London (posted by Ann)

On Monday, Feb 28 (Mom's birthday) I went out to dinner with a group of ladies from work and here we are toasting to Mom. Happy Birthday!!

I got stuck in London over the weekend, which I wasn't too happy about but it turned out okay since I decided that I had to entertain myself instead of mope in the hotel room. I went here Friday night, and found my favorite horse painting, Whistlejacket. He's life size and is absolutely gorgeous.

Then on Saturday I met a friend from the office and did this , then we went to lunch, and then I went shopping to Liberty of London. It was FABULOUS! An entire floor of fabrics, yarn, needlepoint, crewel, other crafty things - a wall of buttons. I restrained myself and still came home with a few things. Very lovely!

For all of this moving around I got a day pass for the Tube, and of course you need a map of the Tube or who knows where you would wind up. This is the cover of the Tube map these days.

I want to go to Laughter, Brilliance, Joy, Awe and Compassion. I'll skip Fame, Pride, Envy and Perfection, please. I did fairly well and took all the right trains, which I was very proud of. It's such a great system - tube stations are everywhere. I figured out at the end of the day that a day pass gets you not only the tube but buses and water taxis too, all for about 6 pounds. What a deal, and what an easy way to get around London!

So, my favorite thing that happened this week was a realization I had. This is my second trip to London with this company, and our office is at the corner of Wood St. and London Wall Street. I've said this to lots of people between taxi drivers and others I'm meeting with, but as I got in the elevator my last day there I looked out of the glass wall of the elevator and noticed that there is what looks like a ruin right next to the building. Then I looked closer, and realized it was the wall. As in The London Wall around the city, built by the Romans in the 2nd or 3rd century - that wall. As in - that's why it's called London Wall Street.

So I walked outside with my camera. My office in London is the building on the left in the first picture. I can't even tell you how awed I was to be looking at something that was built that long ago, and to think about living in a time where a wall like that would actually protect you from your enemies. So before the next visit I'm determined to read a bit more about London history and to see more (perhaps I should just say to notice more . . . )