A Busy Week in London, Part 2

June 5, 2011

We got a late start, but managed to arrive at Hyde Park just in time for Speaker’s Corner.  We attended this weekly event last time we were in London and had such a great time, it was all but required to return.  Every Sunday speakers and listeners crowd a small corner of Hyde Park, near Marble Arch.  Everything from religion, politics, history, culture, and a slew of other controversial topics are discussed.  Usually someone gets up on their soapbox and starts giving an opinion and before long a crowd gathers and the debates begin.  It’s a fascinating thing to watch people passionately argue different points of view without coming to blows.

When it began to drizzle, we headed over to Covent Garden to watch the street performers and visit the Jubilee Market.  Once the rain started coming down, it was lucky to have at least a bit of roof over our heads.  We warmed up in a coffee shop and waited for the rain to abate.

The rain kept falling, but we decided to head out in it anyway armed with an umbrella.  We headed towards the embankment and crossed Waterloo Bridge where the rain filled sky made for some amazing views of the city and Parliament.  We walked along the Thames until hitting Westminster Bridge where we stopped to take in yet another gorgeous view of Big Ben.

We circled around Lambeth Bridge and got soaked on the way back to Westminster.  The rain was fun, but my cold, wet feet were not.  I think I know why Europeans hem their jeans so much shorter than Americans – their pants were dry while mine were wet halfway up to my knees.

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