October 7
Blurry-eyed we peaked out the window of the hotel and saw authentic London drizzle. We stuffed our umbrellas in our vests and ventured back to the bus stop and Tube. Getting off at Victoria Station we searched for the Original London Sightseeing Tour, a double-decker bus which would give us a great overview of London.
We climbed to the top deck and enjoyed the sights and commentary of a live guide
who explained and humored us on our tour.
We got off the bus for some lunch then boarded a different double-decker for a new route of sightseeing. Then we realized that not all buses have a live tour guide. Now we were treated to earphones and a generic narration. Still we saw most of the not-to-be-missed sights. We visited the London Bridge six months later.
Tower Bridge
Westminster Abbey / Buckingham Palace
Trafalgar Square / St. Paul’s
Parliament / Theatre District / Taverns on Fleet Street
Soon we disembarked to take our free river cruise (included in the bus tour package). By now it was raining hard as we splashed our way to the cruise boat. A short round trip on the Thames gave us a rainy perspective of London and took us by the Globe Theater, the site of our next day’s adventure.
Jet lag was taking its toll so we searched for another pub. We found the Red Lion where we tried the Pie of the Day with tea and coffee. Another stout would have induced too early sleep. By now it was nearly 3:00. Rush hour was upon us. We rushed to the Tube (Underground) where I saw just the right train.
I jumped on quickly. Barbara was right behind me, but just as I jumped on, the door shut.
I pounded on the window to no avail. Then I waved to Barbara and tried to communicate that I would come right back. I went to the next station crossed over, caught the next train back, and returned to where I had left Barbara. She wasn’t there. I decided to stay put for an hour if necessary to give her a chance to find me. Still no Barbara. I went upstairs to the Information desk and asked for help. They agreed to call her name at this station and at the next station. Still no answer. I asked another attendant at a gate for help. She agreed to call the hotel and leave a message in case Barbara was there. Still waiting at the gate I spotted a policeman who flashed his badge for a free exit. I asked the attendant if the policeman would mind if I asked him for help. She said he was off duty and probably wouldn’t help. I didn’t care. I walked over to him, explained the situation and asked for his advice. He told me to return to the hotel and that if Barbara was not there, then to call the police. I wasn’t convinced, but I did as he said. I looked for Barbara at each platform as the Tube passed each station.
About an hour later I reached the last station where we usually got off to catch the bus. As I was headed for the bus, I saw Barbara. Our prayers were answered. We found one another without cell phones or any other way of communicating.
Totally rattled we caught the bus back to the hotel. There I would write down the name of the hotel, the phone number, the bus numbers, and the subway stations that we used. We also agreed on a plan if this happened again. Then we headed for the hotel bar where I ordered some therapy, a double Tanqueray on the rocks with a twist of lime. The bar tender looked at me like I was from a strange planet, so I asked for Beefeaters on the rocks…. I still got that look. Finally, I asked for gin. We ended up with a double shot of Gordon’s. It seemed watered down or we needed another shot or two. We gave up and headed back to our room where we collapsed anyway. What a day.
