London - Monday, Sightseeing Day

Sorry I've been a little lax in posting. On Monday morning I got up early (it's amazing at how fast my sleeping habits have reverted back to the law school schedule) and took the train down to London. The internet access at the hotel was a little pricy for my tastes, and I could only spend so much time hanging out at the McDonald's with free wifi around the corner. They put us up in a great location - right next to the British Museum and just north of SoHo. Room was on the tiny side, but definitely manageable (and probably reasonably affordable for Central London).

We had the first day in London to ourselves. I had lunch at Harrod's, the Mecca of department stores. I spent the afternoon dodging school kids looking at dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History and and admiring Rodin sculptures the Victoria and Albert Museum. Walked home through some of the parks, including a pit stop at the Princess Diana memorial fountain, an understated and elegant circular pool.

Coming from Edinburgh, I was struck by the intensity of London. The mobs of crowds pushing on the tubes even in mid-afternoon, the absolute feast of architectural grandeur everywhere in the city, and the familiar and unsettling feeling of namelessness that I get whenever I go to New York City. Maybe I'm getting old, but while I love to visit mega-cities like this, I wouldn't want to live in one. It just doesn't feel like home.



The deli at Harrod's.



Random elaborate building on my walk.



Random ornate gate.



Natural History Museum.



Courtyard in the V&A Musuem.



Swans on the way home. Kensington Gardens.



My humble abode for the week. It looks bigger than it is.