Thimble 005 London

Daughter Laura and her boyfriend Ivan brought me this thimble from London in August, 2006. Their trip was quite an adventure but I am sure they agree that the city is fascinating.

But this month the big news is London and the Olympics! What a great time to remember the city. I used to ask my students to compare London and Paris and played the devil's advocate, always saying that I preferred London. Most of them thought Paris was the winner and I think it is truly magnificent but I have to agree with Samuel Johnson who said the following in 1777:

"Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."
— Samuel Johnson

There is so much to do and see there, that it would take a lifetime to do it all. How I love the museums and parks, the river Thames and the pubs, the theaters and the street markets, The Tower, Buckingham Palace. The list goes on and on and on.

A few years back a group of students and I went for a weekend and we had a great time!  We took the sightseeing bus all around the city and got an overview of what there is to see. We went to see The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie, the oldest running play in London. We went on a boat on the river and ate fish and chips at a restaurant nearby. We had a beer in a pub and went to a couple of markets. Here we are outside a shop near Picadilly Circus.

Nowadays, these weeks in July and August 2012 everyone has an eye on The Eye and London. The Olympics are in full swing and London 2012 are the first Olympics where all of the countries have a woman competing - a first in history. Michael Phelps has broken the record for the most medals ever won by an athlete. The second basketball dream team is breaking records as well. They won a game by the most points ever.

I am sure there will be more historic moments at the London Olympics. London beat out Madrid for these games but I can't help but hope that Madrid gets the Olympics for the year 2020 and we can talk about great things happening in the city where I live now, with an Olympic stadium just a few miles from my home. Maybe I can even get to see another basketball dream team play in person.

But for now,  I recommend a visit to London. I guarantee you will never get tired of doing things there if you do go.