I sometimes wonder where people go in Europe who have never traveled before. I, for one, always have held that Americans should see Paris, London, and Rome. These cities are magnificent, have a great deal to see, and are a part of our heritage. However, I have not been to London for more than a decade. The City is hellishly expensive! Part of it is the exchange rate but not all. For example, we wanted to see St. Paul's Cathedral. You have to check in and pay a fee - ~$60 for a walk around the church for say ten or fifteen minutes.

But, in spite of the cost, the City is mobbed. Washington D.C. could not hold a candle to the crowds on the street or at the sites.

We slept in (until almost noon) and so after checking in for our tour, we didn't have much time to tour. We took a taxi to St. Paul's and walked back to the hotel - about half the distance we travelled yesterday. Since it was an hour and a half walk, we covered 6 to 7 miles. We saw some of the same sights we had yesterday. Carol wanted to walk Bond Street to look at the jewelry stores (CC comment: ONLY from the outside!). A 30+ carat yellow diamond ring is over the top - but apparently not here - there were lots this size on display.

Since we have been in Solana Beach we have become more attentive to public art. London's public art is literally monumental - in the sense that the pieces are statues to dead people. On the other hand, as we looked for other examples we found some that were fun.

Yesterday we mentioned the mime we saw at Piccadilly Circus. Today we saw a couple more at Trafalgar Square. This is a form of public art that is by definition temporary.

Tonight we have a dinner and get-together to get acquainted with some 80 of our closest friends whom we have never met before. Amusingly, one of the staff was on our Round the Word trip a couple of years ago.

Things are hectic - we are clearly ready to be off.