Sun over Westminster Abbey on a Thursday afternoon. We went inside on Friday (Mom, I thought of you). On Thursday, we mainly got to visit the Houses of Parliament (and then went to see the RSC production of A Midsummer Night's Dream that evening). This brings me to the answer to one of my questions -- what is the worst place to sleep in London? Answer: on a bench on the balcony overlooking the House of Lords debate.
On the night before our break, I pulled an all-nighter. A real one; I am not just saying so. I was writing my last paper until 7 am, then I ran home to pack. No sleep. The day was packed in London, but whenever I sat down anywhere, including in the Commons and the Lords, I could not keep my eyes open. This would have been embarassing enough anyway, since we were quite privileged to have special passes to the exclusive viewing galleries of Parliament, but it was made much worse in the Lords by the fact that the gallery is a narrow seat, with only a flimsy railing between me and a thirty foot drop onto some unlucky member of Britain's hereditary peerage. As I tried desperately to keep myself from dozing off, and continually failed, I was grimly conscious that each nod could be my last.
3 comments:
Lauren, I so enjoyed your comments and pictures of your vacation week trip, and those of Carly and Annie on their blogs. Given the choice, at my age, I would rather send you girls on a British Isles tour, and trip along on your Blogs, then go on one myself. Who says youth is wasted on the young?
"The memories of a man in his old age,
Are the deeds of a man in his prime."
(Oh by the way which one's) Pink Floyd
Praying you'll have the strength to get all your work done and still enjoy the table God has set before you.
Dad
"...with only a flimsy railing between me and a thirty foot drop onto some unlucky member of Britain's hereditary peerage."
Oh Lauren, even the serious moments in your blog make me laugh. I think it's the way you phrase things, it's sort of poetic and comedic at the same time, it's really brilliant *wink*. I would have quoted your whole post, and remarked at every funny moment, but there are just too many. And your choice of words casts a unique emotion into each situation, as if I were there myself, which I soon will be. (WOOHOO)
Lauren
If you had fallen and survived it would have been, perhaps, a boon to the aim of the current British Labour Government in reducing the cost of the peerage.
You will remember Grandma saying, ’that we shall sleep until Christmas.
Here in Victoria the snow is falling. It should not be so.
And, by the way, since your 21st birthday will come while you are away your card will be at home.
Love,
G & G
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