Our Backpacking journeys August 7th 2001 through August 20th 2001
Dale J. Norris - actor, poet, writer, photographer & film-maker - is the creator of the award winning Likeastory.com: an interactive site for creative types. Dale has recently taken to publishing some of his backpacking tales of adventure at likeastory just for fun at www.likeastory.com/travel/. Contact Dale at Dale@likeastory.com
Tuesday morning. 8/7/01
My first impression of "non Airport" London was a run down rat hole of a train called the Thameslink that traveled through piles of trash and smelled of BO. I guess that is what you get for taking the cheap train. Of course the London Bridge stop, the one I needed, was dysfunctional that day. So I just hoped off at  | | The Tower Bridge (London) |
Blackfriars about 7 blocks away. The enjoyable walk up the Thames was quite a turn around after the smelly train (It was a good idea to walk instead of taking a bus.). I got a great view of the Globe Theatre across the river and traveled past several lovely London scenes. The breeze off the Thames was invigorating and much needed after having no sleep for 15 hours. Trot, trot, trot and I finally made it to the hostel I had reserved. St. Christopher's Inn.
Grrrr. They won't let me check in until 2pm. So now it has been over 24 hours since I had any sleep. Naturally, I'm a bit bitter. St. Christopher's seems a bit expensive for a hostel. And the internet thing that they brag about on their website cost a small fortune to use. 1 pound for 15 lousy minutes, (rip-off!). I do like some things about the place like the coffee house just down the way and the handy bar.
 | | This fellow was on a 15 foot high unicycle while he did his bit. He would try to juggle fruit and machetes. He was painted with tattoos - fun and quite impressive. He was just one of the myriads of performing artists I found at Covent Garden. |
Notes on 8/7/01 the night.
Well I checked in at 2pm and hit the sack. They had a nice, comfy bed at St. Christopher's and good security for the rooms. Then I went to their bar that evening. The beer was great, but for a while there I was in "Karaoke" Hell! EEEKK! Drunk ass, beer barfing frat boys who couldn't handle their booze tried to sing. I was much too tired to go scouting for other pubs in a strange place that evening. So I just ordered extra beer and got, as the Londoner's say, "a bit pissed".
Wednesday 8/8/01
I found, finally, after seeing a lot of hype filled tourist cons, one of the hearts of London's beauty. It was Covent Garden. Things really picked up today and I had a great time. So after a very interesting tour of the houses of Parliament, I wandered over to Covent Garden to find the theatre museum and ran amuck in it. I hung there in Covent Garden for awhile, and I met handfuls of performing artists doing their street bits. I of course loved it. (I'm a huge fan of street theatre traditions).
After this I went for a walk over through the lovely Saint James Park to Buckingham Palace. Saint James Park was filled with folks relaxing, with ducks and with kids who were having fun checking out the ducks. It was a nice little place to relax after doing a lot of walking. That evening I partied at Belushi's (the hostel pub) again. This time it was happening and a lot of fun.  There was no horrible karaoke tonight but a DJ. who was playing some nice tunes and lovely young ladies to dance about while I enjoyed my cold English Ale.
Thursday 8/9/01
I had partied late, dancing with young hostel ladies and drinking; so, naturally, I slept late. I woke to a rainy London day about noonish. I got my goodies, including the umbrella I had purchased at Westminster Abbey during a short rain on Wednesday, then I hit Southwark area. There I visited the Globe theatre. I purchased groundling tickets for the evening show and then wandered about. I saw the original site of the Globe and the excavation area of the Rose (the first theatre of Shakespeare and Marlow).
I became a bit upset when I heard of The Rose's plight to battle away the business vampires who believed their block of office flats more important than the excavation of the Rose theatre herself. Luckily the business vamps had accommodated the Rose, at least somewhat, by building their building over her and allotting her the basement floor area.
