Hello all.
Well, this is our last full day in London, and it has been great. Just to quickly note and dispense with the events here: yes, it has certainly been a major news event (although the flooding down south, and the smoking ban that took effect 1 July are getting just as much airplay), and there are certainly security and police everywhere.
Today, we walked by Downing Street, and there must have been at least 20-30 officers of various types. I also didn't realize what an imposing gate there is blocking the street.
We also walked by the Houses of Paliment, and it was interesting to note that everyone who wanted to come in drove up to a physical barricade, which was a large sort of pillar that slides up and down from the ground: no way for a vehicle to drive through this. The passangers had to all get out, the bonnet and the boot of the car (the hood and the truck, that is) had to be opened, and the passengers and driver had to be checked with one of those magnetic wands.
Each and every time. Clearly all the forces are on duty and are quite busy.
However, everyone seemed calm, and while sober, in fair humour and good spirits. Also, there was no shortage of people visiting and site-seeing, everywhere. I was especially struck by the large number of school groups, usually wearing matching t-shirts, sweatshirts, or backpacks.
Frankly, it all seems fairly normal.
The weather is also pretty normal, with heavy showers punctuated by bursts of sunshine. Always carry an umbrella and/or jacket. I made the mistake of purchasing a poncho from a souviner shop to help protect the camera bag. Besides looking ridiculous, it quickly developed a split, and won't stay down in a breeze. Pretty useless, except for making me look throughly silly.
Today was a calm and relatively quiet day, visiting Big Ben, Westminster, and Buckingham. No tours, just walking about outside. We took the tube to get there, and the oyster cards work wonderfully. However, as a treat, we took a cab back. It was very fast, very roomy, very scenic, and compared to what public transit costs can be, very cheap. For three people, it should be considered, and for four or five people, it's rather a no brainer.
And that's enough about today. Yesterday was...
Yesterday was what we came to London for.
It was fantastic.
We visited the Globe theater in the morning for the tours that run from 9 to 12. It was a great tour. The guide was a woman, middle aged, who was very lively and witty. She's a supporter of the theater, and I thought she indicated that she was somehow distantly related to Sam Wannamaker, the founder of the New Globe (and Zoe Wannamaker's father). The facilities are great, and one feels like on a movie set.
Because of her descriptions of what the performances can be like, and because it was opening night, we purchased "Groundling" tickets. This is just like how it was in Willie's day -- the most inexpensive admission grants you standing room in front of the stage. In our case, it was 5 pounds each.
Because the performance was not until 6:30, after finishing looking at the exhibition (I learned a lot about the influence of Roman literature upon Shakespeare and his contempories -- they didn't know the Greeks as all), we then walked down the Bankside, enjoying the fairly good weather and looking at things, until we reached the London Eye (the world's biggest Ferris Wheel). We rode that, and the views were splendid. Big Ben was not so very big from the top of the Eye. We should have some excellent video and photos from this.
Then we walked back, stood in the Groundling's line near the front -- hoping to be able to stand right at the edge of the stage -- proceeded inside, and all in all, it worked out better than we had hoped. The stage had been extended to sort of make two forks that curved out into the Groundling's area, then towards each other, leaving a sort of enclosed pit between them. It was rather like a bay or inlet.
We were actually four of the thirteen allowed here. We were literally leaning against the stage, arms upon the edge.
The play was the comedy "Love's Labors Lost". We had heard that Groundlings often leave before the end of the performance, and indeed, just as in Shakespeare's day, people can wander in and out as they wish, and munch on food and drink drinks, and chat with each other. There are no special lights, the actors and the audience can all see each other. Because the play was to be three hours, we expected we'd watch about an hour and a half, then leave to get home at a good time.
This was not to be, because the play zipped by. We totally lost track of time. The performances were the liveliest I've seen, and even when the language was a bit rapid to follow, the physical acting made everything clear. Also -- and I've been struck by this when watching British actors -- the speech seemed normal, not formal. Even when reciting rhymes or poetry, it was more like normal conversation, not ponderous at all.
And the physicality! At one point, we were startled when an actor, who was being startled, leapt from one fork to the other, twice. The second time he actually went over Monika's head. The performance is also completely interactive. At one point, the prince, angry, chased his men into the audience, through the throng of Groundlings, and back onto the stage. People had to move out of the way. Swords seemed threatening, and people were occasionally brushed or even thwacked by dresses as the queen and her ladies in waiting rushed by.
At one point, a note was torn into pieces and the pieces tossed into the audience. It actually bounced off of the head of a nice gentleman next to us. He was amused (he is apparently studying to be a director), and he took one piece, and we have the other.
I have always rather liked Shakespeare, but this was an entirely differnt experience. Having the open sky was great, the thatched roof (the only one allowed in London since the Great Fire), the stalls, everything made it seem like a time machine. fortunately, the weather held and did not rain. Shakespeare here is like football, not baseball -- performances continue in spite of rain.
Monika wants to go again.
And that's the note I want to leave this on. We saw some of the most authentic, entertaining, and even moving theater I've seen in a great while.
Tomorrow, we leave via the Eurostar for Paris. (It happens to be my birthday, but we have no real plans). We arrive shortly before 8 o'clock, and we will pick up the key from a Tabac near the Apartment Rental service. I don't know what sort of connectivity I will have, but I'll try to send something if I can, although it is likely to be shorter. I found a different, and better Internet Cafe to do this from. For one thing, they have a much better keyboard...
Take care, and see you all in a week or so.
