Another mini reunion!

but first, tea in the crypt at St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church near Trafalgar square:

felt a bit bad walking on the dead with my tea and scones . . .

you can also do brass rubbings there but we didn't have enough time. some of them were huge!

yeay! the red phone booths!

in front of Charing Cross Station:

a walk along the Hungerford Bridge:

The London Eye (aka a ginormous ferris wheel -- one of my ultimate nightmares):

the parliament building and big ben from across the thames:

reunited and it feels so good . . . .

train and i went to UNCW with blighty buddies Jennie and Natalie who traveled from far and wide to dine with us! so good to see them again . . .

so cute! Dinner on the South Bank at Giraffe (lots of flash, not so great on the food):

can you guess who the drama teacher is?

and coffee and cakes at the cutest little cafe, le pain quotidian, near waterloo station:

thanks for making the journey to see us! next time, tokyo?

my solo london walkabout

there were a couple of days that i had some time to have a bit of a walkabout on my own. on the 5th, i started out at leadenhall market near monument-aldgate-fenchurch-street-tower hill (say THAT 3 times fast):

it was still early so the market was quiet. good for postcard shopping and a coffee though:

the monument near monument station of St. Magnus the Martyr:

had a walk up cheapside to St. Paul's Churchyard:

the cathedral:

there was this tiny church with a beautifully manicured garden:

Postman's Park was one of the nooks in this great book (City Secrets: London) my sister sent me for my trip. They have plaques dedicated to people who gave their lives in the service of others:

quiet, peaceful, and beautiful:

continued the journey to Fleet street to where sweeney todd's barber shop and mrs. lovette's pie shop should have been (found st. dunstan's church instead):

the savoy:

covent garden:

lunch at ye olde cock tavern:

fish and chips and writing postcards (i like mushy peas!):

after a rest at the pub, i made my way to the river:

walked across blackfriars bridge and made my way to shakespeare's globe theater:

the clink (yes, that's where the term came from):

on the 6th, i made my way to london bridge:

i wanted to visit the old operating theater:

the herb garrett adjoining the theater:

there were a bunch of kids there on a field trip and one of the world's most boring docents giving a lecture:

a view from the overground:

there are wild FOXES here! this guy was hanging out in the supermarket parking lot. they are very skittish:

adjacent to spits blvd:

a stroll down carnaby road:

a really small china town near leicester square:

The Royal Academy of Art:

buckingham palace:

can i come in for a tea and pee?