The Plans We Made

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4

After a total of five days in London, I had sat in a pew in the elegant St. Paul’s cathedral, taken a tour of Buckingham palace where the Queen is said to reside, and witnessed the changing of the royal guard. I had even gone on a lengthy bicycle tour that had left my butt, thighs, and calves throbbing ever since. Following the blueprint Nicholas wrote out had not been as enjoyable as I had hoped.

St. Paul’s Cathedral reminded me of an older, more gothic White House, leading me to the disappointing conclusion that the home of our oval office was essentially a stolen design. And though the inside was beautiful, there was far too much gold for my personal taste.

Buckingham Palace was lavish; all ostentatiously designed high ceilings, elaborate crown moldings, grand chandeliers, gigantic paintings, expensive antique furniture, and gaudy walls. The only word that came to mind was ‘too’; too much gold, too high of ceilings, too large of paintings, too elaborate of designs, too many rooms, too pretentious. No one should be that wealthy. It was sickening, imagining all the people in London needing and wanting and such a small group having so ample a supply.

The changing of the royal guard was less than impressive if only for the fact that I remembered the changing of shifts at my old job at the mall in Portland. Sure, it was more formal, complete with music and elaborate uniforms, but the same situation applies. One group of people, tired of their long boring shifts, leaves and another comes in with the dread of knowing they have hours before they are done. No matter how prestigious it may seem, standing around doing nothing for long periods of time, regardless of where you are, is an incredibly tedious job. I felt a tinge of sympathy for them as the ceremony ended and the new arrivals settled into their perfectly postured positions.

Though London was beautiful, I felt as though all the places I had been so far were more for those in awe of the wealthy. I was more interested in the art and local history than I was in the royal family. Sure, they were beautiful and affluent and probably very agreeable people, but I was not concerned with people. I was interested in the beauty of the location, which is why, when I learned that the bicycle tour was next, I could not contain my delight. This was the first mistake I made.

It did not hit me until after I arrived, as our guide discussed our plans, that it would in fact be a three hour bike ride. It was a mere thirty minutes after we began that I came to the conclusion that our chaperon had no intention of stopping for a break in the near future. Another thirty minutes later I was sweat soaked and parched beyond anytime I could recollect. At hour two, we took a ten minute water break that ended far too soon. Looking around I noticed that several people were missing, having fallen behind or stopped altogether. I finished my entire bottle of water and used my shirt to wipe the perspiration from my face and neck just in time to continue the tour. The last hour my legs were nearly rubber, flopping around on the pedals as I struggled to stay steady and catch my breath. I took solace in knowing that it was nearly over and kept my mind off the cramp in my side by picturing myself beating our tour guide into submission with his portable microphone. I knew I had completely failed at enjoying the landscape and had not focused enough to learn anything the guide had said, not to mention that I was completely irritated at Nicholas for picking this tour knowing my aversion to physical activities.

However, blended with these events, were the high points of my trip thus far… the food; Bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie, toad-in-the-hole, bacon roly-poly, each more delicious and more oddly named than the last, all fed to me inside several quirky dives, cobble stone restaurants, and tiny cafes that Nicholas deliberately selected. It was unfortunate that my appetite was so lacking. A few years earlier, I would have gobbled down every appetizing plate and ordered seconds. These days, I filled easily, leaving much behind. Still, I appreciated each of the tasty morsels that grazed my tongue and I wasn't missing any meals, which was new for me.