From Paris to London, our whirlwind of a journey finally brought us back to the motherland. Foreigners as we still were, we felt like grandchildren returning to the old family manor.
Our third floor rooms were smaller than Paris, and yet somehow felt roomier and cozier. I couldn’t resist checking out the first (and only) wardrobe we encountered.
Our first attempt at fish and chips was ok, but nothing worth celebrating and not nearly as good as Brits Fish & Chips back home. We learned later that the downtown core tends to cater to tourists instead of featuring authentic British pub fare.
Our highlight of this weekend was undoubtedly the theatrical performance of Les Misérables. I admit to having never read the book (despite owning it), but I have often enjoyed Focus on the Family’s Radio Theatre version.
Naturally, no photos of the performance to share, but our view of the stage was unrivalled. My personal favourite was the commanding performance of David Thaxton as Javier, previously the Phantom in the Phantom of the Opera. Charity also appreciated the passion of Jon Robyns as Jean Valjean.
I admit to having previously had my doubts about musicals. Perhaps it was the format of spontaneously transitioning to singing only to return to the regular story telling. The format of Les Mis, by contrast, was almost exclusively singing, with just a handful of hushed words that fit beautifully in moments of necessary silence.
One critique. I appreciated the comedic relief offered by the Thénardiers, themselves secondary antagonists driven by the love of money to swindle everyone who crosses their path. But the sexual overtones of their characters seemed oddly out of place. While the moral undertone of mercy received by Jean Valjean and rejected by Javier remained intact, it seemed sullied by the humorous portrayal of these otherwise depraved characters.
The Sondheim Theatre itself was a work of art reminiscent of the detail we enjoyed at the Louvre barely 24 hours earlier (though with all the same caveats).
Our second and final day in London began with a trip to the British Museum.
Still tired from our seven hours at the Louvre, we agreed not to try to see everything, but just wander for an hour or two. The Egyptian mummies were fascinating, if not slightly disturbing, but my favourite discovery was the Lewis Chessmen, as I knew it would fascinate our children when we shared photos later that evening.
Our next planned stop was Evensong at Westminster Abbey, passing by Trafalgar Square, the Canada House, and the Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben, the bell, within).
In contrast to Notre Dame, there was little to obscure our view of this ancient edifice.
Gazing at the statues outside the entrance, I realized many were from relatively recent history, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I wonder what goes into deciding who graces this entrance: and when “someone” gets removed!
Again no photos within the chapel, and while we hoped for a chance to sing alongside the congregation, the selected songs were unfamiliar and hard to follow on the magnificent pipe organ. To the credit of the Reverend, the sermon on “three transgressions … and for four” from the book of Amos was theologically sound and a practical reminder of God’s extended mercy and justice.
Charity more than made up for the lacklustre congregational singing as we passed the Parliament buildings together.
Our evening came to a close aboard a double decker bus, a living art display, and takeout back at the hotel.
Monday morning marked our early departure from London to visit family in the Manchester region!
