Epilogue: Questions on travel

Why can't travel days start later in the day? Why is it just past sunrise when I find myself in the kitchen, trying to stir my tea as quietly as possible, my crunching of granola seemingly the loudest sound in the world?! And in these accommodations where there is ALWAYS someone slamming the bathroom door, or coming in late at night, there is utter silence this morning. It is like taking that first breath of fresh air the minute we close the door behind us and head out onto the street!

Why does it always feel like we are rushing like mad to get everywhere, when in actually we have all the time in the world? We prepared for this! We get to Victoria with plenty of time, but then there is a Train at the platform, ready to leave, and the attendant rushes us to run so we can catch it, and of course one of the credit cards doesn't want to read, and then the conductor on the platform is whistling for us to run...the worst thing is that this was not even the train we had planned on taking this morning!

Why is it that no matter how prepared we are when it comes to passing through security, it always feels like we are severely holding up the line? I am standing in line, belt and watch in hand, bag open and ready to empty, locations of my laptop and liquids and boarding pass memorized for easy access. And yet, there is always that nagging for the guard, questions I have already answered with my movements, and then the point to bottle of disinfectant and "You need a plastic bag for your liquids", while I watch in horror as my liquids bag travels down the ramp ahead of me. Thankfully they seem to have all the patience in the world for this kind of thing, and so my little bottle is really a non-issue, but in the present moment feels like a nuclear bomb...

Why is it that no two check-ins work the same? In Montreal, we practically ran through boarding, and yet here, where everything has been incredibly relaxed thus far, gets halted once we arrive at our gate? We get stopped for our boarding passes and passports, and then the ArriveCan receipt, which we had intended on filling in on the plane like last time. But no, here we cannot access the gate until we have proof, and no we can't sit down at the gate to fill it in either. And then, when we think there is nothing more, we have to test out carry-on in the dreaded metal cage, to make sure they are regulation size - even though we did all this on our way here, and the luggage has definitely not grown two sizes too big in the past 7 days! 

Why is it when the flight is only half-full and the flight attendant basically invites everyone to change seats to get more comfortable, the one person who is happy with their aisle seat is in our row? Not only that, she has fallen into a deep sleep, headphones in, and it takes quite some effort on Mario's part to shake her awake so he can go to the bathroom! Upon returning, he suggests she might be more comfortable in another row, where there is no one else, and 3 free seats all for her. I watch her contemplate, and for a moment, almost think that she is going to refuse, but she takes the bait, and we find ourselves with a lot more room to stretch out, as does most of the passengers. Later, I walk to the washroom and see many are stretched across 3 seats, sleeping the flight away.

Why is it the minute I am served a hot beverage, there is turbulence? Every. Time.

Why do we land 5 minutes before the end of my movie, and then taxi for 20 minutes, but the entertainment system is turned off? I think it would keep people patient, occupied, and in their seats longer.

Why does everyone jump up the minute the "seatbelt" sign turns off upon landing? It's not like they can go anywhere! The airplane doors are still closed!

Why do we all run like mad to disembark the plane and get to customs first, only to have to wait 30 minutes for our checked luggage to show up on the carrousel? Perhaps we should try to balance those two out more - or travel carry-on only , which proved to be a real game changer this time, except for having to leave a jar of red currant jelly behind. So tasty, too - makes me sad.

Why is that first shower after returning home always feel like the best one in the world?

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Thanks for coming along for the ride.

Until next time.

An afternoon at the Victoria & Albert Museum

One last day in London, and we have no plans. I had originally wanted to visit the Tower of London, but the cost of admission kinda scared me away. Plus, you need to reserve timed tickets, because they are controlling the number of visitors inside, which I didn't buy ahead of time...But there are plenty of free things to see and do, and as we learned on our English Bus Tour, there are several in the same upscale Belgravia neighborhood. Mario and I take the Underground all the way to the Victoria & Albert Museum, which is focused on art and design, perhaps a more tangible art to grasp in comparison to yesterday's visit to the Tate!

Again, the museum is so much bigger than we can ever visit in the space of one afternoon, so we browse through the galleries rather quickly, stopping at interesting pieces once in a while, but not focusing on reading every single piece of information. I think we might be slightly tapped out when it comes to museums - 3 in one week is a lot. We make point to devote time to the Raphael Cartoons, mock-ups for tapestries commissioned by the Pope to hand in the Sistine Chapel. These paper sketches were then obtained by the British Crown, and are now part of the Queen's private collection. But I love the idea of seeing a work-in-progress, with roughly sketched outlines, half-filled in colours - the idea that the great Raphael was just as human as anyone else, and needed to practice his drawing before committing to the final product. It makes the artwork that much more tangible, and Raphael more relatable, taking him down off of that pedestal we so often put great artists up on. 

Galleries of Asian art draw us in, particularly the ones containing Thai and Cambodian art, as it reminds us of similar images and iconography we saw while travelling. The Japan galleries are wonderful, with their kimonos and samurai armour, but also pop-culture items such as a walkman and a Hello Kitty toaster! 

We make our way through galleries to the far end of the museum, where the gorgeous cafe waits with cups of tea and humongous scones to snack on. The eating halls are housed in old rooms, walls decorated with woodwork and painted ceramics tiles depicting the seasons and months of the year, and a massive cast-iron stove filling up one wall. Speaking of iron, we then walk through hall after hall filled with wrought-iron railing, hangers, signs, candelabras, gateways - well, you name it, I probably saw the equivalent of it! 

We search for the way to the glasswares, passing through a hall of modern design and how it has influence our day-to-day lives. Items like 3-D printers, IKEA furniture, nubbly sidewalk tiles, Tupperware, an Apple Computer, stand out, as I may not immediately see these items as design, but they are. It certainly shows you how the things you use all the time had to be dreamed it up, creating its functionality as well as beauty even though it might only go on to be stored in the back of your kitchen cupboard. 

 And just like that, 6 pm rolled around, the museum announced its imminent closing, and the attendants began to herd us all towards the exits. We never did find the glassware! Instead, we headed down the road to the post office to get some stamps, since there are always postcards to mail. We took a walk through the middle of Kensington Gardens, to the tube station on the other side, because Mario started this project of photographing as many of them at possible. We also made a quick stop at the Tesco, one last time, to pick up a couple of pre-made meals for dinner. There are still a lot of things to eat up from our shopping at the beginning of the week, and we hate to waste food. Plus, those pints of cider from Bath are certainly not going to drink themselves! A glass our two would be the perfect accompaniment as we cut up tomatoes and cheese for dinner, organize all the papers from the trip, and pack away our clothes into our suitcases. In fact, I can't think of a better reason to have a glass!

Lazy Theatre Day

Sleep, for whatever reason, did not come easy last night. Be it from my body wanting to return to its regularly scheduled timezone, being over tired from the long day out, or maybe from the sudden chill I go from the open window just before bed, something stopped me from getting a good sleep. So this morning, I was lazy, and Mario was lazy and it just felt like a good day to chill out in our room for a bit. We make our way lazily back to Borough Market to explore some more of the stalls, and come away with the exact same tasty snack as our last visit: Sweet pain au lait, tender figs and peaches, savoury, salty local cheese, and we complement it all with dry sliced charcuterie from South Tyrol, coppa, speck and garlic salami. We take our picnic out of the market, away from the crowded picnic tables, from the people huddling in hidden corners to eat standing up. A couple of streets away, we find a small park in the middle of Maiden's Lane, in the center of a square of houses that seem wholely out of place in this section of London, and take a moment to enjoy the spoils of our market-hunting. A few other market-goers find this spot too, but it much less busy and utilized than I would expect this close to Borough Market - I suppose we could classify this as a true hidden gem. From Borough, we make our way towards the Thames, and run right into the queue to view the Queen's casket at Westminster Hall. Now, in an attempt to organize the crowds willing to line up for hours(and maybe more), the city organized areas for people to stand, with washrooms, water spots and food services available, as well as attendants to keep the order and control queue-jumpers, even though I understand that to not be an issue on this side of the pond. Our evening's entertainment is the Shakespearean play Much Ado About Nothing, and at the Globe Theatre, no less - which the queue just happens to pass right in front of. So, as we approach, we can see the long line of people snaking its way along the water, past the theatre, in front of the Tate Modern Museum, and on, and on, and on. We wish its population much patience, as we've heard that some are waiting up to 15 hours now to enter Westminster, and hope that they have all come well-prepared. We head next door to the Tate to waste time until the show.

So I have determined that I do not like museums of Modern Art. Sure, there are some things that I find intriguing - give me a Salvador Dali, Picasso or Magritte any day, and I love a good pop art by Warhol, or even some Jackson Pollack splatters. But tell me, is it just recently that modern art became an excuse for artists - no, activists - to use any medium to convey a message, and that message have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO with the art itself?! Our walk through the Tate Modern became an exercise in "Guess the artist's message". Holes burnt into rolls of ratty-looking beige carpet, or a recorded video of sweat dripping down a hairy man's chest projected onto a pool of sand, both conveying the struggles of the indigenous people. Several rooms filled with speakers playing a piece orchestrated using the calls of South American birds, though impressive and complex, were created from the artist's reaction to reading and article about Russian submarines dumping nuclear waste. I mean...WHAT?! I just don't get it. Please tell me - is it just me?

Regardless, the museum is vast, built within the shell of an old power plant, so at least the history of the building is interesting - just walking the halls took a good amount of time. Plus, admission is completely free, another bonus, so it took up just enough of our afternoon to get us to dinnertime. At the suggestion of Chris, our guide from the English bus tour, we returned to another Fuller's establishment, this time the White Hart pub near the Globe Theatre. Though all part of the same family, and serving the same beers, each Fuller's has a distinctly different feel about it, and the menu reflects that. We did, however, go with something familiar and ordered the steak and ale pies, served with creamy mash and peas that were sauteed with leeks, cabbage and LOTS of butter. It was delicious, and I dare say, better than the pies we ate at the Astronomer. Plus, having learned so much about ciders and their acceptance on the British pub scene, I opted to get a pint of a light and crisp Cornish Orchard instead of forcing myself to enjoy the bitter of the British ales. 

 Ah, the Globe Theatre - home of Shakespearean entertainment. Once upon a time, wayyy back on a high school trip in the last millennium, when this place was close to completion, there was a possibility to help finance the construction by way of "purchasing a brick", for a measly 2 pounds. Of course I got one, so I wanted to know of there was some was of finding said brick now. I think my inquiries fell on deaf ears, however, as I was pointed to the outer courtyard to search the paving stones on the ground, where names like John Cleese, Richard Dreyfus, and the entire country of Japan were inscribed. I highly doubt that one, my measly 2 pound donation would get me one of these large stones, and two, that my name would figure along side these great names! (though it did make me laugh)

      

We opted to enjoy tonight's performance as Groundlings - the common folk that get to watch from the floor, interact with the actors on stage, and perhaps toss rotten tomatoes or cabbage when the play is not too our liking. Okay, maybe not that last part, but the idea is generally the same, and you can't beat the 5 pound ticket price! And with a play like Much Ado About Nothing, a Shakespearean comedy if there ever was one, it was the best location to truly enjoy the play. The actors were phenomenal in their delivery, and their physical performance really highlighted the script - giving sideways looks down to the crowds, playing off the reactions, often creating their own little side stories to follow during the main storyline. They ran and jumped from the stage into the crowd and then back out the rear exits, only to bicycle their was back in, or attempt to climb back up and require someone's help and a little boost. At one point, one of the actors is trying to evade the authorities, dresses an audience member in his jacket, and as the police is distracted, he runs over to us, and ducks behind Mario. Mario taps me on the shoulder, and as I turn around, he points to the actor, who waves sheepishly at me at winks! How can you NOT get engrossed in a story that does everything to involve you in it! It was a fantastic night of theatre, and I dare say, the best I've ever experienced.

We walk across the Millenium bridge in the chilly night air, over all those people still waiting patiently in their queue for their turn with the Queen. We duck into the warmth of the Underground, and catch the next train back to Aldgate East. 

The English Bus Tour

 One of the things I would not budge on when planning this trip was the fact that a visit to Stonehenge was a MUST. When researching, I found a company that did small, personalized group tours, which is exactly what we search for. Forget those big bus tours where you are lead around like a herd of sheep and given about 5 minutes to visit things - this one includes time at Stonehenge, an afternoon in Bath, and a visit to a SECRET PLACE...it's exactly the type of touring we are looking for. I booked immediately.

We head out to the meet-up location by Victoria station, where we were last night to see Wicked. We stop at a Nero to get some coffee, as it is a chilly early morning, then find our tour guide, Chris, and the rest of the group of 13 we will be travelling with. The bus is super cozy, a small Mercedes bus with floor-to-ceiling windows, a sunroof running the whole length of it, and individual lounging seats like the ones we used to enjoy on airplanes. Chris also drives, and as he does, he regales us with stories of the areas of London we pass through on our way out of the sprawling city, and comparisons with the lot of us in North America(since we all seem to hail from that neck of the woods). He shows us Museum Row, the differences in the neighbourhoods we pass through, pointing out embassies we drive by(Lesotho!). He also remarks on daily life in London, how Pubs are not just for drinking and are often kid-friendly, and notes the location of the Fuller's brewery, the last one still operating in London.

As we drive further out of central London, the houses began to drop away and the Motorway opens up before us. Just after passing through the A25, the ring-road around London and unofficial border of the city, we stop at a rest-area. One great thing about this tour is there are plenty of stops and plenty of places to buy snacks, if need be. Since Mario and I have been eating what seems like all the breads this trip, I decide to vary out diet a bit and pick up a couple of fruit smoothies! Then it's one more stretch of quiet driving into the rolling hills and farmlands of the West Country before we head to Stonehenge

Stonehenge seen from a distance

Chris drives us not along the main route into Stonehenge, but on some winding roads out in the country, past army bases, to a vantage point far across a field, where we catch out first distant views of the circle of stones. Apparently the new main route kinda spoils the approach for everyone, by bringing you tantalizingly close to Stonehenge, then heading over another hill until you get to the car park. He doesn't like that.

Since I have last been here in High School, the area has changed a lot. Not the stones, of course, but there is a new, larger visitors centre, and no more vehicle access to the site - you ride a bus transfer to the area, or can also walk. We'll keep this in mind for next time, as the area is littered with burial mounds, hiking trails and even a roadway that campers use to spend the night within view of the stones! Sounds like some fun exploration opportunities, which we are always seeking out. No, still on a schedule, albeit a relatively relaxed one, we hop the bus and ride to the site.

Stonehenge is a prehistoric site, which means it predates written records. Its creation has been estimated as being about 5000 years ago, and unfortunately, not much else is known. Sure, there is speculation about how the circle was formed, what is was used for, but no one knows for sure. One of the biggest mysteries lies in the stones used to create this massive circle. They are of a rock that is not native to this area. In fact, some of the smaller "blue" stones can only be sourced from one place in the world, and that is in Wales, roughly 140 miles away! And even though they are the smallest ones, they still weight up to 2-3 tons EACH! Mario unearthed an interesting article which might shed some light on this: The remnants of a similar circle of blue stones has been discovered in Wales, and incomplete, too. Some specialists believe that it is possible that part of Stonehenge was being assembled by people from Wales, who wanted to bring their relics with them, and so in migrating to the southern part of the island, travelled with the stones in tow, to rebuild here - hence the two incomplete circles in the two different locations! It is fun to speculate, especially when nothing is known for certain. 

We wandered around the site, listening to the excellent audio guide provided while absorbing the warmth of the sun which had just peeked its head out from behind the clouds. It provided for some much more beautiful photographs, too, not the grey-on-grey-on-grey that I have from my previous trip. We also re-enact some of the photos from the Great Aunts Tour '82, which basically involved standing in front of the stones and posing awkwardly - I remember their trips notes remarking on the disappointment of having to follow a cordoned-off path, and not being able to touch the stones, and their hopes that it would only be a temporary measure! I would hate to disappoint them with the news that the path is now a permanent feature!

A quick stroll through the giftshop and we are the last ones to make it to the bus. Then it's off to Bath to wander about the city. There is an option to visit the Roman Baths, but as Chris informs us, they are actually not Roman, they have been rebuilt on top of the ruins of a Roman bath, and date only to the 19th century! Yes, there have been archaeological digs since then to uncover temples and statues and other artifacts, but there's nothing Roman about the current baths. So we decide to skip it, walk about the town instead, admiring the architecture, and tasting some cider, which is very local and very good! 

