Library, Pub and Another Pub

Jorge Luis Borges once said, “I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”  For Tony and me today, Paradise was the British Library.  During our visit to the Library today, we got to see the original manuscript of Beowulf, (which Tony wanted to touch!), an early draft of Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s marriage contract with Contanze Weber, letters written by King henry VIII (WOW!!!!), Haydn’s publishing contract, the original draft of the Beatles’ song Yesterday by Paul McCartney, the letter that Michelangelo wrote to his father to tell him that Pope Julius II asked him to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the oldest surviving English document from the year 679, the Magna Carta from 1215, and some original writing from Shakespeare.

No one can visit London without visiting Piccadilly Circus.  To us, it looked a bit like Times Square in New York City.  From there, we moved to St. James Church which was one of the last buildings designed by Sir Christopher Wren.  The church was damaged by bombs during the London Blitz in 1940, and it remained a roofless shell for about seven years.  It has since been restored and struggles to this day to remain open.

We then ventured to Covent Garden to search for a pub that I had read about – the Lamb and Flag.  This pub was first licensed in 1623, and Charles Dickens was a regular drinker at this place.  It was once known as the “Bucket of Blood,” because they held bare-knuckled brawls on the second floor of the pub (where we ate lunch!)  It was where whores and hoodlums were regulars.  It is not easy to find because is not on main street but in the corner of what Londoners call a “dog-leg alley.”  We had to walk through a slightly sketchy area to get there, but it was totally worth it!  A real treat.  

After our late lunch, as the rain began to pour, we returned to the hotel so Tony to get some work done, and we could plan the rest of our trip.  We capped off the evening with a visit to Exmouth Arms,  a local pub where we were clearly the oldest people in sight.  No worries, though.  We were warmly welcomed, and we enjoyed some great beers.  

  

So far, we have had a nice time.  We have plans to see lots of things tomorrow. Let’s hope for fabulous weather!

Joanie