London - Deux

Woke up early, as usual when I'm on a trip.  I just can't wait to get out "in it."  I'm really looking forward to my motorcycle trip through Spain and Portugal scheduled to start next week.  (A note of caution: the boss has been trying to get in touch with me.  Says he needs to talk.  Wonder if it has anything to do with my scheduled vacation?)

I guess the Paris underground spoiled me.  I think I can get anywhere in twenty-five minutes.  Not so today in London.  They do scheduled maintenance on the weekends (I wonder when Paris does theirs?) and everywhere you looked a line was closed, either totally, or from x to y.  Causes some level of problems for a Texas boy not used to taking public transportation.  (We are committed to support our national oil industry in anyway we can.)

I had that great little artery-clogging English breakfast (again, sans Kippers) then took off for the underground.  My target was Hyde Park.  Problem is it took me over an hour and fifteen minutes to get there as I had to divert from one line to another.  One of my goals was to visit "Speakers Corner," the place where any and everyone stands on his "soapbox" and says whatever he wants.  It is from such traditions that our freedoms spring and I think it important to recognize such things.  As luck would have it, given the time it took me to get to the park, I didn't have time to even visit that spot.   But, I got there, before having to turn around and go back to the hotel to pick up my luggage.

Three line changes later I arrive at a goal:

 
"Well, I decided that I'd get my cowboy hat,
And go down to Marble Arch Station.
'Cause when a Texan fancies,
That he'll take his chances,
Chances will be taken, that's for sure."

 Okay.  Where did it come from?  And who wrote it? 
 (My money's on Jamey or Claye for this one.)

Postscript:  Wrong again!  Runner came through...see comments.

This was neat.  Some "painted" elephants (I prefer women) on the lawn..but what's that behind them?  I sort of assumed it was another nude...headless, no less...these sculpture fellows seem to be fairly randy and bizzare  folks.  But, perception is everything, huh?

Hyde Park

There was some sort of exhibit being prepared behind the "fencing" in the background.  But I had neither the time, nor the opportunity, to sniff it out.



 Flower bed by the Marble Arch underground station.

But...I was out of time and had to wend my way back through the maze of closed underground routes to the hotel to check out.  This is NOT what you want to see when you walk up two or three flights of steps, on a "game" leg, to the "next" connection:

In spite of such delays I made it back to the hotel, checked out and, finally and fortunately, made it to the train station catching my "chunnel" train in plenty of time.  Nice little ride back home and here I am slaving over a hot keyboard.

Oh...the statue in Hyde Park:

Perception is everything, you know.