Scattered in London

Only 12 years since my last post. And I’m right across the Channel from it, in London.

Since the first day after a long-haul flight is mostly about staying awake, I have scattered impressions.

• Londoners have fallen as hard for the gluten-free, lactose-suspicious movement as the rest of us.
• There’s an actual place called Cockfosters.
• Jack Black as a teenaged pretty girl makes a 9-hour flight shorter. (We watched the Jumanji reboot on the plane.)
• Ian McKellan gives great directions. We traipsed around the West End on a GPS-triggered audio tour he narrated, learning about the history of London theater and staying awake. (You could listen at home, for free with sign-in.)

And scattered pictures:

The view up Neal Street from our Air B&B.

 The other way on Neal Street. That crowd down the block? That’s the “drinking area” outside the Crown and Anchor. Quite the scene.

The tea room at the Savoy. (Only looked in; it’s $90 for afternoon tea!)

Misty installation art in the courtyard of Somerset House

An intersection in the West End’s theater district.

An ancient pub, with the columned front of the Royal Opera house reflected in its window.

The Crown and Anchor, up the street from us, before the after-work crowd surrounded it.

The monument at Seven Dials. Those are sundials at the top.