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The Football Match

  As I mentioned in a recent post, a bunch of us were interested in attending a football (soccer) match while here and learned that the English National team would be taking on Czechia at Wembley Stadium. After lots of trial and error, we figured out how to buy a batch of tickets, expecting that their modest price would mean we had seats high up in the nose-bleed section.   The prospect of this outing was daunting; Wembley holds 80,000 fans, the tube to get there and back would be crowded, and it would be a late-ish night.   Kickoff wasn’t until 7:45pm. As the night approached, a few of our group bailed out but five of us braved it.   We have no regrets!               Getting to the Wembley Park tube station was easy, involving only one tube changeover from the station near our lodgings. Once you exit the Wembley tube station, there is a sea of humanity making its way on a wide walkway to the enormo...
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Recent posts
           It has been a busy week; I've covered a lot of ground, tourist-wise. Here are many 'quick hits.'      The tour of Parliament was fascinating. We had a knowledgeable guide (who spoke really, really fast) who took us all around, including both the House of Lords and House of Common rooms where all the Lords and MPs debate and argue. He remarked that the Speaker of the House of Commons makes sure everyone remains civil and I thought ha! that's not how it looks on TV.   We weren't allowed to take photos in most areas but here is the main hall with brass plaques in the floor commemorating famous moments.          After this tour, I wandered to a nearby "real" pub where I had a pleasant meal, sharing a table with a local guy who ate a hefty plate of bangers and mash, and barely looked up from his phone the entire time I sat there.    On Saturday, I walked along Oxford Street ("shopping street") an...
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Random Sights

  When I was in London ~24 years ago I didn’t ride The London Eye for some reason. I’ve regretted it ever since so when planning this trip, an Eye ticket was my first purchase. Yesterday was the big day, and I’ve finally got this out of my system.   It was low-key fun. The wheel rotates at a glacial pace and takes ½ hour for a single circuit giving plenty of time to walk around within the stable pod and take in the views. Before the Eye, I visited the ChurchillWar Rooms which are amazing. It’s a tour through the extensive basement headquarters from which Churchill and his officers and staff managed Britain’s involvement in World War II. Apparently, on VE day, everybody just got up and walked out. The doors were closed and locked with everything left as is and supposedly, that’s how we’re seeing it all today.   The visit comes with a well-done audio guide, and there’s a room dedicated to the entirety of Churchill’s life. I spent around 2 hours there and could have sp...
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