The area is full of apple orchards, and so Bath is known for its wonderful ciders, effervescent and crisp, and served from the taps in the pubs alongside the ales. We order a tasting flight to share and discover 5 of the best quality ones, and even buy some to take back to the accommodations with us! We also get a taste of Cornish Pasties, a tender-flaky hand pie filled traditionally with a meat-and-potato mix, though can be filled with anything, and find that they are absolutely delicious! As it is late in the day, the best shop in town is sold out of everything but the cauliflower and onion bhaji pies, so we reluctantly get one, but discover it is fantastic, and are glad that fate has lead us to this new discovery! We also get an apple-rhubarb-custard pastry for later, and the tastiest cheese scone that I have ever eaten. Then its back to the bus, last again, and we are off to our next destination.

Our bus tour also includes a stop at a secret place, which Chris choses from many in his arsenal, picked according to what he discovers about our tastes as a group during the day. For us, he has picked a stroll through the town of Lacock, an old workers village that use to house the employees and families of the Fox Talbot family, pioneers in photography. The entire village was later bequeathed to the National Trust, who now rent the homes to its tenants, but the place is better know as the Victorian background to so many well-known British TV and film productions. This includes the BBC production of Pride & Prejudice(the one with Colin Firth), Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, episodes of Downton Abbey aa well as the live-action version of Beauty and the Beast. And it is very apparent when walking through the town - if you were to remove all the modern cars from the streets, it it like taking a stroll back in time! 

We make our way back to London by way of some of the smaller roads, the bus riding up and down the hilling terrain like a rollercoaster. We spot thatched roof houses and country gardens, a white limestone horse carved into the side of one of the hills. Chris points out old pubs and churches, and then we quietly ride back into central London - maybe I take a nap. And 12 hours after our departure this morning, under the night sky, we arrive at Earl's Court, and our day is done. Mario and I stop briefly at a small Indian restaurant for a bite to eat, and then we ride the Underground back home again. 

Will I regret this?

So we are taking our chances this morning by heading out to Buckingham Palace to attend the Changing of the Guard ceremony, for two reasons: One, there may not be a ceremony due to all the activity in the lead-up to the Queen's cortege procession this afternoon, and two, there might be, but the area will already be so crowded, we may not even want to venture close! We do luck out with our timing, however, as St. James Park Underground station is announcing its imminent closure for the day just as we are exiting out the gates and onto the street. Lucky!

I hold a map in hand of the comings and goings of the different regiments and guards, and we follow the path up and down Bird Cage Walk road, searching in front of the Wellington Barracks for any sign of activity. Or perhaps, the right kind of activity, as there is no lack of that today! We dip into the park itself, grabbing a welcome coffee on our way, and try again. Finally, I ask one of the barrack guards through the massive metal gate regarding the days proceedings. Turns out, the city guard has taken control of the duties in this very unprecedented time, and not wanting to cause any more confusion, the palace guard has stepped back, for the time being. Things should return to a semblance of normal after the Queen's state funeral next Monday, but until that time, there will be no Changing of the Guard ceremony. Oh well.

Since we already here, we continue to wander around the area, heading through the park to the sidewalk opposite Buckingham Palace, and then to the start of the Mall, that great wide boulevard that leads to the palace, already lined with rows and rows of people camping out to secure their spots for the procession. They are pressed against the security barriers, some draped in flags, or carrying bouquets of flowers. We spot a few dressed to the nines in their black funeral attire, hair styled with eccentric fascinators or capped with silk top hats. It's nothing less than I would expect from the British at a time like this, wanting to show the utmost respect and devoting to their late Queen.

We wandering the area extensively, up and down both sides of the Mall, mistakenly exiting the security area a couple of times while walking past Clarence House, but managing to make our way back in. In an attempt to control crowds, there are only only a few access points, which I am sure will get shut at some point in time closer to the procession, and once you leave, you won't be allowed to return. This presents us with a very important choice : having not prepared for this turn of events, and it being still quite early, do we attempt to find that elusive viewing spot, settle in for 3+ hours, and wait with the rest of the well-wishers, only to get crushed together against the barriers in the final moments, with hope that we catch a glimpse of the coffin go by? Ultimately, I find the prospect too overwhelming, and ask that we escape the crowds, leave the British people to their mourning, and seek refuge on the other side of the Thames. Perhaps I will come to regret the decision. But in that moment, it all felt like a little too much, I wasn't prepared for it, and my attachment to the Monarchy doesn't seem enough to warrant taking up the space that perhaps belonged to someone more deserving. I'll leave it there.