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| This fellow was a handy model for The Globe Theatre's High Fashion Groundling Attire. No self respecting groundling should go to the globe without his plastic rain coat with quotes on it. |
The Rose awaits funding for a proper excavation. Part of me just couldn't believe that a site of such astounding historical significance to the heart of the performing arts couldn't raise the bucks to help her fund a proper excavation. The Rose even! So many greats found their voice within her. My guess is they just need some PR people to help em get the dough.
The Rose theatre was just across the street from the original Globe. The current reconstruction which is just 2 or 3 blocks away was based on the excavations of the Globe site.
Well it was time for food. So I sprang for my "nice meal in London". I went for the fish place near the Globe and had a fantastic fresh fish dinner.
Well, I didn't get tickets for just any play. I had tickets for (lights fade into creepy shadows) Shakespeare's "That Scottish Play". It was just so perfect to go with the rainy afternoon. There is something terribly romantic about having groundling tickets to see "The Scottish Play" on a dreary London evening. I went to the Globe performance after a bit of a rest at the hostel.
It was raining just a bit, I bought a Globe hat and a little plastic rain coat with Shakespeare quotes on it. Now the little rain coat turned out to be "high fashion groundling attire". I got there early enough to get a very cool standing place right next to the stage. The Bourgeoisie swine looked down on us lowly groundlings from the box seats above. The Globe performance of "That Scottish Play" rocked. They have a fabulous and imaginative company. The minimalist approach to the show was SO much fun. My place next to the stage made the performance quite intimate at times. I was just a couple of feet away from Lady Macbeth and her fellow several times during their monologues. The company for the most part performed in black tuxedos with Lady Macbeth wearing a formal dress and the witches wore funky eyeball glasses along with their tux. The players used little rocks as an ongoing symbol for "life-force" throughout the production. But as you know, performing "That Scottish Play" can be dangerous and sure enough…
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| Suit of Armor in the Tower Museum |
The actor playing Macbeth was delivering that old classic and very impressive monologue that would get any actor excited. "... a tale of sound and fury signifying nothing..." He was nonchalantly juggling his rock, and then missed the catch bonking one of us poor groundling saps right on the head (ouch!). A gasp was heard and the monologue was given an unintended punch. The actor handled it like a real pro though as he ad-libs a "you know how I feel" to the poor sap who just got bonked. There is often a little something that goes wrong in a production and this little thing just added to the intimacy of it all. The groundling handled it cool and of course was presented with the rock (a symbol of one's life in the play) at the end of the show. "There is a crack in everything, that how the light gets in" - so goes the Leonard Cohen song. Lady and Macbeth were fantastic together. Their passion for each other came across strongly in their characters. The production featured no fancy lighting, no special effects, but imagination filled in any missing elements.
It was an after show beer or two at a nearby tavern, and then I ended up back at the hostel bar. It was really fun tonight with DJ and dancing again. Cute girls were dancing on tables and two lovely ladies were necking in the corner. The ale was cold and fine and the entertainment, for a guy, was just right.
Friday 8/10/01
I did a good bit more running around London and saw the Tower of London today. The Tower of London is very cool, it cost quite a bit to get in like 11-16 pounds. The Beefeaters bring class, quality performance technique and a real sense of history to your visit to the Tower of London. A toast to these guys for doing their bit to make the tower experience very enjoyable. |
| A Picture within the Tower of London Complex |
I roamed through the tower seeing, and vicariously participating in, the huge history of the place. The macabre histories, the battles, the ravens, the implements of torture and the armor displays made for a fantastic medieval experience. I also got to gander at the amazing crown jewels. There I saw real diamonds as big as a baseball, and some of the most lovely jewelry, glass-wear and ceramics I have ever seen. The display not only featured the current crown jewelry but also older crowns, and displayed historical descriptions and info.
Well in the morning I hit Greenwich to see the Royal Observatory.
Then on to Paris France, Orleans France, then back to London.
...MORE TO COME
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