359.January 07

London, UK

Back at the City of London Hostel, I rose early for breakfast, and had no shower. Since I could not buy a day pass for the tube before 09:30, and it was 08:30, I walked to the Victoria and Albert Museum. I was going to buy a set of playing cards there, but they were still sold out. Before I found that out, I walked around Harrods, but was dressed so poorly that I did not want to attempt to buy anything, and this was Harrods one big sale of the year, everything was supposed to be cheap. I was looking for shoes, but none did I see under 75 pounds. I did have a good time looking around the V&A for a bit. I saw the plaster cast room with David, actually many David's all over by various sculptors. I was completely surprised by the size of Michaelangelo's Dave. I did not like it much either. I left the V&A, and walked through St. James Park. I was leaving my view of Buckingham Palace, when I heard "David" come from the island in the circus /round-about. It was An and CJ, my house mates. I went to them, and took their picture for them in front of the waterfall there. Then we walked to Trafalgar Square, loosing An for some duck pictures on the way. CJ and I went to the National Gallery. I saw almost everything, and then we went to a Deep Pan Pizza for an all-you-can-eat buffet pizza dinner. I ate at least on whole pizza for 3.25 pounds. I had a Bellhaven Scottish Lager and some spaghetti. That was my only meal for the day.

We split up, and I went looking for cheap theatre tickets. Finding none, and not wanting to wait in line, I walked to the National Portrait Gallery and saw the modern portraits that I had not seen last time. Then, at 16:30, I left for the Imperial War Museum. I thought it was near the Cabinet War Rooms, so I had quite a long walk from there until I reached the Museum on the other side of the Thames. Admission was free after 16:30, so I walked around quickly, trying to see everything. I am sure I saw very little. It was fun, trying to remember the names of tanks, planes, rifles and everything.

I had no idea what to do next. I was tired, so I got on the tube and took an hour deciding where I wanted to go. I went to the play "Medea" at Wyndam's Theatre, just outside Leicester Station. It was fabulous, and had received rave reviews. The set was a steel wall, rusty and tall, that would open in some spots when desired. It was made of sheets of steel. The play was fantastic, gory and scary too. Wonderful chantings by one of member of the chorus who had the most amazing singing voice I've heard. For effect, the lead and her husband would beat the walls, which would clatter. In the end, a large part of the wall fell, making the most wretched noise. The did not hit the floor, because they were suspended by cables, but they banged together. After this, I went home to bed. Oh, just before the play, I stopped at THE FRENCH HOUSE, a pub where French resistance members would meet during WWII, like general DE GAUL. I only went in. It was full of older people and regulars. I went to another much less popular one, where I had spent some of New Years Eve before the bars closed with Becca. I got some milk and yogurt on my way home and ate them in the hostel's kitchen on my way to bed.

1994

Aix-en-Provence, France

We did not notice that the train left from Lyon Part Deux Station until we arrived at Lyon Perrache Station this morning, about an hour before our train left from Part Deux station. We hopped on the underground and made it there with 20 minutes to spare.

We arrived in Aix-en Provence after a short train journey. We took a cab from the train station to the shared flat we were staying in nearby.

2007