groups, families taking advantage of the photo ops, couples holding hands, teens congregating to mingle. We purchased tickets. Today we will continue our theatre blitz.. Wicked ( haven’t seen it in so long) and the Lieutent of Inishmore ( with Aidan Turner for any of you Poldark fans).

We made our way to Chinatown. The streets are lined with restaurants and stores displaying Asian foods, goods, and lots of people. Each street has a majestic yet different Pagoda gate that towers high across the roadway. Street performers time in for a session and there is a general happy activity all around. We had to a restaurant that was recommended to us by a local… the Wong Kei ( yes it is wonky). This is an experience. We are ushered upstairs where many large round tables fill the dining room. We are seated at a table in the two seats between a couple and two young men who are in progress with their lunch. The restaurant is filling and as people finish, their spot is cleared, a new paper table cloth is set and another guest joins in.

The high counter where orders are placed and distributed, sits in front of a series of compartments in the wall. All the food is sent up using a dumbwaiter system. It is worth the entertainment factor along. While the communal dining is not our American experience, though a little awkward at first, we find ourselves really enjoying a conversation with our table mates. They are a couple, he, English, she, Spanish, who met and married and are also avid travelers. They live part-time in England and part time in Spain. We chatted about the world and the times we are in, Brexit, Trump rhetoric, the small lesser known museums, the wonderful things to do on a sunny afternoon in London. Lunch was a wonderful experience. While we ate, the young men finished and left, a mother and her young son came next and then another couple. What a different experience than we would have had elsewhere.

We head over to the theatre and settle in for 2 hours and 45 minutes of sheer magic. Wicked ( the story of the Wizard of Oz told from the Wicked Witch’s side) . The story turns your thought on what happened

 all around. Alice Fearon, who played Elfaba was Elfaba. As an actress she embodied the character and brought such depth and her voice- what a powerhouse. The others in the cast were also wonderful.

A young girl sitting behind me, seeing it for the first time, leaned over to her mom at intermission and said… “I feel bad for her, she is not bad, it wasn’t her fault”… again, theatre can broaden one’s mind while touching one’s heart.

Our double-header for today, was at the Noel Coward Theatre near Covent Garden and starred Aidan Turner of Poldark fame. The play is a satire on terrorism and was funny and real, while also being violent and absurd. The Irish references to the IRA and the small town rebellion, whispers of our next stop. We enjoyed this show as well.

When the evening ended, it was still busy in the city. We walked back though Trafalgar, which was a little less crowded. The uplighting of the monuments, the dance party that had broken out with a group of teens who gathered with their amplier, the people who were, as we, taking in the sights by night, passed peacefully along.  Hope the double-decker home to Lambeth. Tomorrow will be here soon!