March 25, Tuesday our Last Day

 Twelve hours of sleep; wow, we were tired. Debbie’s “Fitbit” recorded 9, 830 steps or 4.8 miles yesterday. Our average walking distance per day has been more than five miles, and occasionally exceeded six, not bad for me who began with basically no exercise in the past several months.

Night view front of the top deck of the  bus

Today, our last day in London, really began in the evening around 6:00pm. When we first awakened after that long sleep, we decided to relax, read, work; take a day off from running around the city and beyond. And for about eight hours we did just that, but after dinner at our favorite restaurant, Pasticcio’s, we decided to go out on the town. Debbie planned a fantastic route through the city primarily above ground by bus. We figured there would be few people at the last stop of Bus #453 at the Marylebone Underground Station going into the city, thus we would most likely get front row seats on the top of a double-decker and enjoy a free tour of London at night; this is exactly what happened. We jumped on the Tube at Swiss Cottage Station, transferred at the Baker Street Station to the Bakerloo Line and on to Marylebone. There we did indeed locate Bus #453 just outside the station and were the very first to board. Firmly planted in front row seats, we got our camera in hand and began an exciting evening (at no cost, our Oyster Transportation Pass was still operative on all transportation services).

Fountain at the square

 As you can see from the pictures Debbie posted, it turned out to be more exciting than we ever could imagine. The lights at night were spectacular through the city and by the time we had reached and passed by Westminster Abbey and Big Ben, I knew The London Eye (the new, modern icon of London) would soon appear. Against the night sky it was something to behold; the largest blue-tinted Ferris wheel circling there in all its majesty. At the bus stop beside the London Eye Pier, I said, “Let’s get out!” Before we knew it we were walking along the pier staring up at this architectural wonder on the banks of the Thames. Looking around I didn’t see Debbie rush into the Ticket Office and purchase two tickets. Later we learned we had purchased the last ticket of the day and boarded the last car on the wheel. As you can see from the pictures it was quite a view and great fun. Now we really feel we have been to London.

Big Ben from across the Thames on the bus

 

View from one side to the other

  

A happy man- another bucket list item!

Big Ben dominates with the Abbey in background on right

St Paul arises on the right out the other side

   Big Ben and Parliament was especially brilliant from the Eye, and St. Paul’s Cathedral rose above the buildings in its area and was stunning. The river reflected all kinds of buildings along its banks, and we recognized many famous structures. The car (I’m not sure what else to call it) could hold more than 20 people, but there were only about twelve in our group with plenty of room to move about and a comfortable bench on which to sit. It took about 30 minutes to make one revolution before you were required to disembark; it was perfect, we had seen it all and began to figure out how to get back to our hotel.

 Returning to the hotel new thoughts began to surface. 

Until now, I have not thought for one minute about a decision that is mine to make as we return to Columbia; should I continue 15 more radiation treatments beginning next Monday? It is a tough decision and since the first 20 treatments, I am just now beginning to feel “normal” again, thus I hesitate to strap on the mask for fifteen more days. The benefits simply don’t outweigh the risks in my mind. The first round was supposed to be a “palliative” dose and nothing more. The so-called “cure” used by doctors is not a cure forever; often it simply means one more year. I think I can last that long without undergoing further suffering rendered by further treatment. Thus I have decided on no further radiation, or for that matter, no further treatments whatsoever. I am relieved and look forward to all the glorious moments that remain. I am not scared of dying but I am not ready to leave this life that has come to be.

     Tomorrow morning we catch an early taxi to Paddington Station and then board the “Heathrow Express” train to the airport. Our flight is to Dallas; we arrive in the late afternoon on Wednesday and will spend the night there at a Courtyard near the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport. Thursday morning we will catch a short flight to Columbia and return in hopes that Missouri has begun to thaw from the cold and white winter. So this will be my last entry recording this fascinating sojourn to the mother country. We have thoroughly enjoyed it and I hope those of you who have followed along have enjoyed it as well. I notice today that in order to review all the days of the journey you need to click on “older posts” or click on a list of calendar days and titles posted after the last post. If I figured it out, I’m sure you can. I also hope you have enjoyed the pictures; Debbie has done a great job integrating them with the text.

     In early May (2-9), our next adventure will take us to San Antonio, Texas to attend the Society of Teachers in Family Medicine (STFM) annual meeting. Debbie is on the program; I will visit friends in the Alamo City, a former place of my employment was Trinity University where I was Chair of the Department of Sociology and Director of the Center for Research and Training in Gerontology. I remain close to several colleagues and friends; it will be a good to visit again.

     And then later in the month (May 19-28), with close friends Steve and Susan, we travel to Estes Park, Colorado for a week on the Fall River (half-mile from the entrance to the Rocky Mountain National Park). We are returning to the same condo that Debbie and I had to abandon last October because the government (i.e., the Republicans) shut down the government and our national parks; in addition, I had just experienced a DVT in Vail threatening another pulmonary embolism, and a snow storm was forecast when there was only one way out of the mountains due to massive flood damage to roads four weeks previous to our arrival. In short, it was one of those rare times when our travel plans did not come to fruition. Returning will hopefully make up for it, and snow still high in the mountains will offer a beautiful setting. My ashes will be spread in the National Park at Loch Vale Lake (now simply called “The Lock”), so these Colorado Rockies are a special place for me. “Serenity” comes to mind when I shut down all outside interference and concentrate on life, and its regeneration, in the mountains. I look forward to seeing them again and look forward to regeneration too.

     And finally, my next goal is to make it to June 6^th, “Oliver’s” first birthday! My fifth grandson is a cute little guy, he recognizes Debbie and me immediately, is walking, talking, and gestures all kinds of meanings. We have missed him on this sojourn to London and will be excited to see all the changes that 10 days bring.

  Thinking we had not covered too much ground, I asked Debbie how many steps were recorded on her Fitbit; and wow, again we passed 10,000 (10,600 or 4.85 miles to be exact). No wonder there is so little obesity among people who live in cities like London, Paris, Rome, Athens and New York. Everyone walks great distances everyday!

     So long to all the readers; have a quality spring.