Another forward- this is our last day in London. I am sure that there are people out there trying to live the vacation life in Europe vicariously, but I am not being much of a help. For those who want to know where we went and what we saw here is a quick synopsis- being that this is the last day in London.
Tuesday, June 9: a walk along Bankside, a tour of the Globe Theater with a special look at the blacksmith's mermaid on the Globe gate, created by Donna's brother- Liam Denevan; A tour of the excavation of the Rose Theater (locked tight underneath a modern building); Scavenging on the banks of the Themes; the Tate Modern (Donna found a nice comfortable couch there to take a three hour nap. A night cap at our local pub in Kensington, the Castle.

Wednesday, June 10: First day of the Tube Strike: Walked to St. Paul's Cathedral ( Check out Holland Park, London to St. Paul's for distance- I don't know, but boy, were my dogs tired!. A stop at Buckingham Palace; Fleet Street; St Bride Church with Roman, Saxon and Norman ruins included; a lunch of pasties; Covent Gardens; Westminster University and a wonderful dinner at the Academie Resturant in our own neighborhood of Holland Park.

Thursday, June 11: The Tower of London and a play at the National Theater: "Death of a King".

Friday, June 12: Ed does Holland Park, South Kensington and meets Donna in Regents Park then to a wonderful percussion concert at the Royal Academie of Music. Maybe Joey can go there. Ed and Donna split up again. Ed spends several hours at the National Academie of Art.

Saturday, June 13: Portabello Road Market, Buying flowers for our hostess, Jean; then a short look at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Ah, Saturday, June 13- Our train, the TGV or Eurostar to Paris was to leave at 4:26 from St. Pancras station. We left Holland Park in what we thought was plenty of time. We had to do just one transfer to the Victoria line north to St Pancras. Although I like to travel light, I have to admit that I am a bit overburdened this time and had to pack an extra small shopping bag. I ended up putting my leather jacket in it. My leather jacket contained my passport, my Russian visa and our train tickets to London. All seemed to be going well until as we made the turn in the tube to go to the Victoria Line, it was closed! Sealed up, I assume temporarily. We paniced a bit because the instructions to get to St Pancras were a very complicated alternative. We rushed through several corridors and up a long escalator, when I realized that I had left my bag back at the detour. (yes, passport, train tickets and all). I asked Donna to wait at the top of the escalator. I rushed back- but what a maze of tunnels and corridors. I could not find the place where we had stopped. I found a train attendant- or guard and told him of my problem. He was fast on the job. I descibed to him the place but he still was not sure, and we tried a couple that were not the ones. Finally he said he knew which one. We went there, and just as we turned the corner, another guard had my things in his hands- miracle of all miracles. Now we had to catch the train. We needed to take a taxi but I had only five pounds. Donna hailed a taxi and told him our dilemma. Oh, I had five pounds, five Euros and two dollars. He said he would take us "for that amount".

Fortunately for us he was a native cockney who loved Americans, Country Music and the American Civil War. We chatted about all three on the way to the train station. At the train station we still had to go through customs and we were hearing them announce- "Last call to board Eurostar to Paris- 4:26 PM train" Our train. Customs went quickly and we had to rush up a long ramp and saw the train huffing and steaming as they do just before they leave. I showed one of the staff our ticket and he said "Car number fourteen."-- way toward the end. We ran and jumped on in time- barely. And so this was the way that we got to Paris.