From West Virginia, I was supposed to head straight to London to start work. By my poor dog, Daphne, had what I understood was IVDD (intervertebral disc disease). Basically, her spine was collapsing, or discs were pressing hard on her spinal cord or some variation thereof. The net result of such things was that she could be paralyzed (or die) at almost any moment and couldn’t be left alone for more than 2 hours at a time. The response is immediate or near-immediate surgery. So, instead of flying to London last Sunday, I flew home to LA to be with her.
Luckily, but only after about four days of tests, and two visits to the neurosurgeon, I found out that she either has spinal cancer (boooooooooo) or Valley Fever (yay?). The former is a slow death sentence, but at least a slow one. The latter is entirely curable and relatively easy to fix with a slate of pills for several months to kill the associated fungus. All of that to say, I went from expecting potential paralysis and possible imminent death to, oh, she’s totally going to be OK for a good bit more. So, I continued my original plans, now late, to head to London before my Alps trip.
I was upgraded to first(!) for my flight to London. It was wonderful – I could sleep! – but it turned out to be a trip with some of the worst turbulence I’ve experienced while flying. Near Las Vegas and the Rockies, it was really bumpy. I got to sleep a few hours, then it was bumpy again over the Atlantic near Iceland. But, I arrived happier and more well-rested than I typically have for international travel and, for jet lag purposes, decided to stay up until bed time. I arrived early afternoon.
For my first visit, I decided to cruise the Pepperdine house where I was in undergrad – I’m staying nearby – and then to head up to the Wallace Collection. I remember enjoying the home and art when I was here 24 years ago. I walked through Hyde Park to get there and refresh my memory of the area I once knew so well. Then, I went to Wagamama on Kensington High. It was brand new when I was here. The food is still good and high quality, but the atmosphere is a bit 1999 at this point and a little worse for wear. Still, so many good memories there with my friends.
Then I was up late, late, late since my jet lag was messing with me and eventually slept.
Next day, I decided to visit Greenwich. This was a mistake. I always wanted to go since I was here in undergrad and for some reason just never went. The Prime Meridian! The Royal Observatory! The invention of handheld timepieces! OK, admittedly, these are silly, nerdy things; but I was legitimately interested. Did you know that the Prime Meridian is simply based upon the physical placement of a telescope by Biddell Airy placed in 1850? For 20 some odd years before he placed his new telescope there, it was about 25 feet to the West. But, after he placed it, and the Royal Navy adopted it, basically the entire world began using his system. I suppose the Prime Meridian had to be somewhere, but it’s astonishing to me that it’s just the place where some smart guy in 1850 decided to mount his telescope. That’s it. Otherwise, completely arbitrary. Though, it’s kind of a lovely homage to the power of Britain at the time that the entire world’s coordinate system runs through a town just East of London where the Naval College was.
Now, back to why it was a huge mistake… The Big Half Marathon was going on JUST as I arrived via Tube. 16,000 runners, and probably triple that in family members and friends, were converged on the Cutty Sark Tube station I was exiting. The streets were closed, sidewalks packed. It took toooo much time to move about. But, I did get to see all that I wanted, and enjoy them.
Then, I decided to visit the Globe Theatre for a Shakespeare play. It was brand new when I was here in 1999, and I visited it with my London class. But, I never did see a play there. So, As You Like it was playing and the show was great fun. And, it was a lovely night.
Today, as I am posting this, I worked most of the day. Then, I went to visit an attorney with whom my firm works, and stopped at the Inns of Court along the way to have a little look around. It feels important, and looks very nice there. Los Angeles Courts (and lawyer’s quarters) look shabby by comparison. And, I have just finished David Copperfield, which features a friend who is a solicitor. It was nice to get a place to put with the mental images I had made for his Inn.
Then, I briefly visited the Tate Modern, which I visited previously as well, but it was close to my lawyer friends’ offices and I could walk across the Millennium Bridge which was not here when I was here last. This evening am headed to Royal Albert Hall for Bruckner’s 8th Symphony tonight. An excuse to continue looking smart this evening. What fun!
