A Gallery and a Circus

A beautifully lit building in Piccadilly
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Tanya and I spent the day together and decided to go to the National Portrait Gallery. It is one of the more well known museums in London, displaying the most famous portraits of England's past monarchs, many dating back several centuries. There is an entire area dedicated to just the Tudors, one of the royal families that ruled Britain. There is also a floor with more modern works, mainly paintings and photographs of some of England's best, including Princess Di and lots of other English celebrities from the recent past and present. All in all its a very nice gallery, and best of all, its free (except for special exhibits). Definently a good, relaxing way to spend an afternoon.

Look at all the pretty lights
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We got hungry, so we set out to find one of England's most famous pubs, the Lamb and Flag. It took us a while to find it, since it's on a tiny road tucked behind some buildings, even having to pay some bum a buck for pointing out the way. It was evening by this time, so most of the people inside were older men just out of work enjoying a beer. Wasn't really our crowd, not to mention that they don't serve food after 3, so we left and found another pub/restaurant called the Sussex. Stomachs full, we headed over to Piccadilly Circus. Don't let the name fool you- unless you consider lots of car traffic to be a circus. It's just the name of one of London's busier commercial centers, kind of like NYC's Times Square. It even bears a resemblance to it. There's not a whole lot to do there except to walk around and shop if thats your thing, but it is pretty cool to see at night with all the crazy lights. Not far away is Trafalgar Square, but we didn't go because it was late and we were tired. I didn't have a chance to go during my trip, which is a little disappointing, but it's something I know I can look forward to if I ever visit again.

Stomachs full, we headed over to Piccadilly Circus. Don't let the name fool you- unless you consider lots of car traffic to be a circus.