Day 8: Sunday, July 3, 2005

Or, the day we did three museums in one day, and two in one hour...

Our last day in London was a mad dash to cover as much ground as possible. While Eva went to Westminster Cathedral in the morning, Elena and I went to Madame Tussaud's where tackiness was glorified and commercialism reigned supreme. Yes, we actually fell for it. Here are some pictures from our attempt to hobnob with wax lookalikes...

Souvenirs at Madame Tussaud's were expensive, so instead, Elena and I shopped along Baker Street. Three things sell extremely well--tea, toffee, and candy. Here we are on Baker Street, and at the Baker Street tube station, where images of Sherlock Holmes abound.

After all the noise and excitement at the wax museum, we unwinded at Queen Mary's Gardens, a beautiful oasis in the middle of Regent's Park.

We also spent some time at Harrods. The department store was ridiculously crowded because of the sale it was holding that weekend. Not that the sale made a difference for us--we couldn't afford anything there except a box of chocolate, a few tea bags... Oh, did their Food Halls look and smell good! With our stomachs rumbling way past noon, we lunched on slices of rich marble cheesecake and chocolate mousse cake, though everything from their deli meats to samosas to sushis made us salivate. Without forks or spoons, we had to eat out of our hands: a messy affair, but ever so delicious.

In the final hour before we had to meet Eva, Elena and I hit both the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Museum of Natural History. I'll admit that we didn't have time to process much of what we saw. At the V & A, Elena nearly had to tear me away from an exhibit that highlighted women's fashion from the 18th to the 20th century. We stared into the faces of chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans at the Museum of Natural History.

My sisters and I finished the evening with dinner at a place called Maharaja, at Leicester Square. It was the first time I had Indian food and I liked the chicken tikka. There was just enough spice and herbs to make the dish savory without setting my tongue on fire, and actually, it reminded me of souvlaki. Eva and Elena ordered lamb curry and meat tikka, both of which were also tasty. I wished that I had room in my stomach for more.

As for the rest of the trip, you know all that there is to know--we left for Heathrow the next morning, hopped onto the plane, and flew back home.

The End.

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