London Walk 2

Walking in London, continued
	*Click any image for a more detailed view*

After a good night's sleep, we went out walking through London on Saturday morning with no particular destinations in mind.
We ended up in the Strand, and followed signs pointing to the house where Dr. Samuel Johnson lived.

Dr. Johnson said, "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."

Well, we wouldn't go quite that far but, without doubt, London is among the most fascinating cities in all Europe.

Ron, having majored in English Literature in college, was immediately drawn to the Johnson museum the house now offers. Aside from being among the most quoted raconteurs and English epigrammatists, Samuel Johnson was a celebrated pamphleteer, magazine editor and author of a definitive English dictionary. He also wrote poetry that is still read today, a stream of literary criticism and a novel. In 1765 he published his annotated Shakespeare which was importantly responsible for a renewed interest the Bard's plays and poetry. They had largely fallen into low esteem in the 1700's.

Much of what we know of Dr. Johnson comes from a widely acclaimed biography written by his friend, frequent traveling companion and avid admirer, James Boswell. In fact, it is often said that Boswell's most enduring literary creation was Dr. Johnson. (A trivia point: Johnson left Cambridge as an undergraduate and never returned. His doctorate was an honorary degree given late in his life.)

Ye Old Cock Tavern also still survives. It was the favorite watering spot of Dr. Samuel Johnson. It was here that he often met with friends and associates. Being included in this elite circle was considered proof of one having arrived in the top intellectual strata of London society.

Dr. Johnson's chair from the Tavern, is now on view in his house. He was a man of some girth in his later years so this chair seems an odd choice. Apparently, though, he sat quite comfortably on it sideways with one arm draped over the curved top of the back.

Continuing our walk, we came across Prince Henry's Room, which was one of the few buildings to survive the great Fire of London in 1666. It also houses a museum but, unfortunately, it was closed when we dropped by. Learn more? Click

And finally, we encountered another impressive memorial. This one, in Hyde Park, remembers some of England's World War I dead. In this case an artillery regiment is being honored. Note the shells tucked into pouches on his legs.

In the U.S. "The War to End All Wars" is scarcely commemorated now. Perhaps this is because our losses were only about 50,000. The U.K., with only a third of our population, lost 715,000 dead.
They remember.

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