London Day Seven

We travelled back in time today, attending "As You Like It" at the Globe Theatre on the south bank of the Thames. We were in the back of the highest balcony, but the view was fine and the voices carried well. Every player was excellent. Katharine Hepburn made her comeback as Rosalind on the New York stage. It would be a great part for her. Jaques, the melancholy courtier, was played today by Tim McMullan, who played Prince Charles' secretary in The Queen. In the middle of the play we looked down to see him in front of us, delivering a line while leaning over our balcony. As he left he said, of his line: "It was a joke 400 years ago."
After the play we walked along the Jubilee Walkway along the south bank of the Thames. We had a hot falafel wrap and an almond croissant at PRET A MANGE, a sandwich shoppe franchise which specializes in very fresh sandwiches and lunch food. Which brings me to fast food in England. We see an occasional Burger King and MacDonalds, but the real fast food in Britain is sandwiches. Every little corner store has refrigerated shelves full of fresh sandwiches. I hesistated to try them the first time we saw them, but the cucumbers were crisp and the bread whole grain. Very tasty and healthier than Mickey D's.
We stopped in at St Martin-in-the-Fields Church, on Trafalgar Square. James Gibbs designed it in 1721, a rectangular building with a large triangular pediment supported by columns in front and a large steeple. It has been copied many times in New England churches. I just love the name. Right across the street is the National Gallery of Art. With museums being free here, though we always gave a donation, I experimented with the idea of going to the Gallery to look at just a few things. The NG has two Vemeers and several Rembrandt, who has been a favorite of mine since high school. While in the Dutch Masters wing we heard music playing and happened in on a concert of flute, piano and 'cello in a large gallery room. After Rembrandt we wandered around the Impressionists and Jim fell in love with John Constable's work. He bought a print which will be installed in Jim's office. When the Gallery closed we walked around Trafalgar Square and had fish and chips and a jacket before taking the double-decker #15 bus one last time.