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LOVE IN A COLD CLIMATE - LONDON |
| ENGLAND By Phil Guidry |
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When it comes to honeymooning in Europe, London isn't exactly the first place that comes to mind.
Compared to the lustre of Paris, the history of Rome and Athens, or the natural beauty of the Riviera, London's temperamental weather, steep prices, and impending sense of clutter have been known to dampen newlywed sparks.
My wife and I decided to ignore this as we celebrated our first week of marriage in the city by the Thames. It was, in fact, a feat of reverse psychology - most people who live in colder climes head for sunny weather when they want to get away. As Los Angeles residents, we figured a few days wrapped in fog would be a pleasant change of scenery.
We found a cosy, (somewhat) moderately priced hotel just off Notting Hill Gate, literally downstairs from the Underground stop and a stone's throw across the street from Hyde Park. This was an added treat - unlike Central Park, you can walk long distances in Hyde Park without seeing the protruding spires of intrusive skyscrapers.
Our wake-up call never came the first morning, so we found ourselves in a mad rush to get to Buckingham Palace in time for the Changing of the Guard. We splashed down the rainy sidewalks, not stopping for breakfast until it was too late. We were a block away from the Palace and our stomachs began to rumble. Fortunately, it's difficult to find a London street without a sandwich place, so we found ourselves squeezed into the crowd in front of the Palace, in the rain, scarfing down sandwiches and laughing out loud. It was the type of scenario that would have been frustrating and unpleasant on paper. But we were enjoying ourselves. Right about that time, just as the Australian contingent was relieved of its Palace Guard duties by troops from Canada, we realised that it was the 4th of July.
It rained, off and on, for the rest of the week. But instead of a distraction, it added another unique element to our stay. London's countless historical treasures, from Westminster Abbey to the British Museum and the Tower, sprinkled in with a walk through fog and mist after catching a West End show at Her Majesty's Theatre, provided more than enough memories. We froze inside the recreated Shakespeare's Globe, but recognised that these same conditions inspired Shakespeare to warm his patrons' hearts. At the end of each rainy London day, there was always a dry, warm hotel room waiting for us.
Thanks to a common language and several hundred years of history, London is perhaps the most familiar city in Europe for Americans. Yet its climate - and the state of mind that the climate has wrought - makes London feel in many ways more foreign and exotic than its neighbouring European cities. And bundled up inside the frenetic pace of the city is an underrated dose of romance. After all, if it worked for Shakespeare, we figured it could work for us.
Phil Guidry and his wife visited London in July 2000
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