The stories of my life on a little island in the middle of the Mediterranean sea ... and my occasional adventures beyond these shores.

Monday 8 September 2014

London Moments

I’ve been trying for days to define London, struggling to find just one word to describe it. Then, it dawned on me that I can’t. So I won’t. But I will share the moments that made me think ‘this is London’. It might not be your London or the guidebooks’ London. But this is my London. And these are my moments:
~ Most moving moment: Attending Sunday service at Westminster Abbey. We didn’t plan it, we just wanted to visit and forgot that it might not be open on a Sunday. But we were invited to attend the service and I am overjoyed that we did. The singing was sublime and the towering Gothic architecture made it even more so. We were not allowed to take any photos, but perhaps it was just as well, because I paid more attention to what was around me and I left the place in awe.
London 364
~ Laziest moment: sitting in the shade of a sprawling tree in Kensington Gardens and contemplating the fountains in the Italian Garden.
London 684
~ Best shop-window display: Selfridges of Oxford Street. Each window display was part of their Meet the Makers campaign which gave shoppers a chance to meet the  people behind some of the items for sale in their food court.
London_Phone1
~Favourite historical building: I would have to confess that it’s the Tower of London. This brooding fortress on the edge of the Thames has a dark and bloody history which has fascinated me for years. I am still trying to decide whether that is a good or a bad thing.
London 227
~ Favourite historical artifact: London museums are replete with important historical finds but, for me, the absolute star was the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum. The discovery of this stone was instrumental in helping scholars decipher hieroglyphics. I remember discussing its importance many years ago during history lessons at school. Incidentally, I did not realise that the Rosetta Stone was this big.
London 013
~ Best fast-food:  it definitely had to be the sandwiches at Pret-a-Manger. There’s a wide variety to choose from and they are a healthier choice than burger and fries.
~ Most beautiful building:  in a city that is almost over-crowded with architectural gems, it’s really hard to pinpoint just one. The Royal Albert Hall, St Paul’s Cathedral and the iconic Tower Bridge all come to mind, but as we walked along Westminster Bridge and the sun started to set, it cast a golden hue on Westminster Palace (better known as the Houses of Parliament) and Big Ben and my heart just  missed a beat. I knew that this image of London would stay with me for months to come.
London 554
~ Most interesting restoration: the Covent Garden covered market. It made me think what, with some imagination, our own covered market in Valletta could be turned into. The Covent Garden market used to be a vegetable and flower market. When it was moved elsewhere because of traffic congestion, the market was restored and re-opened as a shopping centre with small boutiques, specialty stores, restaurants, cafes and a craft market.
London 695
~ Favourite neighbourhood:  Notting Hill. This pretty district with its colourful houses and vintage stores feels very different from the rest of London. What once used to be a very run-down neighbourhood is now one of the most desirable residential areas of the city. The popular Portobello street market takes place in Notting Hill every weekend. Pity we missed it.
London 657
~ Most not-sure-whether-to-scream-or-laugh moment: as we walked along a lonely garden path in Kensington Gardens, a huge rat ran out right in front of us. I doubt I would have felt so relaxed under the tree if I had known these creatures were lurking in the bushes.
London 692
Since I don’t want to bore your collective socks off, this will be my last post about London – at least for a while. Now that summer is winding down and I get back into some sort of routine, I hope to write more regularly and be able to comment a bit more. Hope you’re all enjoying the last days of the season.

11 comments:

  1. This London series has been truly lovely, Loree.

    You wanna know something weird? When I first looked at your image of the Tower of London, the thought that leapt to mind was, 'I wonder what it smells like.'

    ReplyDelete
  2. Everything about your trip sounds fabulous, minus the huge rat :))

    Totally agree with you about the Rosetta Stone - from an archaeological standpoint it's an enormously important artifact.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Such fascinating experiences! I love the golden lighting on Westminster Palace.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hello Loree,

    It has been interesting to see London through your eyes. One becomes very aware of how in a city one knows well, one does not really look at what is there. You have opened up our own eyes to what is, most definitely, a marvellous city.

    The rat is not a sight one would wish to see but we well remember seeing many more foxes when we lived in London than ever we did when we lived in the countryside. Urban wildlife is thriving!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dear Loree - not sure my first comments took - just love seeing London through your eyes. It certainly doesn't bore me to see this beautiful city. Wow - to worship in Westminster Abbey must have been awesome. Thank you for sharing all your lovely photos. The architecture is amazing. Hope you have a wonderful day.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The second photo is a delight! And you've just shown me one of my favourite London shops: Penhaligon's!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh god, those huge rats!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. A lovely description of LONDON.Makes me want to go RAT or NOT!
    Fall is here in CALIFORNIA...................I'm not ready this year!I still need the warm summer nights.........
    Happy for you you got off your island!Thats another place I need to visit!
    XX

    ReplyDelete
  9. London looks so amazing through your eyes, and I love your shots of all the building!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Loree! My name is Heather and I was wondering if you would be willing to answer my question about your blog! My email is Lifesabanquet1 AT gmail DOT com :-) I greatly appreciate it!

    ReplyDelete
  11. You feel like me, I have my own London !

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by. I read and appreciate every one of your comments. I will do my best to reply whenever I can.

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails