london - streets and words

(London Bridge with St. Paul reflection, click for larger view)


(Shakespeare's Globe, Thames Riverside)


(steps of St. Paul, towards Fleet Street)


(Westminster Abby)


(The British Library)

All the world's a stage
The now a gift
Called present
And we stand
Immersed in a sea
Of humankind
Part of all
That we have seen*
__
*from the outside

(monday was a mosaic of places and quotes: across London Bridge to Shakespeare's Globe - i brought some lines of him to read there, and when stepping into the Globe, the exact same words waited there already: "All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances.."

and that's how London felt that day, whether crossing Millennium Bridge, or sitting on the steps of St. Paul, or wandering around Fleet Street.

the one thing that was a bit frustrating: we thought we could linger in St. Paul a bit, and stroll to Poet's Corner in Westminster Abby, to give our respect to Chaucer, Johnson, Dickens, Kipling, and Tennyson - but both places only came with the option to buy a full 11/15£ tour ticket. we opted to see the places from outside then - which even connected to the 2 Tennyson quotes i had brought:

"I am part of all that I have seen."
"So many worlds, so much to do, so little done, such things to be."

from Westminster, we went to The British Library - such a surprising & beautiful place, full of books and thoughts and with a great café - and with an entry quote by Babatunde Olatunji that matched the whole day:

"Today is a gift. That's why they call it the present." )

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