Leaving London

I am sitting at the Los Angeles airport after experiencing a very rigorous security screening at Heathrow, enduring a ten hour flight, going through customs and then having to endure another security screening for my San Francisco flight. I was very sad to leave London. It is a wonderfully international city drawing people from around the world. It is a cultural mecca with an exciting theater scene and world class museums. I will be going back again.

Museums

I have spent my last few days in London exploring museums. The Tate Britain and the Tate Modern have impressive art collections. I still like the British Museum for learning about history through objects such as the above statue of Aphrodite. I took a tour which reviewed the history of the Roman Empire though statues of the emperors. I was able to touch a carved stone ax head that was several thousand years old.

Backbeat

I saw Backbeat--a musical portraying the early days of the Beatles. It covers the start of the group in Hamburg, Germany. The acting and music were great. The audience was dancing in the aisles. I am learning the tricks of the trade such as checking with theaters in the morning to see if they have discounted day tickets. It ended up costing 20 pounds per seat to sit in the front row.

Olympics Countdown Clock

The Olympics Countdown Clock in Trafalgar Square shows the countdown of days, hours, minutes, and seconds until the Olympic Opening Ceremonies in 2012.

Shakespeare's Globe Theater

I visited Shakespeare's Globe Theater today. Unfortunately the season ended in early October, so no plays are currently being performed. The theater has an open roof, so cannot be used in the winter. In the off season they are working on upgrades and repairs including building a smaller indoor theater which can be used all year round. I took a tour and heard the over 40 year history of fund raising which led to the building of the theater. I also heard stories of interactions between cast members and the audience in the Shakespearean tradition.

Les Miserables

I went to see Les Miserables on Wednesday. I have seen it many times on PBS, but there is nothing like seeing it live. It was worth every Pound I paid. We are starting to see some rain. This is the London I remember--damp and rainy.

Jersey Boys

I saw the Wednesday afternoon Matinee of Jersey Boys. It reminded me of the 1950s and 60s when I was growing up in New Jersey.