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A few weeks before we set out for London, we decided to book a show. Tim and I sat in front of the computer scrolling. There were so many possibilities. Yet, when we saw Les Miserables at the Sondheim Theatre, we immediately decided on it. It is over 30 years since we first saw it. My brother Conor took us and Colm CT Wilkinson played the role of Jean Valjean. That was a real treat. Colm CT Wilkinson played that role from 1985 to 1987 and then the show moved to Broadway. The evening of the show, Donagh, Tim’s nephew, had arranged our pre-show dinner in a French restaurant called Brasserie Zédel, “just to keep the theme right” he said. We loved it. Les Miserables blew us away. It was spectacular. The sets were amazing, the costumes beautiful and the actors were brilliant. I know the film is good but the real live acting displays such raw and beautiful talent. It was Donagh’s first time seeing it and he also enjoyed it, making it a show for all ages.
We loved it. Les Miserables blew us away. It was spectacular. The sets were amazing, the costumes beautiful and the actors were brilliant.
Westminister Abbey
On our own, we visited Westminster Abbey. We had one of those earphone guides. The tickets were expensive at £29 each. It’s hard to describe how I felt walking around it. The Abbey is very beautiful with its gothic architecture. It is in poor repair due to the fact that it is so old. It has been the coronation church since 1066. There is so much wealth there, the tombs are massive and so ornate. It speaks of centuries of royalty. King George ll was the last royal to be buried there in 1760. I found it a sad place.
We happened upon a gastropub called The Red Lion. Apparently, parliamentarians have been eating there for centuries. Now our names are added to the list. It was a lovely old world place. We had a selection of pies board for two. Meat pies are a famous part of English cuisine. They were lovely but one would not want to be counting calories. They are very rich.
We walked across Westminster Bridge with spectacular views of London both ways. The London Eye was moving slowly. A wall stretching along the river bank caught our eyes. We decided to go down for a look. It turned out to be a memorial wall for all the people in the UK who had died during the Covid pandemic since March 2020. It is run by volunteers. Red painted hearts of a similar size stretch as far as the eye can see. The public can write the name of their loved one on a heart. It was a poignant reminder of what the world suffered during the pandemic.
We visited Harrods. The displays in the food halls were so impressive. We searched for anything that might be Irish. I was thrilled to find Glenilen gut health kefir and one of my own favourites, Glenilen natural yogurt with rhubarb. Meanwhile, Tim had found one of his favourites, Cashel Blue Cheese. Everything was very expensive in Harrods and in London in general. A simple observation we made was that if we were paying a euro in Ireland, the same thing cost one pound in London.
Family ties
We went south to Purley to visit my brother Conor, his wife Lynn and my three nieces, Anna, Cathy and Marie. We had a beautiful meal in a restaurant called The Mint. There’s something very special about visiting family around Christmas. It is a time to check in and catch up. The girls’ lives are changing daily. Anna’s career is well underway. Cathy is finishing her first college degree and Marie is planning for college later this year. Their lives are full and interesting. If we don’t make the effort to keep in touch and make the trips, we lose track and grow apart.
Towards the end of our time in London, Tim had a bit of a cold. We wore masks coming home just in case. To our horror, Tim tested positive for Covid the day we came home and I tested positive the day after. After all this time and that many vaccinations, we are still being plagued with the thing. We isolated until we were negative which just got us out of jail for Christmas. Life goes on.
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