Where do angels come from?

The University of London... at the Regent's Square underground stop near the university, I stepped off the train and took the elevator up. It stops about fifty steps below street level. I stood at the bottom of those steps like a statue. I had just lost most of the strength in my arms due to disease and my legs have never been good. The larger consideration was the huge suitcase I was carting around the UK for a month. The luggage had gotten bigger by the mile. ... Out of the elevator poured another load of people and I was in the way. One of the students coming out looked at me, smiled and grabbed the bag. Without a word he lifted it to his shoulder and urged me up the steps. I had the thought that he could be a thief making off with my earthly goods, but it was for nothing. He set the suitcase down at the top of the steps and wished me a good day, Then, he was gone off to the school. I had a "Who was that masked man?" - Lone Ranger - moment and then wheeled the case toward the British Museum and our hotel. We meet these people everywhere we go.

INSIDE THE TOWER OF LONDON

The Tower of London is a "don't miss" in London. It is simply full of history and marvelous experiences,  The Beefeaters are interesting to talk to and have great stories to tell. In these pictures you will notice that it is not busy; that is because we were there first thing in the morning.

Prince Albert Monument, near Kensington Gardens

Detail

 

Victoria obviously loved him.

Photos on this blog by RM/M McLellan

London Theater

 

 

Bottom is St. Martin's Theatre where we saw Agatha Christie's Mousetrap the world's longest running play. Very good and I could tell you who the murderer was, but they would come over here and get me for telling.

Telecomm Tower

The sign read: "IT'S A BOY".

Telecomm Tower, Central London UK

Waiting for word outside Buckingham Palace

The word was actually two: "Move along".

Then it was three: It's a boy.

Tongue-in-cheek ... we are not currently in London.

Picnic at the Pantheon

Pardon me, do you speak English?

I have decided that some of us are blessed by living in a varied culture. In California - in my city - you hear Spanish spoken, along with Russian, Hindi, Parse, etc.  You do not need to know the language, you get used to not knowing everything. When needed, almost everyone speaks English. It is the same when we travel abroad. We don't understand folks, but it doesn't worry us. The only place we have had problems is in Scotland where they claim to speak English and expect us to understand them.

Doing nothing for a living

In various tourist areas of Europe there are people in costume - some Egyptian, some Roman and this one - bronze - who stand perfectly still like statues. They like to surprise people by moving. They are remarkable in that they do nothing very well. Some are even found in larger U.S. cities. (Please no cracks about government employees.)

Speaking of Statues

What is wrong with this picture? It is of Michelangelo's "David" displayed in Florence. Certain aspects are exaggerated as it was designed to be seen atop a tall building. But, those parts are not it.

Okay -  the answer is that while this is a common picture, it is strictly forbidden to take pictures in the building.

Statues in Rome - have to search for these

Statues form the Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Julia Roberts ... Hugh Grant ...Portobello Street Market, London

The lady in the pink sweater looks ever-so-much like Marietta McLellan

Notting Hill hosts the Portobello Street market. This was a Saturday and we were looking for family gifts. Haggling is part of the process, but huge bargains are not. It is full of locals. 

Did not see Julia Roberts or Hugh Grant.

Favorite pictures - Mall near Stephen's Green, Dublin IE

When in Rome

In my opinion you need to do homework, study, get excited, long for the day to come, look at YouTube, cover the net, plan and then go. I also believe that our greatest adventures have been surprises. We had planned to go with a group and arrive early at the Vatican Museums and spend the day. Providence made our alarm mute. Oh well... because of research we had some ideas: we had a leisurely breakfast at the rooftop garden

and visited Basilica S, Maria de gli Angeli e dei Martiri (a church made from Roman baths with a vault designed by Michelangelo)

where we attended a wedding, heard an organ concert,

took a thrilling cab ride to the Vatican and hung out in the religious supply stores along the outer wall.

Saw great wonders and mysteries. Met a beautiful young server in a small café at a late lunch and when returning to the same place with our group for dinner, she recognized me, came up and hugged me - much to the envy of the others. But, we missed the museums.

