Where in the world is the Wright family?

London, of course...

Several things have happened in the last few days: We've been and seen what would appear to the laymen's eye as a lot. However, I am being told that that is not the case and according to my mother that, “We have yet to complete much of anything.”

*The pictures are of Buckingham Palace's front door (Welcome Home), the carriage used in every coronation since 400 years ago (the least favorite of the Royal family by the way), and me with Winston and Frank on Old St. Bond Street.

Where we were today: Buckingham Palace

Home, office, and residence of the Queen as well as some of her royal servants. We saw the 19 open state rooms and garden, as well as the Mews (stables) and carriage collection. I just can’t describe the seen within these walls. It is by far the most decadent, posh, perfect place I’ve ever seen or been to. There is a standard set for everything in this world. A certain level or bar that followers either rival or try to compete with. There is no competing with the Palace. Its collection of art, the architectural design features, the carpets, silk hangings, jewelry, silverware, furniture, wood workings, landscaping, flooring, marble, gold and silver finishes, or anything else in this place can not be matched or recreated. It may sound like I’m campaigning for the Palace to win some sort of an award. I am not. Awards do not exist for this. The Arabs, Italians, Russians, and Americans can all try to compete but we are striving for something unobtainalbe, chasing the bar that has been long since set. The bar stops at the highest known point on the scale England. EVERYTHING is done to perfection with comfort, tradition, and skill in mind. Sure there are other places that boast individual greats, like tall buildings, a famous painting... but none that have so much of it in one small and confined space. London is full of endless and impossibly special things. They're around every corner, down every block.

Key Facts I’ve picked up this week so far:

• There are 496 rooms in Buckingham Palace. 240 bedrooms and 78 bathrooms. That's about 828,000 square feet if anyone is counting.
• The largest diamond in the world was found in Africa at over 3,000 carats. The diamond was cut into 9 smaller cuts. The largest is 540 carats and is kept in the Kings Sceptre. The Scepter is held by the king until his death. The diamond is known as #1 and called The African Star. #2 and #3 are in the form of a pendant and broach for the Queen. #5 and #6 are found on the Crown of India and a sword. And I can’t remember where the rest are kept but you get the point. I think she keeps them in her mattress.
• The Queen of England is actually Queen to England and 15 other countries as well. A few include Canada, Jamaica, Australia and New Zealand.
• There are over 3,300 people buried at Westminster Abbey. People like Charles Dickens, Chopin, Darwin, Chaucer, Blake, Milton, Kilping, Newton... I could go on and on. I did find it odd that every time I looked down at the ground I was walking over someone far more important to history than I'll ever be.
• London has a current population of 14 Million people, 8 million downtown alone, with 300 recognized languages spoken.
• The reason why you never here much about the Queens husband is because he's not the King. He's the Duke of Edinburgh who married her before her coronation in 1952. She's one of the longest reigning monarchs in the kingdom's history.
• The Romans founded Londoninium about two thousand years ago. The original settlement is a place now known simply as City, and is home to the financial district. You can still see remnants of the old town wall that wrapped the city. It's crumbling and faded but still has kept it's stature. You can see how thick and strong it must have been at one point.
• Part of the royal guardsmen are known as Yeoman. You probably know them as Beefeaters. They’re the funny looking guys in red uniform coats and top hats. They guard the Tower of London, where the Royal Jewels are kept. They're called Beefeaters as it is believed that they were once paid in rations of beef for their services. To serve as a Beefeater you must have 22 years of royal military service with an exemplary record.
• London's hi and low average temps are 73 in Aug. and 46 in Jan.
• There are parks here, everywhere. For 2 quid (4 dollars) you can rent a green and white striped cloth chair and people watch for about 4 hours. They look comfy.
• All the women are skinny here. I have no idea how that's possible considering the amount of food I've eaten this week and the fact that England is known for its sausage, pork, duck, and beef.
• Tights and ballerina shoes are IN. London is by far the most nicely dressed city I've ever traveled to. The women actually cover themselves, there are no tattoos, and the men where suits with polished shoes. At least the ones who aren't tourists like us do.
• London overtook NYC this past year as the leading financial transaction capital of the world. It's handles 60% of Europes GDP and about 900 billion dollars a day. There are 320,000 people working in the financial district to handle all of this.


Thought for the day:

The Brits take great pains to get things done correctly. Simple things like presentation, to more detailed things like tailoring. Watching and listening them speak at a pub, on the sidewalk, or in the park is like listening to a scholar exercise the English language. It’s occurred to me that these people truly enjoy the actual art of communication. If you have the opportunity, speak to a Brit and listen to the way they take their time conveying what it is they would like to say and what words they very correctly choose to make their point. The taxi drivers do it, the waiters do it, and the art dealers in our district do it too.

Second thought of the day:

I drank a Youngs and had fish and chips at a place called Hoops and Grapes yesterday. It’s the last remaining wooden framed structure in the ‘City’ from the fire in 1666. The building leans 18 inches to the right and looks funny. I thought it was a cool place. Even cooler that Peter and I sat at the very same table where Charles Dickens got drunk at many times and stumbled home.