[LONDON LIGHTS 1984] DAY 5

August 4, 1984

We have a technique by which to maximize our budget while traveling, and cut down on our eating intake besides. We wake up at a time such that, after having showered and dressed and securing our bags for the day, we get down to the breakfast room an hour before the buffet is supposed to close. In effect, breakfast turns into brunch, and we only need to take a medium afternoon snack and a light dinner before turning in to bed.

Today it was Westminster again, to get a closer look at the Abbey. We strolled inside, and there was much craning of neck to appreciate the Gothic architecture -- ribbed ceiling vaults, stained glass windows, and statues everywhere. Everyone who was someone wanted to be buried in the Abbey, judging from the markers on the floors and walls. As a royal house of worship, most of the monarchs of England are buried here. Royal marriages and christenings also take place here, as do the coronations.

It was fun playing "spot the historical figure" -- because in addition to markers and statues, there are effigies on the tombs. Supposedly they are accurate representations of the people in the tomb. It's entertaining to believe, however, that sculptors were paid an extra sum of money to remove less than flattering features without making the effigy totally unrecognizable.

I spotted Isaac Newton, Mary Queen of Scots, Elizabeth I, The Black Prince Edward III (unwitting father of the Wars of the Roses) and his consort. There was a touching memorial to the Princes in the Tower, who disappeared under the reign of their uncle Richard III. It's shaped in the form of a canopied crib, but you can't see who's inside, because it's oriented away from the official tourist path -- you look up into a mirror set into the wall, and see that two young boys are lying in the crib, embracing each other, as it was described in Shakespeare's play. A sad and fairly unsolved mystery, for while the remains under the memorial are thought to belong to the young princes (brothers of Elizabeth Tudor and therefore uncles to Henry VIII, had they lived), the world may never know how the boys died.

Or even if they died at all. Many a rumor abounded that the young princes were spirited out of England and hidden away abroad. A favorite location was Burgundy, since the Queen was somehow related to Richard III. Certainly at least one pretender showed up from that direction. But who is to say?

We also saw the Stone of Scone that makes each coronation official. It's a very large looking rock, and sits beneath the throne used during the coronation ceremony, surrounded by the latticework connecting the four legs of the throne. How very interesting that being crowned on top of a rock should confer legitimacy on a ruler!

After the Abbey, we strolled around the area of Clarence House, the official residence of Her Majesty the Queen Mother. The skies had gradually turned from mildly overcast to iron-gray, and it had actually begun to rain. Thank heavens for travelling umbrellas! However, the rain quickly stopped, and the crowds gathered outside Clarence House let out with a loud cheer when the Royal Scots Highlanders (for after all, the Queen Mother was born and raised in Scotland) emerged to pipe "Happy Birthday" for her appearance on the balcony.

The Queen Mother was dressed in pale blue, and she looked quite healthy and happy, waving to the people and looking the way a dowager Queen ought to look. What a pity the rain started up again, as though it meant business, chasing us away from Clarence House to the end of the Mall towards Buckingham Palace.

It was here that we had our first experience with the London black cabs. One obligingly stopped for us, and it was love at first sight when we got into the roomy interior. The cab had seen quite a few years of service, but it was well-maintained, the cushions firm and the floor carpets brushed down to a fine point. It gave one the feeling that one had just stepped into a cosy sitting room.

The cabbie got us to the hotel in good time, with none of the odd feeling that maybe he took a more scenic route to add a little onto the fare. Fortunately, I remembered that first one has to get out of the cab and then pay the driver through the window, which made the cabbie smile, since we were so obviously tourists!

We both had hot showers to counter the sudden chill of the rain, and on the TV, I discovered that if we'd managed to stay longer at Clarence House, we would have caught Prince Charles, Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, and Viscount Linley as they came to pay their respects to the Queen Mother! Ah, well...the Queen Mother was quite enough royalty, and since she was the birthday celebrant, the proper person to wave at in any case!