LONDON ALIVE -- A WALK IN THE PARK -- & AROUND LONDON - Wednesday, July 31

Dr. Wiest, a USM history professor led a group of us around the Greenwich and Westminister areas. Sitting on the green grass of the parks of London next to the River Thames, listening to the history of England is THE way to learn history.

This three-hour tour took us up close and personal to the horse guard and other royal guards at the St. James horse stables as well as St. James Palace where Prince Charles lives with his family. Further down was Buckinham Palace, saved for another day.

The Brits like their statues and have a large impressive one of Abraham Lincoln -- The Great Emancipator in this area as well as Cromwell and numerous others. It's gratifying not only that the Lincoln statue is a good-looking statue, but that the British have enough respect for him to have one.

My favorite part of this tour was sitting in St. James Park listening to Dr. Wiest's tales of Henry and his wives. As a longtime reader of historical fiction about Englands royalty, it was a treat to sit where some of the action actually took place.

We ended at Trafalgar Square where the legend is that if you have your photo taken on one of the massive lions, you will return to London. The square commemorates the British naval victory at the Battle of Trafalgar and includes Nelson's Column, honoring Admiral Horatio Nelson, and other statues and fountains. One recent addition is that a previously unused area will now be used as a changing venue for contemporary sculpture. At this time, it features "Alison Lapper Pregnant", a white marble nude sculpture of Alison Laper who was born in 1965 without arms and with shortened legs.

The Trafalgar Square area has includes the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery (free admission), as well as pigeons, pigeons, and more pigeons. :)