Mr. Holmes and the Missing Pan Statue

Tuesday, July 7

Being teachers, Anya and I like to plan and make lists. So far, we had a list of things we wanted to do, but not much of a plan. To remedy this problem, we walked to Nero and made a schedule for our week. Unfortunately, the Internet wasn't working there and we had a little research to do. One great aspect of London is their wifi. If you connect to their Cloud system, there are thousands of different areas around the city that provide wifi! The plaza by our flat is one such example, so Anya and I grabbed our coffees and set up camp in the plaza. But the wind started to pick up, and we began to get cold, so we quickly finished and returned to our flat. 

Now that we had a plan, we started our adventures for the day. Our first stop was Hyde Park. Unfortunately, it was also my last. That morning, I was feeling unwell and felt progressively worse as the day went on. But before I left, I tried to see as much as I could. We started from the Marble Arch and walked the perimeter of the park enjoying the tree lined pathway, a fountain here and there, and the beautiful rose garden. One funny moment came when a squirrel started charging toward Anya. Last time she was in London, she'd been "attacked" by a squirrel, so when she finally noticed it running at her only a couple feet away, she screamed and ran behind me for cover. I and the people around us found it quite funny. :)

After rounding the corner through the rose garden, we were on the lookout for a Peter Pan statue. Instead we found a huge lake with several swans, geese, and ducks. 

Catching some rays...until someone told me you actually have to pay to sit in the chair for an hour. 

After awhile, we realized that we had passed the statue. But we were close to the Prince Albert memorial (built by his wife, Queen Victoria, after his death). We circled the monument, admiring its ornate design and historicity. 

Even though it meant going back the way we came, we walked back taking a different route in order to find Pan. We arrived at a place that was supposed to have the statue, and indeed there was a statue, but it didn't look like the one we were seeking. In fact, it was rather bizarre and both of us were hoping that it really wasn't the right one. 

At this point, I couldn't continue, so I left Anya to finish the search. (I am happy to note that she did eventually find it :) ). 

I napped for a couple of hours, which helped a little. When Joe came back from working, we left the flat to meet Anya at a cinema in Piccadilly Square. There is a BBC movie playing here called Mr. Holmes. And being a Tuesday, the cinema has a special discount on that day so we were able to purchase cheaper tickets. It was an interesting movie (slow but good) and I really enjoyed it. Especially, when it showed parts of London that we were familiar with. :)

After the movie, we walked around the square and looked up a place to eat. Our new friend, Shaun, had recommended a burger place called Byron, so we decided to check it out. I ordered a salad which was delicious, and Anya and Joe said the burger and fries were good as well. 

After dinner, we headed back to the flat. On our way back, Joe and I made a bet on how "Leicester" is pronounced. I thought it was pronounced Līchester. He thought it was pronounced something like Līster. Sure enough, it was pronounced Lester, so he won (you would think that I've learned my lesson by now...somehow he always wins). So now I have to ask someone how to get to Leicester (but using the wrong pronunciation :) ). 

 Joe decided to go to Nero to get more work done and Anya joined him. I went straight to bed.