I really like these pictures

I really like these pictures - primarily because my wife and I took the pictures ourselves at a 9,000 foot pass in the Italian Alps (Dolomites). It was one of our prime checks on our bucket list.

 

Lessons of traveling

  

      Meeting new people and experiencing new cultures opens your mind to the possibility that your small region of the globe is just that, one region of many in a wonderfully diverse world. Travel means meeting new people in their own contexts and learning that their homes may have something unique and delightful to offer.
       Travelers take off for here and there to have more encounters with other nations and peoples. It is not without some struggle.
       The airplane is a wonderful invention, especially if experienced from First or Business class. Economy class – while not really economical – can be a confrontation with classism.  A person in economy knows what it is like to be in the 99 percent. People over six feet are very aware that the seats in the back of the plane are made for people less than five feet tall. This is height discrimination. 

      You do what you have to do.

      Landing, while a relief, means finding your luggage. Finding Waldo is sometimes easier. It seemed like such a good idea to get a black suitcase as it should not get as dirty.
     Other cultures have some better ideas than we do. Yes this goes against our xenophobic prejudice, but it is true. Take, for example, European toilet paper. It is sturdy and comes on self-starting rolls. We could learn something on this count.
        As well, the British save countless hours a year by holding a knife in the right hand and a fork in the left and never putting them down. The American way of changing hands and implements is a major waste of time that could be spent on more important things like sitting for an hour after supper talking to our companions.
        Americans seem to want to jump up from dinner to text a friend or watch television which is not very European. In Austria you may wait hours until you finally ask for the check.
       There is much for us to learn.
       But, traveling also gives you a better understanding of your home and its value. There is suddenly something soothing about one’s personal pillow.

The TSA - Indeed

We would like to thank Orville and Wilbur Wright for the joys of flying, but note that the shoe bomber spoiled it a little.

Airport security can be fun, if you make it so.

We have experienced the TSA first hand. The pun is intended.

At San Francisco Airport I chose to admit my issues and not cover them. You see, I wear a leg brace and have for years. Some people just think I shun shorts for other reasons like the way my legs look. This is also true.

At SFO I just announced to the officer that, while I had put all of my earthly belongings in the gray tray, I was still wearing metal on my leg.

“Male officer!” she shouted. While this disappointed me a little, the young man only took about five minutes to touch most of my person. I will take any fondling I can get.

I say “only” five minutes because it can be longer depending on how late we are to catch a plane. The later we are the longer it takes.  

Next it was at Los Angeles and the security process for Alitalia took longer as they swabbed my brace for explosives and had to wait for the test results. In full sight of all and with my pant leg rolled up to my thigh, the man in blue took what looked like a baby-wipe and rubbed my brace. He then put the wipe into a machine. After a minute or so he read a screen and allowed me to pull down my pant leg and put on the rest of my clothes.

I try not to forget my shoes, belt, sport coat, pen, coins and carry-on bag which have been x-rayed.

Getting on a flight in Verona, Italy was easier as we did not have to take off our shoes. Still I got gently caressed as I stood with arms outstretched like a whopping crane.

I realize that I could remove the brace briefly for the security procedure, but I believe that it will help things to tell folks straight out, submit and move on. Besides, when it is separate in the tub it looks far more mysterious even ominous.

I was not ready for Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris. Nothing happened.

They escorted us from one plane and delivered us to the Air France Terminal without stopping. Security counted my experience in Verona as enough and we never officially went through another screening. It was second-rate, as I was prepared for a Parisian pat-down..

My spouse, who breezes through and has to wait for me to be wanded, patted and interviewed, seems to think this is amusing. She does, however, have the responsibility to watch over my clothes and bags while I am being searched.

Now, this inconvenience is not great and it does make me feel a little more secure on the planes. If they are careful with me then they will be careful about others.

However, a couple of years ago Heathrow security missed the Swiss Army knife inadvertently left in my carry on. It bothered me after I found out. Just think, someone with an exploding leg brace could have been on that flight.