A Traveller's tale: LA, NY and the UK, 2005 - Part 5



England—and a little bit of La Belle France

After farewelling New York via JFK airport (at a reasonable hour for once), we were transported eastwards across the Briny in exemplary fashion by British Airways and deposited at London Heathrow. There was the usual week or so period of settling-in and catching-up-with-the-family, and then it was suggested we might take an extended drive for lunch—in France. This seemed like a splendid idea so early one morning four of us drove from London to Dover, where we boarded the Hoverspeed ferry to Calais. Note that in spite of the name the ferry was an ordinary car ferry, and not a hovercraft (pity). I was surprised to find out how cheap it was—a one-way crossing for a car and 4 passengers was only £15 (US$26 or €22).

It would have been nice to cross the Channel in this...



...but we had to settle for this...



Actually it was quite comfortable inside, with plenty of passenger space and reasonable food and drinks available. The ride was very smooth, with only a hint of pitch and roll. As we left the harbour, we had a splendid view of Dover Castle and part of the famed white cliffs.



What is not generally known is that beneath the Castle and carved into the white cliffs themselves is a network of tunnels. These were first dug during the Napoleonic Wars and proved so useful that they were used as a command centre during the Dunkirk Evacuation in 1940.     The history of the Castle goes back to fortifications built there in Anglo-Saxon times. These were strengthened by William of Normandy (aka the Conqueror) in 1066, Henry II in the 1180s, and Henry VIII in 1539 when a Catholic invasion of England seemed inevitable following a peace treaty between France and Spain. In an earlier French invasion by the Dauphin of France (Prince Louis), who in 1216 was invited by a group of rebel barons to steal the English throne from King John, it was only Dover and Windsor Castles in the whole of south-east England that managed to hold out against him. Remember the Dauphin and King John because we will come across them a bit later on.

The Dover-Calais stretch of the English Channel must be one of the busiest sea-lanes in the world. We were constantly passing groups of 2 or 3 huge ferries going in the opposite direction, like those below.



Talking of below, it was strange to think that not so very far away, 150 feet under the sea-bed, Chunnel trains were also ferrying passengers and cars between the two countries. When the high-speed track is completed on the English side in 2007, the travel time from London to Paris will drop to 2 hours 15 minutes.


After what seemed like no time at all we were in Calais harbour and driving off the ship. Our destination was St Omer, a small but historic town on the River Aa (no, really!), some 40km inland from Calais. Getting there was no problem as the roads were good and we had Tom-Tom (a satnav system) to show and tell us the way. It was the first time I'd seen a satnav system at work inside a car, and I have to admit, it was good.



Here's La Place Foch, the main town square, where weekly markets are held:



This place looks interesting...and it's under new management!



OK, we'll just get settled in...



...and order our meal...



...and before you know it, it's being served...



Steak tartare for m'sieu and sole meunière for madame — and yes, that is a Seiko 7A38 quartz chrono he's wearing...



...whilst it's poached salmon cutlet for the other madame and a rather unadventurous grilled steak and chips (fries) pour moi...



Much to my amazement the steak was just how I like it—well done—and not just waved next to the grill like in most French restaurants. Must be because they get a lot of non-French tourists. Following the delicious main course there was still a little room for desserts...a crème brûlée to die for and a superb apple pie/raisins/fruit/ice cream creation. My friend entered into the spirit of things and tossed his Seiko (gently) onto the table for the obligatory watch shot. I was wearing my Casio Atomic Tough Solar.



I know quite a few people who will be salivating right now -- some over the 7A38 (which is in superb condition), and some over the desserts! For the latter, here's a couple of close-ups:





Can't you just taste it? :) After the meal a walk around the town was in order to settle the stomach. We tried to ignore the various chocolate and meringue shops...

  

...and then we chanced upon this little square which was so typically French that it could have been the setting for the British tv show 'Allo 'Allo.



Eventually it was time to return to Calais, where we scoured the Carrefours hypermarket for cheap booze. This aisle was one of five set aside just for alcoholic drinks. No wonder Teresa looks confused.



Back on board it was nice just to put our feet up and enjoy the ride. I couldn't resist taking some more photos, however.



  



A few days later Teresa and I ventured into central London by Tube (subway) to see a few sights, and also take in "The Rat Pack" at the Savoy Theatre, which is right next door to the very upmarket Savoy Hotel just off The Strand. We thoroughly enjoyed the show, in which three guys who looked, spoke, sang and danced like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jnr respectively re-enacted the Rat Pack days. It didn't hurt that they were assisted in this by three absolutely gorgeous-looking backing singers, who also acted as their dancing partners. No wonder my binoculars kept steaming up.



(Above) Nelson gazes down from atop his column at the lions guarding him in Trafalgar Square, whilst T. checks out a very nice Jag parked outside the Savoy. The entrance to the theatre is just off to the right.
    We decided to visit Covent Garden on our way back to the Tube station, and walking along The Strand came across Salieri, a nice little Italian restaurant. I couldn't resist taking a photo of the unusual facade.



Covent Garden itself has a long and fascinating history dating back to Saxon times, which you can read about here. St Paul's Church dominates the western side of the Piazza, and you may recognise its portico as the setting for the opening scene in GB Shaw's Pygmalion (and also in My Fair Lady, which was an adaptation of it). In that scene, Professor Higgins is skulking behind the pillars, making notes about the accents of the people sheltering there from a sudden downpour, and it is there he first meets Colonel Pickering and flowergirl Eliza Doolittle. St Paul's Church is a rather plain building (as requested by the Earl of Bedford, when he commissioned architect Inigo Jones to build it in 1631), and should not be confused with Sir Christopher Wren's huge masterpiece St Paul's Cathedral, which is just down the road. It's also known as the Actor's Church because of its long association with local theatres such as The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and the Royal Opera House. Many actors are buried there or have memorials dedicated to them. Samuel Pepys wrote in his diary in 1662 about the first "Italian puppet play" under the portico—the start of Punch and Judy in the UK.
    Today the portico plays host to buskers and entertainers, such as this unicyclist revving up the crowd.



When he asked for a volunteer, a brave little 6 yr-old boy called Cameron (from Australia, as it turned out!) ventured forth. He successfully threw three Indian clubs, one at a time, to the unicyclist (at the first try), and then stood clutching his foot in embarassment as he got a round of applause. After successfully (and entertainingly) juggling the clubs, the unicyclist asked for his reward. He was so good that even I threw a couple of gold coins into his rather battered hat.

         



Wandering through the central halls we came across another entertainer, this time a somewhat Gothic singer. He may have looked a bit strange, but his voice had a haunting quality. You can listen to it here.





After doing some window shopping it was time to make our way home. In contrast to the New York subway system, the London Underground for the most part has bright, well-lit, modern and colourful stations. We never encountered any 'trouble' (or even visible security precautions), but in light of recent bomb attacks I found myself scrutinising fellow passengers carefully, especially if they were wearing back packs. Such is the stoicism (or indifference) of Londoners that everything seemed like business as usual. I hope it was stoicism and not complacency...






To be continued...

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Written 2 December 2005.
Last updated 2 December 2005.