I went to St. Paul's Cathedral. *The* most interesting place to go if you've only got time or interest in seeing one church in London. Grand. Big. Certainly able to fill that awe inspiring role. Did a little shopping too. Got a London 2012 Olympics polo shirt and a coffee pot to replace the one I'd broken at our apartment. Looked at scarves. Got a question answered at the Apple store about internet on iPads in the US versus Europe.
Maxine did food shopping at Borough Market, the best food market for prepared food and ingredients that we've found in London. It's worth the 1/2 hour transit time to get over there. She got us a variety of cheeses and meat pies and bread and coffee and other treats. We've tended to eat one meal out and one at home each day and this was a trip to load up for that. She also went to Westminster Abbey.
Evening we were both planning on going to a Meetup group event occuring at the Tate Britain for their Late (the museums all seem to have an evening every so often where they stay open till 9 or 10 or 11). Maxine was in the mood to stay home and read in our apartment (and have Chinese food). I went to the meetup. Not particularly interesting. The Tate Britain just isn't that interesting a museum -- just like it's sister the Tate Modern. I say that mostly as a way to advice people that they should spend their museum time at the British Museum. It's really the best choice. I'll be going back for a 3rd time before we leave London.
The Meetup was something of a singles event too, which was particularly uninteresting. We all (roughly 100 people) met at the tube stop and walked over to the museum together. The person running things left us on our own to do what we wanted. I spend a few minutes with "my group", then wandered off on my own because they had some abstract art that looked interesting to me. By 7:15 I was bored with the museum. I knew the Meetup group was meeting up at a nearby pub at 8, but I didn't want to a)wait those 45 minutes, and b)hang out with those people.
I remembered that one of the pubs I was really interested in was in the same general area. Called home (recall that we've got UK cell phones) and Maxine looked the place up for me. The Cask Pub and Kitchen.
Walked over, stopping at a "7-11" on the way to pick up a chicken tikka wrap to eat so that I'd have something in me before the beer. Got there and the place was mobbed! For the first time, I was TOO warm. The bartenders were busy but able to spend a few minutes with me advising on beers. I started with a black IPA, called Magic 8 Ball, from Magic ROck Brewing. Nice beer.
Desperate for someplace to sit and enjoy the beers, I asked these 2 guys if I could share their table. They were deep in conversation and didn't mind me. Pulled out a magazine to read while sipping the beers. Ended up talking to them all night! Best pub experience of the trip. Tom and Richard. 32 year old college friends out for beers the night before Richard's bachelor party. They involved me in the conversation. Talked about everything from what to do in Scotland to what weather was like in LA. Felt like, by the end of the evening, that I'd made 2 friends. Had a second beer, De Molen's Belgian style barleywine. Had most of a 3rd beer because Richard surprised me by bringing me one (!) -- I'd been planning on leaving but ended up talking till the last call bell. He made the effort to work out with the bartender what I'd been drinking so he could buy me one of those rather than what he & Tom were having. I could go on about how it felt to be drinking in a pub, having a normal conversation with 2 people who were ostensibly my friends, but this is probably enough. A great evening.
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