We cross the Golden Jubilee bridge, a multi-peaked suspension bridge, to the other side  of the river, to catch views of Westminster and the London Eye, and walk right into the long, snaking queue of hundreds of people beginning their wait to enter Westminster Hall and file past the Queen's coffin, paying their respects for the last time. Note that the coffin hasn't left Buckingham Palace yet; it is 11 am, and the doors will only open to the public at 5 pm. We silently wish them all patience and hop on the Tube to Borough Market instead.

Borough Market, tucked under some rather noisy train bridges, is a great place for foodies, a great place for lunch, and a great place to change your state of mind, which is something I needed. With so many different stalls offering up infinite tasting possibilities, it was just a question on decided what we felt like eating, and keeping it as simple as possible - I think I could've tasted it all, to be honest! At a fruit stall, Mario spotted the biggest, roundest figs I've ever seen, so I picked out two that were so ripe, they were practically turning to jam in my hand. I chose a velvety purple peach that turned out to be the same colour inside and out. Upon passing a cheese monger, Mario got drawn in by Alsop & Walker, a cheese producer from East Sussex that produces cheeses using pasteurized cow's milk, so we tasted some and chose a generous chunk of their Woodside Red. Finally, we spied a beautiful round loaf of Pain au Lait at a baker's stall in the center of the marker, crusted with sugar crystals, and rounded out our lunch with it. Finding a free spot on crowded bench in a sunny corner of the market, we spread everything out on a shopping bag and began to tear up pieces of the goodies to snack on. Everything was  delicious - the fruits at their peak ripeness, the cheese pungent but creamy - but I think the breakout winner of the picnic was the pain au lait, its soft, pillowy crumb delicately sweet and pairing perfectly with everything else. If I return here, I would without a doubt buy another loaf of that delicious bread. 

Insert here an intermission where we head back across the City to Aldgate East, to the accommodation, where we crash for a few hours before the Theatre tonight. The BBC is broadcasting the procession to Westminster Abbey, so we watch the goings on from a much better vantage point.

This evening, we head back out into London, over to Victoria Station in the West End, to the Apollo Victoria Theatre and this evening's performance of the Broadway hit "Wicked". It was never a question in my mind, when coming to London, that we would not try to find a time to go see a show, but this one presented a great possibility for inexpensive tickets rather close to the stage, and at the last minute, too, so how could I say no? Plus, I seem to have gotten Mario hooked on plays and musicals enough now that he looks forward to them, too! We stop for a quick snack at the Pret a Manger take-away, which we eat on the steps of a nearby monument, so we won't be hungry during the show!

I don't know if you are familiar with the premise of the show "Wicked". It is the genesis story of the friendship between Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West, from "The Wizard of Oz", all the way up to the events that occur at the end of the movie, and culminating with the melting of the witch. You can imagine the Emerald City plays a relatively important part in the play, so there is heavy emphasis on the colour green everywhere: in the theatre, in the seat upholstery, in the stage settings, in the costumes - you can even buy pairs of emerald-coloured glasses to join in the fun. 

The show itself is very entertaining - it has great music, wonderful dancing and acting, and the costumes! So spectacular, so detailed. The whole show has a slight steam-punk vibe to it, which I loved. What I didn't appreciate so much was the rock-n-roll feel to the whole show, like being at a concert. Sure, it was fun and exciting, but as a result, the music blared through the speakers, tuning out the singing a bit too much, which caused me to miss some of the lyrics and story. I feel I missed a few important parts - I'll have to listen to it again sometime to really appreciate the full show.

After we filed out of the theatre and back onto the street in the night air, we realized our proximity to Buckingham Palace, and decided to take a walk. Everything was still all gated up and secure, guards standing in twos and threes on every street corner. We crossed back and forth across the wide expanse of the Mall, catching glimpses of the palace behind us in the distance, the boulevard lined with so many UK flags. I stopped to take a few pictures, standing next to gentleman with a tripod doing the same. Needless to say, my pictures were probably a little more blurry. And we just just walked, enjoying the city. Once upon a time, this idea, walking out in a foreign city at night, would've scared me - now I look for the opportunity to see the place in a different light. I guess it all depends on the place and the circumstances. And we finished the night snuggled up in bed, watching some more of the cortege procession on the BBC and snacking on tea and toast. How British.