My final day in London started with yet another Full English. This time, I was joined by Richard, and we managed to actually find the greasy spoon I had been recommended. Today's breakfast turned out to be better than the one the day before, although one thing I appreciated both times was that the meal essentially took care of the need to eat until about 6 PM (perfect for a day of sightseeing).
The big attraction of the day was to see the British Library's exhibition celebrating the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta. While the exhibit promised to really be quite something, I assumed that there wouldn't be that many people there-and boy, was I wrong. Reading the panels morphed seamlessly with a queue, slowing one's progress through the exhibit (though perhaps also forcing one to really consider the artefacts, and allowing the time to read everything). The whole exhibit took a lot longer than I expected-2:30 hours; nearly every minute, however, was riveting. The Magna Carta has a fascinating history, not just for what it is, but for what the very idea of it (and often a misconception at that) has inspired in others. The exhibit was also impressive in its thoroughness- in addition to two of the four known original copies being on display, we were treated to numerous accounts of the different personalities involved, reactions, and how it was used over the years. Original copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, as well as displays covering human rights history post-Magna Carta really rounded out the exhibition.
After the Library, Richard had to head on his way, and I was on my own until dinner. I had a hard time deciding what to do, and nearly went to the Greenwich observatory before deciding that I didn't want to have to come back from there during rush hour. Instead, I went to take a look at the Tower of London (actually a castle), and sat outside in the torrential downpour, eating fish and chips.
I then headed back to Harrods. On the outside, Harrods resembles a giant version of the Bay store on Ste Catherine Street in Montreal. On the inside, it consists of several floors containing a variety of departments selling some of the most expensive and luxurious items you care to see. I saw everything from Audrey Hepburn's signature (for sale) to £29 000 watches.
My last tourist attraction was Hyde Park, a giant green park, which contains both the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, and Speaker's Corner, amongst other thing. The park actually turned out to be quite a bit larger than I expected, and provides for a lovely green space in the city (though it doesn't have quite that abrupt feeling created by Central Park, since London is nowhere near as high rise as Manhattan).
My final night in London ended by meeting Andrew at Piccadilly Circus for dinner in nearby Chinatown, a nod to the fact that we met in Hong Kong. After dinner, it was back to the hostel to pack and sleep before heading out in the morning.
Overall, my impression of London was very positive. The City is extremely walkable, with attractions nearby to one another. There's a lot of greenery for such a large city, not just the impressive parks but also trees along many of the streets. People were quite friendly, and the city has a multicultural vibe, including a large number of tourists. When I first arrived, Max said he thought he could see me living there, and I certainly could as well. I was a little taken aback at how busy I found the city-it could be the effect of arriving directly from Fredericton, but it even seemed more packed than Hong Kong, particularly at any and all tourist attractions. Prices are also, of course, sky high for a North American (as a Canadian, we double the prices to get our dollar), but these things do little to detract from a great city, at least in my opinion.
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