Palacial Pastries

My London life leaves little to be desired. My father flew into England this weekend and spent a lovely Saturday with my brother and I. In the morning we jogged in Hyde Park among the horses and swimmers, and then, after a a matudinal meal, meandered more towards the Hampton Court Palace. We munched on French pastries as we rode the train through the London countryside and toured the entire palace inside and out. The palace sits on 60 acres of lushious grounds that made for good perambulating and excellent meditation. I chose to meditate about the pros and cons of using the title "Doc" verses "Dr." for my future pediatrician. "Dr." won out, but only narrowly. The palace was fascinating becuase not only was it an entire civilization within the walls, but there was also informative information about Henry VIII and his six wives all over the place. Maybe he had amnesia or something, so the placards were there to help remind him of where he was to worship and how many kids he had. For example, did you know that Henry VIII's nickname was "Hank the Tank," and that he was known for his exotic collection of collectors' spoons? Apparently that's how he wooed his wives and impressed his enemies. We wrapped up the afternoon with sandwiches in the castle cafe, the same one where Henry VIII was infamously denied clam chowder in 1578 because the cook proclaimed, "No soup for you!" After touring the palacial grounds we gained some vim on the train ride back into town and ate Indian food. Indian food in London is legit- too legit to quit. Then we did what all Londoners do on a Saturday night in May; we celebrated Buddah's Birthday in Leicester Square! Gelato was present; we spent the early evening eating in merriment. At the conclusion of the gelato, we went to Sunset Boulevard. Not the one in California as you may have been prone to think, but the Andrew Lloyd Weber production by the same name. Oh, such a well rounded day. Obviously the highlight was spending time with my Papanwa, and frankly I'd recommend London with my Dad to anyone. He's pretty cool and he knows the city well.