Yesterday, we went on to the Churchill War Museum after Ralph got home. By the way, I did run around very energetically and efficiently and washed dishes & clothes, vacuumed, washed the counters, changed the sheets, straightened up all before Ralph called. Whew! Felt good. Anyway, we saw the underground headquarters of the British war office during WWII. How intriguing, Jane. It has been left just as it was in most instances and the rooms which had been changed have had their furniture carefully replaced according to photographs from that time. It is as if the people, when the war ended, just got up and left it the way it was. And it's just as you would imagine it. Corridors dimly lit with rooms off to the sides. Beds and chests and desks or dressers in the rooms. Left painted just as it was a drab beige. The war cabinet (not sure of the title) conference room with large tables and Churchill's armed chair just as it was. Maps on the walls. Signs sticking out in the corridor at each room labelling whose it was. Churchill's and Mrs. Churchill's bedrooms. Scrambled telephones a different color. An entire room full of the equipment to operate the single trans-Atlantic telephone to the U. S. president. Tiny kitchen for cooking Churchill's meals. It is so evocative of the time. Just as you see in WWII movies of military installations. And a large museum all about Churchill. It's in the basement of a giant government building just around the corner from Parliament and from 10 Downing Street (which we saw walking there) and across from St. James Park on the other end of which is Buckingham Palace. I so enjoyed immersing myself in that historic place. People lived there. Underground. Day in and day out. They had postings of the weather. And they said to just imagine working in their only to emerge wondering what devastation you might find on going outside. We had only 1 hour 15 minutes to tour. Not nearly enough time. Maybe it was a blessing as I'd likely have been there all day otherwise.
We went from there at 6 to The Globe at 7. We walked from St Paul's Cathedral across millennium bridge which puts you squarely in front of the Tate Modern and then we walked on to The Globe where we were to meet up with a TA who had our tickets. Was a bit nerve-wracking worrying she might not come or might not have gotten the message to bring our tickets. And then there she was. The play, "A Comedy of Errors", was absolutely mesmerizing and delightful. DELIGHTFUL! Ralph says it's the best production he's seen at The Globe. Laughed and laughed. Wonderful to see humans making fun. Strictly amusing. I wish I'd read the entire play. I read at last minute the beginning at Ralph's urging. So I'm sure I missed a lot of the sense of it. But still. People eat and drink in the courtyard outside the theatre and, as far as I know can eat inside as well as drink. I certainly saw people drinking inside. They served hamburgers and various sandwich wraps. We got veggie and water.
Today we went to Camden Coffee on Camden Rd. for coffee and pastry. I'd been wanting to go as it's not far and could be a morning destination and/or ritual. They have a garden downstairs as do many restaurants here. It was too cold to sit outside so we sat in the small area inside and I had café latte and raspberry crumble. It was bustling with commuters picking up take away coffee. Fun. We went on to the post office to mail a letter. They have easy to use machines for purchasing stamps and postage for packages. Someone had shown us the other day. Interestingly, they also have passport services, photo booths, financial services and other services. Then I went on grocery shopping and Ralph went home to write. Hard to grocery shop on a full stomach but I made it.
It's overcast and coolish today for the first time in days.
I am so aware of babies and children here. I can't figure whether I just don't run across that many at home or if I am, for some reason, conscious of them. I am constantly reacting to this with wonder how I missed this experience of having children during my life. What was I thinking and seeing and hearing that I passed this up so carelessly or so it seems now. Hindsight. Regret.
I hear so many people speaking foreign languages and think of their coming here to live and raise families. That seems so brave and daring to me. I pass a lot of women dressed in Muslim clothing on the street. They, most often, have children with them. I wonder what they and their husbands think of us women who are not dressed accordingly. Do they scorn us? Of course, it's probably the case that there is a lot of variation in what people think just as there is variation in to what degree the women are covered. I just had a scare that I'd erased this entire thing so I think I will conclude and take up later in another place.
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