February 18, 2006

I have discovered that, although Big Ben isn't exactly all that "big," it is nevertheless an impressive spectacle when coupled with the realization that so many great decisions over the last 200 years or so have been made within earshot of its toll. The London subway system, known here as "the tube" was surprisingly easy to figure out. The monthly passes we buy for the tubes are also good for the bus system, so before long I will have figured out that system and will be well on my way to exploring more distant reaches of this city. Today, while running, I discovered Regent's Park. By far, it is the most beautiful park I've run across in quite a while, gorgeously wooded enough to provide a sense of nature in the metropolis of London while at the same time having vast open areas for excellent recreational opportunities, especially for rugby players, football (European-style) players, and runners such as myself. Considering that London is a city of so many people, it has, at least from what I've observed thus far, an extraordinarily low police presence. I certainly feel that if I were in a big American city such as New York or Los Angeles, I would feel quite unsafe, but here in central London, of course I keep aware of my surroundings as anybody should, but I feel an overall sense of comfort.

We visited the Old City and the Museum of the City of London. The Old City is the square mile of land originally plotted out by the Romans and fortified many times throughout the ages. As a Classical Studies major, the museum offered many interesting things from the Roman London era, including tools, military parephenalia and coins. It was also possible to see, next to the museum, the remains of the original Roman wall constructed around the old city in the First Century CE.