LONDON CALLING: More Dappled Things–this time, his trip to London. I went there with The Rat two summers ago, and told you all about it here (random notes), here (travelogue), and here (the Imperial War Museum, which was just amazing). Anyway, some excerpts from Father T’s adventure:

“I was very pleased with the state of the Liturgy througout the city. …

“I saw a very good exhibit called Gothic Art for England at the Victoria and Albert Museum (conveniently next door to the Oratory). The exhibit had, logically enough, English art (royal, ecclesiastical, and secular) from the Gothic period. In the ecclesiastical sections, there was something very poignant about seeing, item after item, a label which would read something to the effect of, ‘This is the only example of X known to have survived the Reformation.’ ….

“…In the next days, I realized that most of the city seemed to be under 24-hour camera surveillance. On the one hand, it made me feel very secure. On the other, an American naturally feels suspicious about surveillance cameras in public places. One poster on a public bus had a little bus driving along with a half-dozen disembodied eyes hovering overhead and an announcement that read, ‘You’re safe under the ever-watchful eye. CCTV being recorded and monitored 24 hours a day.’ Maybe it’s just me, but I found that a bit creepy.

“…British food is a bit heavy on the potatoes-and-frying side, but the dishes were always tasty, and London is full of ethnic restaurants, much like Washington, DC….”

(Eve again: Actually, what the delectable English breakfasts we ate really reminded me of was Southern food: heavy, fatty, fried, and catering to an intense sweet tooth.)