Walking Around

Sunday, July 7, 2024

We had a very slow start today. My imaginary recovery from jet lag was sadly false and I didn’t get to sleep until 5am, which was bedtime at home. So, we rolled out of here after noon and headed to Nando’s Peri Peri chicken restaurant. Our friend from Scotland recommended it and we have been fans ever since. It did not disappoint. I got a bottomless soda and they had sugar free Coke, orange, and Sprite, so it was quite the bonanza. We were in a different dining room from the soda machine, so I walked back and forth quite a few times. I got about an 8oz glass today, so that was quite a bit more than the usual 5 or 6 ounces. While I was out getting soda, Keith’s eyes fell upon the dessert menu (I had seen the bottomless soft serve sign on the machine by the soda and assumed that would be happening). I came back to the table and the dessert menu was dancing in front of his face – Pastel de Nata! The custard tarts from Portugal are at Nando’s! What a surprise! What a delight. They come in 4s, so I had one and he had 3 and all was well.

We walked down Whitehall, which is right around the corner from our hotel. We waved at #10, as they got a new PM just for us (I assume). As we went by the banqueting hall, we remembered (of course) that Charles I was beheaded there and that they have bean bag chairs to sit in and look at their beautiful ceiling. We stopped to look at Elizabeth Tower and Parliament, shining in the sun (YES, the sun came out!! It was lovely).

The mall was gated off, so it was pedestrian friendly. No idea why, but we walked down the middle of the road because we could. The standard wasn’t flying over Buckingham Palace, so KC wasn’t there. Does he live there? Did he move in? I didn’t get a change of address notification, but I have been so busy maybe it got lost in a pile. We looked at the guards in fuzzy band hats in boxes. Keith pointed out that they weren’t IN the boxes, just in front. Huh. I don’t know about that.

Off we continued, past the Bag o’ Nails pub from past visits, through a new neighborhood, adventuring along. We passed a lot of embassies. We were very excited to recognize the flag of Lesotho, as we are trying to learn flags, and we’ve got that one down cold. Alexander taught us about the native hat featured in the center of the flag, so we always recognize it. Yay us. Yay Lesotho. (How weird is it that it is entirely inside South Africa? So weird.)

We looked in the windows of Harrods because it was closed already (Sunday and all) then went to Pret for our favorite meatball wrap. It is entirely out of character that I like a meatball anything, but I really do. They had one left and we shared. Lo and behold, Keith opened the bag and there was another pastel de nata! They are everywhere. He is very happy.

We got a little lost making it our last few blocks to the hall. We went down the street and it was labeled Hole in the Wall and something else, but our little blue dot was not going the right way. Keith gets cranky when our dot is not going the right way. We turned around and went back and we found the hole in the wall – and the very narrow street we were supposed to be on. Ah, London, you are so quaint.

We got to Royal Albert Hall just after 7 for our 7:30 concert. We bought the last two seats in the hall about two weeks ago. It was “limited seating” until we checked out, then it was “sold out”. We were in the second tier of the box seats – me on one side of the hall, and Keith on the other. The family in his box did not speak English to each other and did not talk to him. They seemed VERY confused as to why a man was in their box. Teehee. The box doors were locked from the outside, but every time I opened my door, Keith was already there, ready to take care of me 🙂

The boxes have 4 chairs (two and two) out in the hall, then in the little room that has a table and space to be they had one more chair. It is a tall chair, since you are on the same level as the back two seats. It has a nice big platform for your feet, so you don’t feel like you are on a high chair. It was limited view – I couldn’t see the close side of the orchestra, but if I wanted to see, I could stand up and see everything. It looked like an orchestra, so I didn’t stand up very often (actually just to stretch a bit, never just to see). It was kinda fun to have my own little room to hang out in. I don’t know what I thought I might do that I didn’t want people to see, but it felt like there was so much potential!

The concert was the London Concert Orchestra (BIG orchestra – 6 trumpets, 7 horns, 6 bones, 2 tubas, and a gob and a half of strings). They played Zimmer v Williams – not a competition, just a friendly look at two of the best soundtrack composers ever. My favorite was Jurassic Park, because that music just thrills me. Keith’s favorite was Superman. Anna Lapwood, an internet sensation (says the conductor and Keith), played the organ and that was a real treat on top of the orchestra. There were tons of lights and lasers and fireworks – it was quite a show!

I shared my box with a family with an 11-year-old (Scott) who was really into the music and a 6-year-old (Alex) who did a pretty good job of being at a long concert (2 hours 50 minutes). Sometimes the little guy sat on the floor and played with his mom’s phone, which he could do because he was in a box, but most of the time he sat and listened. The conductor was very entertaining. He came out several times in costumes befitting the movie music and took off helmets and said, “It MEEEE!” I sincerely laughed every time.

We took the tube home and were here in a flash. What a great thing. We came out and there was the millennium bridge. Apparently if you turn right out of our hotel and walk two blocks you are at the bridge, looking at the London Eye and Elizabeth tower. Man, we are right in the middle of everything. We should come back here.

I played games on my phone and spent an hour writing this and Keith has been out doing the laundry. It is after midnight and the single washer and dryer have been busy. He is such a good sport about everything.