The Events of Sunday, June 5, 2011

                The sign says "open 24 hours". That means it should be open all the time, right? Wrong. In London, the 24-hour supermarkets are open on Sundays from 11:00 am to 5:00pm. Oh, well. Even though I returned empty-handed, I enjoyed the pleasant one-hour walk in the cool dawn air.

                Two subway trains took us to Green Park station. From there, we walked through the park and found a great spot to view the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. We stood on the steps of the Victoria Monument, which is located in the center of a roundabout. Caitlin was prudent to get us there early: we arrived at 10:10, and we were surrounded by the crowd by 10:30. Watching and waiting for over two hours on concrete steps was challenging. In addition, Pam and Abby had to deal with second-hand smoke from nearby cigarette-smokers. At 10:45, we watched the procession of the horse guard. The company of fresh guards marched in at about 11:15, followed by a fife-and-drum unit, and finally the full brass band at about 11:40. While the soldiers completed inspections, etc., the band set up music stands and played some pop songs. At about 12:30, the front gates swung open, and the band marched straight toward us, with tubas and bass trombones blaring beautifully.

                A drizzle of rain began as we walked to Hyde Park. We found some benches in the rose garden and, partly sheltered by the plants overhead, we ate our picnic lunch. Next, we walked to nearby Apsley House, the home of the Duke of Wellington. This weekend, the house hosted some living history exhibits. We joined two of them, both featuring His Majesty's 33rd Regiment of Foot (i.e., Infantry). First, we learned about the uniform and "kit" of the foot soldier. Then outside, at the foot of Wellington Arch, we watched the regiment's military drill and parade. At the end of their presentation, the sergeant invited volunteers from the audience to join their line for some simple maneuvers. Sadly, we started observing from the top of the arch, and by the time we all descended to ground level, the maneuvers were already underway. Even so, we delighted to watch our fellow citizens attempt these traditional drills. 

                The afternoon was flying by, so we walked briskly over to Speakers' Corner at Hyde Park. There, we listened to the strongly opinionated advocates of various belief systems. I heard Old Testament legalism, Islam, National Segregationism, economic reform, and a few others that were difficult to identify. I was fascinated by the energetic back-and-forth of debate, but the kids felt intimidated by the aggressive verbal confrontations. 

                We escaped from the drizzle briefly on our tube-ride to St. Paul's Cathedral. Once there we enjoyed a free recital, given by the Cathedral's own "organ scholar", Donald Hunt. He played three pieces for us: Praeludium in E Minor by Bruhns; the Allegro Cantabile (second movement) from Symphonmy No. 5 by Widor; and Crown Imperial by Walton (arranged by Herbert Murrill). Quite different from one another, these works gave us a good taste of the beauty and grandeur of this organ and its acoustic space.

                Finding a steady rain, we took the Tube and made it home in half an hour. Then Pam and I created one of history's most unusual dinner combinations: pancakes and bacon, nachos and cheese, green peas, and, for dessert, a few pieces of baklava. (See what happens when I can’t shop for groceries?) After thoroughly enjoying this strange meal, we spent time reading, blogging, and relaxing. It felt good to be still and rest.