London Part II

Hello once again,

I decided that it was time to finish my UK trip blog since I am already on another trip and it's been a month since I was in Scotland.

So, back to the UK... again, I won't go into too much detail about the decor and amenities at the Ritz (because that would take forever and most of you probably don't care as much as I do about those things, however, they did have 'Euro' pillows and I've never seen those before), but I think what sets this experience apart from most hotel experiences for me is the attention to detail apparent in almost everything. They clearly don't do things half-way there. There was a fresh cut red rose in the bathroom and fresh cut pink baby roses in the bedroom.

At breakfast in the Ritz Dining Room (apparently reknowned all over Europe) the waiters were all properly attired and everyone said good morning. They were attentive without being annoying and once I had what I needed, they let me eat in peace. Of course, breakfast there costs 30 pounds, so one would hope that they would know what they were doing, but they did not disappoint. It was all so calm and civilized.

I was sorely tempted to stay in my room all day and read while drinking tea, but I felt that I should really wander about for a bit. So off I went in search of culture. I found Buckingham Palace, Starbuck's, St James' place, Regent Street, Picadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square... It was quite a walk and a lovely day for one too. I did not get to see the changing of the guard because apparently it only happens at 11:30 and I was late. Oh well, maybe next time.

So I think I know why people still care so much about the royals even though they don't really rule their country any longer... they have castles. Castles are impressive. Especially the ones that people live in. I didn't tour through it because I had so little time, but even from the outside, castles (this one anyway) are impressive. Whether you like the architecture, or think it's ugly or not well-planned (now I'm speaking generally because I thought Buckingham Palace was quite nice looking from the outside), you can't deny how impressive it is to have a building that size and of that scope, that was built a long time ago, right in the middle of your city for all of the people to see. And on top of that, rich people live in it. People are fascinated by the rich; even the nouveau riche, even the celebrities of North America who are just sort of rich. The people who live in castles (and palaces) are really rich, and these particular people can trace their ancestry back to people who actually did rule, and they're famous (or infamous) in history. How cool is that? We just don't have that in North America. We need more castles.

Having raved a little about London, I must also point out how expensive it is there. The sticker price on many things is the same as it is here, but of course, the pound is worth about 2.2 times what the Canadian dollar is worth. So, while I have discovered my favourite city in the world, it's an awfully expensive place to visit. I intend to return one day, when I have more time, because I was only there for two days, but my return will have to wait until I have saved many pennies.

Until then I remain,

Lesle, The Artful Traveller