When Tom and I travel we say we go “a road less traveled”.
There are the usual things that tourist plan to see or do, but we like to go off to areas, meet locals, see how they live, where they hang out. We have already ridden buses to the end of their line, when the driver says “get off here go across the street and you can catch one back”.
We have wondered into pubs to just sit, have a beer or a glass of wine, and listen to them talk about their days. What is important to them. How do they feel or see the world.
This morning we have a limited time to get out and about because we have to meet someone at 1:30.
We head for Westminster Abbey, a traditional tourist location, but the lines are long. And those lines are just to get to the ticket office to get into another line that will allow us inside the Abbey.
We don’t have time or inclinatiion to stand in a line, to stand in a line, so off we go again.
There is a street, closed off to cars but accessible on foot, alongside the Abbey. Where does this go? No tourists in sight.
We enter through a short tunnel and emerge into Dean’s yard. It is an open green space surrounded by building that obviously span different centuries in their construction. It’s a wonderland!
And you can see we are on the backside of the Abbey.
And all the buildings from the different ages.
There is another “portal” on the opposite side. Where does that lead us to?
It takes us out the backside of the Abbey and on to a narrow neighborhood street.
We come upon a small greenway and there is camera crew and thhey are taping live “Good Morning China” or whatever that translate into.
On around we go, still no tourists in site and we come upon a building that appears to be as old as the Tower of London complete with a moat. It featuresa hole in the side that once would have served to throw waste (including human) into the water as the river rose, as did the Tower site.
What is it? The Jewel Tower dating from around 1365, it’s the only significant remains of the Palace of Westminster.
On around the backside of Westminster Abbey we continue. We are across the street from Parliament and Big Ben.
There is a quiet little area on this side of St Margaret’s Church, which sits alongside of the Abbey.
We still have enough time to get out across the Westminster Bridge to see the Parliament building from the riverside.
There is a bagpiper out in the middle of the bridge but the wind is cold and blowing hard and we have a 1:30 appointment to get to.
Our appointment? We have emailed our dear friends Inez and Sebastian and told them we are such a short way away from them in Berlin and oh how we wish they would come see us since we are so close. And wonder of wonders… They are coming to join us on our final 2 1/2 days in London!!!
Bring TINS I tell Inez but TINS is resting in the Netherlands so she brings a photo of TINS to join our “Excellent Adventure II”.
