Good Day Sunshine

An account of my first few days in London, one year ago.

April 20
On my first day in London, exactly a year ago, I had some first day jitters. I learned two important things that any committed traveler must know. First of all, a full stomach can make all the difference. You cannot be an effective sightseer and you cannot blend into the crowds of a huge city on an empty stomach. As I tend to do, I let my hunger get the better of me. But once I had the first of many meals of yummy, fresh Pret-a-Manger sandwiches (they come in adorable triangular cardboard packages), I felt much better. I would come to rely upon the Pret-a-Manger chain quite a bit. They had a huge variety of wonderful English sandwiches. I tell you, I ate more bread in London than I ever have in my life, but all the walking and Tube stairs worked off all the carbs.
The second lesson: when in doubt, just get on a bus. I had lost my bearings and orientations and was feeling overwhelmed and frustrated again, so when I spotted a bus that said “Trafalgar Square” and “Parliament,” I just got on. Sitting on the upper deck of a wonderful old red Routemaster, I made my own bus tour. I got off at Trafalgar Square and spent some happy time with Admiral Nelson. I then got back on the bus and went past Parliament and Westminster Abbey. I then went up to Piccadilly Circus and walked around Piccadilly, which is one of the biggest roundabouts in all of London. I went into a very good bookstore that turned out to be the Queen’s (where she gets all her books). I then popped into Fortnum and Mason’s, which is the most wonderful grocery store in London (both the Queen and James Bond shop there). It has the most beautifully packaged cookies, chocolates, candies, teas, jams, etc. Fortnum and Mason’s really makes one want to be a queen, or at least a princess.

April 21
When many people think of London, they think of dreary, gray, rainy days. But for the month that I spent there, the city very kindly blessed me with absolutely gorgeous weather. I pulled out my brolley (umbrella) only a handful of times. I had duly packed my wool overcoat, but I ended spending most days in shorts and sandals. On my second day in London, I took advantage of an absolutely perfect spring day to take a walk in the park. But London parks are no ordinary parks—wide lawns of impossibly green grass give way to carefully manicured flower beds and fabulous avenues of trees. London’s parks also teem with statutes, playgrounds, and other hidden treasures. You can wander for hours and keep finding new flowers to smell.
I started off through Hyde Park and stopped briefly in front of Kensington Palace, where Queen Victoria lived. I found there the Flower Walk, an absolute explosion of tulips in every conceivable color. I happen to love tulips—they are my favorite flower. And this little walled off garden, complete with fountain, had tulips set out in the most beautiful combinations. I walked around and around, viewing them from different angles.
Now, I am a New Mexico girl at heart, and I do love the desert landscape. But something in me just goes wild at green things—at grass so thick and soft that you can walk barefoot through it; at huge bushes laden with flowers growing wild; at trees that envelop you with a canopy of rustling leaves. London’s rain might get old during the dreary winter months, but the result of that rain is a profusion of green life. The verdant London parks left me in awe. And the delicious smell of flowers just came wafting by itself. Every time even a slight breeze blew, the smell of the flowers would come over me. And the smell of fresh cut grass!
Walking through Hyde Park, I suddenly came upon the Albert Memorial, a gigantic gleaming tower of gold and ivory, complete with a life-size gold replica of Prince Albert himself. I had no idea it was there, but in London you can often find amazing pieces of beauty by sheer chance.
Whenever the weather turns fine in London, everybody pours out into the park for picnics. Honestly, seeing so many people out having picnics on the lawn, children playing soccer, and elderly gentlemen out with their sketch pads and small dogs truly restored my faith in humanity. It made me feel so warm and happy inside to see so many ordinary people take notice of a beautiful day and get outside to enjoy it. It seems that at the slightest ray of sunshine, out come the ice cream carts and the lawn chairs. Seeing this outpouring of enthusiasm and good, old-fashioned fun made me feel truly happy and made me feel that amid all the cynicism in the world, Londoners still have a place in their hearts for romance, nostalgia, and innocence.
In St. James’ Park, amid even more astoundingly beautiful tulips, I saw someone special enjoying the weather: Sting. He was out with his wife Trudy, walking the cobblestoned paths just like any other Londoner. I passed right by Sting on the path. I made eye contact with Trudy. But of all the rock stars I could see! I don’t even particularly like the Police! I could have picked 25 rock stars I would have rather seen. But still, it was the first celebrity I had ever really seen. I let him go on his way and soon enough he and Trudy were laying in the lovely grass.
On days like these, I literally stopped and smelled the flowers. I have a special place in my heart for flowers and trees, and London let me enjoy them so much.