May 28, 2012 Copenhagen to London

As luck would have it, today is a national holiday in Denmark.  The train and stations were nearly empty, and things were so slow at the airport that the security personnel were helping us put our shoes, belts, cell phones, carry-on luggage, and other belongings into the bins to slide then trough the scanner.  It was far and away the easiest, least stressful airport security we have ever gone through.

Even when we got to Heathrow in London, everything seemed quiet.  We flew through passport control (on a couple previous May Sems we have spent about an hour going through here), picked up our bags, and hopped on the subway.  Heathrow is about 17 miles from central London, and there is only one subway line that goes all the way to Heathrow, so we were very lucky it is the Piccadilly Line, which is the line that stops by our hotel.  Even our check-in at the hotel was quick and easy.  It was a very easy travel day.

We’re staying in the Bloomsbury district of London, which was known for its intelligentsia in the 1950’s and earlier, but for our group supper we went to a more historic neighborhood.  We took the tube to London Bridge, toured Southwark Cathedral and the original Clink Prison, and then stopped at the Anchor Pub where we all had fish and chips or a type of chicken pie.

After supper we walked by Shakespeare’s Globe Theater.  This summer The Globe has a special project where all the productions of Shakespeare’s plays are in languages from around the world – hence we decided not to attend one.  This week a production is being done in Hebrew, so close to the theater there was a demonstration by Palestinians protesting Israel.  There was a very heavy police presence and the theater was completely roped off.  The police were very careful about whom they let into the theater and they bodily escorted one agitated man away. We didn’t linger.  We walked over the Thames River on the Millennium footbridge towards St. Paul’s Cathedral, and then found a tube station to head back to the hotel.

Copenhagen’s grand train station was deserted on this Monday holiday.

Laura, Nicole, Joni, and Kairsten on the tube with their luggage.

Streets of Central London

A Grandiose Hotel Near Ours

The Courtyard in our Hotel  (There are lots of British flags around because next week is the Diamond Jubilee Celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s 60^th year on the throne, England’s longest reigning monarch ever.)

A wooden cross in front of Southwark Cathedral.

The old and new in London - the glass building is called “The Shard” and will be London’s tallest skyscraper when completed.

Information about Southwark Cathedral

Entrance to Southwark Cathedral

More Southwark Cathedral

Detail on the Cathedral

A Flying Buttress on the Cathedral

It has gargoyles aplenty.

This pigeon, one of many scrounging for scraps outside the cathedral, is missing its right foot.  It walked with a limp, but it flew fine and seemed to be as healthy as the other ones.

Joni, Kristin, Laura, Paige, Danielle, and Moriah waiting to go descend into the Clink Prison Museum.

Paige, Danielle, and Kristin studying the menu at the Anchor Pub.  On the banks of the Thames River, place has been a pub for hundreds of years.

A bridge over the Thames River.

Shakespeare’s Globe Theater

Kairsten, Laura, Nicole, Joni, Paige, Danielle, Karla, Moriah, and Kristin on the Millennium Bridge..

Karla on the Millennium Bridge with St. Paul’s Cathedral in the background.

That odd shaped skyscraper is called “The Gherkin.”

Going to St. Paul’s Cathedral 

On the steps of the cathedral.