London is a city with a rich history and amazing people, encompassing just about every race, creed, and color on earth.


Since the Bahamas is part of the Commonwealth, and a former British colony itself, the two countries share at least some part of this wide ranging history.


Having never been to London before, however, a few things immediately struck me. (I know, I know. I've heard it all before: the words "Never been to England?! Really?!" coupled with the surprised look on the face, as if I had just admitted I had never eaten eggs in my life, or something like that.)


Of course, I had read about and seen pictures of Parliament, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, etc, etc. In fact, here in Nassau we even fashion our own Guy Fawkes each year to participate in the ritual torching of the poor chap, despite the possibility that he may, indeed, have had a legitimate beef against politicians and government way back then.


I'm sure more than a few people feel similarly today.


I love traveling—despite the tremendous hassle in and around airports these days--for a couple of reasons: a) You learn all kinds of new stuff; and b) It allows you to compare the images you have stored in your mind with the reality of a place.


Here are a few observations from my trip to London:


1) The only place you may find the book London on $10 a Day is in the Fiction section of your local bookstore. The Non-Fiction counterpart is titled London on $10 a Minute.


2) Sean Connery flies on Virgin Airlines. We were on the same flight returning to Nassau from Gatwick (although he sat in a section conspicuously closer to the cockpit than ours).


3) I wonder if the chairman of Harrod’s—Mohamed Al Fayed (photo below)—is pleased with the wax statue of himself that greets shoppers at one entrance of the store. (Sorry, the photo’s blurry. But you get the picture. He’s the tall guy with the suit on.)


4) The driver’s of London’s red double-decker buses are vehicular artisans, maneuvering those monstrous things effortlessly down unforgivingly narrow roadways.


In the Bahamas we have Dem Tingum Jitney an Ting public transportation that guarantees passengers the ride of their lives.


5) The Big Bus Company’s tour around London is one of the best sight seeing operations I have ever encountered.


Next up: Reflections on the Tower of London.