Yesterday took a trip for the day to Bong Recreational Area in Wisconsin, off 94 near Burlington. Remembering a trip there to smoke pot in front of the “Bong Rec Area” sign when I was in college, I naturally thought of it as a place to take the wife and kids for a day of fun. It actually turned out to be a very good choice. The place has a few different camping areas, hunting grounds, rocket launching field, horseback riding, falconry, hiking, biking, fishing, boating, ATV, snowmobile, and so on and so on. It is, apparently, the largest managed prairie in Wisconsin. What it also had, luckily, was a small warm lake, with an un-crowded little beach, immediately adjacent to a nice picnic area and park. Kids had a great time, with the exception of Katie losing her bracelet in the water.
This past summer, July 2009 to be specific, my duties as attorney-at-law required me to attend a series of meetings in London. Now, I have been to London many times, but often it has been in this kind of situation – work work work, and not an awful lot of time to do much else. Such a waste when you think about it, working when I should have been out exploring one of the most vibrant, living cities on Planet Earth.
Unfortunately, it seems, a great many people, to the extent they get to travel at all, end up traveling exactly this way, that is, for business, and have very limited time to see the place whose stamp has been entered in their passports. But I did have most of a Sunday to look around, and with that day, I was able to have a nice day in London.
I was staying at the lovely K&K Hotel, located in Earl’s Court. The staff were fantastic and friendly, and Earl’s Court (picture below)
is according to my friends at the hotel a posh little area. It also had a lot of activity on the street, and was extremely convenient to “the Tube,” which is where I was headed.
Getting off the train at the Embankment, I walked over a bridge, and found a pier, at which were sitting boats for the Circular Cruise of London. This service provides a, surprise surprise, circular tour on the Thames. Great thing is, though, the ticket is cheap, and you can get off and back on again at any stop, as you please. I rode about half of the tour, as far as St. Katharine’s Pier. During the ride I passed by, and heard interesting stories from the (Irish!) guide, regarding Blackfriar’s Bridge, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Southwark Cathedral, London Bridge, the H.M.S. Belfast and the Tower Bridge.
From there, I got off the boat, and had a wander around the Tower of London, beautiful from any angle, and had a look at the famous, or infamous, Traitor’s Gate.
I kept walking then, and came across Trinity Square. At a pub called the Liberty Bounds, I had the pleasure of a ploughman’s and a pint (really, several) of cider, as well as some conversation with some very friendly, and two very drunken, Londoners.
I came upon All Hallows Church, by the Tower – perhaps the oldest church in London, built atop Roman ruins, and with a small museum in the crypt.
A lot more walking followed, but it was fine, as the weather was beautiful, and there were plenty of places to stop for another cider, or later, a Pimm’s and lemonade at the Devonshire Arms in Dentham Street. Along the way were the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, Pall Mall, Picadilly, the Supreme Court, Westminster Abbey – all during a comfortable walk.
The train ride back to Earl’s Court provided first rate people watching, as well as time to think about all I had seen. I found a hole-in-the-wall Indian restaurant, and had a lovely dinner. From there, I just strolled – stopping everywhere, and even looking at ads for flats, contemplating what it would be like to live in this little slice of London. I took those thoughts to sleep with me for some rest and some sweet dreams.
The point of all this is not to tell you a lot about London – if you’re reading this you probably have been there, and you may know a great deal more about the place than I do. The point is this: There is always time. No matter how busy your work schedule, no matter how little time for sightseeing, you can still get a feel for…wherever you are. Get a train ticket, get your feet moving, get into the thick of things, and see what you can see.
It worked for me in London…it works for me everywhere!
Enjoy!
