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Tea and More in Moreton-in-Marsh

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Grateful for on-time flights (not a given these days) and an easy train ride from Heathrow to the Cotswolds in time for the Tuesday Market. Moreton-in-Marsh, where we begin our walk in a few days, hosts the largest street market in England, with a market charter dating back to 1227. It draws people from across the country, making Tuesday a massive, slow-moving traffic jam in this village. We wandered the village and perused the market stalls while waiting for check-in time at our hotel. A pot of Earl Grey tea and some sweets helped buoy our energy despite a lack of sleep. The defaced Moreton-in-Marsh sign at the edge of the village reveals some jokester's lack of appreciation for the village's popularity and the market's boost to the local economy. And then there's this:
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London V / Lastly and (a bit more) Slowly

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We met up with Jenny (from Reedley) today for our final, more leisurely day. She was working all week, conducting Peace Games with British college students. Something we need more of in the chaos of warmongering. We spent the morning at the British Library perusing it's magnificent collection of documents and the afternoon strolling through Regent's Park, one of many parks in this city. We're told that the biggest parks, including this one, were once hunting grounds for the aristocracy. Now they are wonderful places to meander through when you want to slow way down and talk and enjoy the great green spaces. Tomorrow morning we'll be on our way. A good week in a great place. We came, we looked, we relaxed. All good things come to an end, as William used to say.  From the Sacred Texts section: The Lindesfairne Gospels -- the four gospels copied in 700 A.D. The Old Testament from 1431 The Four Gospels from the 17th century  ...
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London IV / H is for ...

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... Harrods, Handel, and Hendrix. The forecast correctly predicted rain today so we planned indoor visits, beginning with Harrods. It's a bit pretentious, but fun to explore. The food court alone was worth a visit -- a gastronomical array of delights. We bought a few things for our lunch (several dumplings, a pakora, a custard tart), then rode the Egyptian-styled escalators, and enjoyed the toy department. The next stop was the Handel Hendrix House, where both Georg Handel (18th century) and the inimitable Jimi Hendrix (20th century) lived. Full of scores and harpsichords, guitars and recordings of interviews (with Hendrix, not Handel, of course), bedroom suites and even a wig like Handel wore, it was a pleasant place to stay out of the rain and listen to the Hallelujah Chorus. It's time to relax and read a bit. With only one day remaining, we need to check if we hit our personal highlights. ...
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London III / Words

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An Underground history and mechanical tour, a walk through the business district, views from the London Bridge (not to be confused with the iconic Tower Bridge), Shakespeare spots of importance (including the Globe Theatre), the Borough Market, Words on the Water, and Mary Wollstonecraft. Adds up to 20,000 steps and lots of words. The words of a playwright and those of a philosopher, words in a bookstore on a barge, all the words spoken as we wound our way across parts of the city.  That was our day. A beautiful warm spring day. Ending with weary-but-happy feet. Hungry for some curry tonight. Because curry is now an English thing. The faint image and words from a 1930s poster advertising soap in an abandoned Underground station. Photo of a train bombed during the blitz of 1940/41. All part of our Underground history tour. Tower Bridge viewed from London Bridge. Shakespeare 's likeness reclining in the Southwark Cathedral. ...
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