Martin in the Fields and Canary Wharf

We were both feeling a bit tired on Wednesday  night when we got back from Paris, so we did not start off from the flat until 12 noon on Thursday and we immediately went to lunch at a place called Cote that had been recommended by a book Ellen had brought with her.  Ellen and I never got a chance to go there, so Lynne and I went and it was great--lots of food for a reasonable price.  Then we decided to stroll to Trafalgar Square.  Lynne remembered where she and her husband Rick had stayed a few years ago, near the square.

And now for a clarification....I said the Olympic Countdown clock was wrong because it had the wrong number of days on one side.  In fact, the clock counts down to the Paraolympics on one side and the regular Olympics on the other.  The thing is, the clock did not work for the first seven hours it was up, so it's still a funny story, despite my bungle of it.  It was grafitied during the recent demonstrations, but looked fine on Thursday.

At Trafalgar, we were given a flyer about a concert at St. Martin in the fields church--Brahms Requiem--and decided to go later that evening.  Before the concert, we had a drink in the "crypt" cafe....

 Lynne looking pensive.....

And me looking like this is not my first drink.

The concert was terrific, only marred by two coughing jags on my part---I had to leave the church both times so as not to ruin other people's time.  I am getting better, no such coughing today, knock on wood.  Later we went to the Sherlock Holmes Pub, which I have mentioned before.  It was really happening there.  We started talking to these two 50-year-old-or-so guys, both named Peter.  One is a real fan of the US, and travels around the Southwest each year for weeks at a time.  (Lynne thinks he goes from alien invasion site to convention, etc during those trips because he mentioned one time visiting Roswell.)  The other Peter has a Vietnamese restaurant in Shoreditch, which I am definitely going to visit.  We actually were at the pub at closing, impressive until you realize that pubs close at 11PM here.

This morning we went to Canary Wharf, a place that is almost all new, right up the river from Central London, still within the city limits.  It is filled with skyscrapers, bank buildings and sidewalk--or in this case, quayside cafes.

There are boats right up against the side pavement.  Here's one that hires out for parties.

Look at what it's like inside!

We walked down to the Thames and had a great view of the City of London...

We also went to the Museum of London: Docklands, showing the development of the city.  And I found this little bit of history.

The Canary Wharf area is filled with sculptures, including this one which in which the woman appears to be wishing she did not marry such a square....

Tomorrow, Stratford upon Avon and the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of King Lear.