SV Ostinato: Is The Tube Really Free If Its Closed?

Following our Wed morning get together of St Katharine's cruisers, King and I hopped a train and headed for Ashtead. We had been invited by a couple who live there to visit their home and learn more about cruising in the Netherlands. David was one of several presenters at an all day seminar held at the Cruising Association by the Inland Waters Division. He spoke on the Standing Mast Route which was great since we are seriously looking at Amsterdam or Rotterdam for next winter. After his talk, King and I followed him into the lunch line like puppy dogs and wore him out with questions throughout lunch. His lovely wife, Margaret suggested we come to lunch at their home in a few weeks to continue the conversation. Smashing! Arrangements were finalized over email and off we went. What wonderful people. While the London skyline, it's theatre, museums and its history will always be special, it's the wonderful people we have had the good fortune to meet that has made it truly memorable.

Our little international three boat neighborhood, Australian, British and American, has been busy. We have been to see Shakespeare and the musical We Will Rock You (not so good) and Christmas pantomime, Dick Whittington and His Cat...I had no idea what a pantomime was but apparently a Christmas tradition so off we went. We even had box seats! For those like King who thought there would be no vocals, it is actually a musical spoof.

What a stitch....a women played Dick....a man played his mother. And there was a pudgy Indian Fairy who flew about the stage. The audience participated. We got to boo at the bad guys, awe at the love scene, and say "hello" to Dick each time he (she) arrived on stage. The best part was the Cat Scratch Dance (led by Dick's Cat, of course) that all the audience stood up to do....yes, even King! It was so fun, we did it twice.

Christmas Eve we stood in line at Westminster Abby ...in the rain. When we got in, the voices of the boys in the choir were like angels.....and David Suchet, aka Hercule Poirot, read the fourth lesson. Then back to the boat to begin preparations for Christmas dinner. Christmas dinner was on Ostinato for a few of us that didn't go home for the holidays. I was a bit nervous about the Turkey fitting into the oven but she slid right in. Judy and Merv, our Aussie neighbours, brought dessert, a Christmas Pudding. My first. The best part was the brandy sauce. Just give me a spoon and sit me in a corner.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! As previously planned over several bottles of champagne on New Years Eve 2012, Kate and Jay (friends from Tallahassee) arrived December 31 following a whirlwind tour of Scotland and Wales. Just enough time to uncork bottle of champagne to celebrate their arrival, a quick nap for the guys and instructions on how to use the head before we were off to Quaglinos where we would bring in the New Year. The band was appropriately danceable and the food was perfect, including something green that came in a tall shot glass. Yep, King drank it. He says it was pea soup.

The couple at the table next to us...we decided she was an escort..great leather dress...anyway, she sent her steak back once and apparently didn't think much of it the second time. I suggested King should ask for hers in a doggy bag but although he lusted after it, he decided it best to pass it by.

Two bottles of lovely champagne later we strolled out the door to begin the trek home. For New Years Eve, riding the tube is free. However, we did not realise that also meant the entire city of London was closed to traffic and its entire population would find their way to the streets and eventually, also be determined to ride the free tube.

Our first clue should of been a line at 1:30 a.m. outside of the tube station we had arrived by 4 hours earlier. Someone, lets say King, suggested we walk to the next station. The 2nd clue should of been that we were beginning to walk through massive crowds in the middle of the streets heading the opposite direction. The good news is it was one of the happiest mobs I have ever seen. It appeared the tubes were closed! We walked past 2 more closed tube stations, each more crowded than the one before. Cues to enter were several blocks long and no one knew when or if they would open.

About this time my feet suddenly decided that while they were up for dancing in pointy toed heels, they were not up for a 5 mile hike. Each began to scream at me.....And then.....the rain began to fall. Kate was searching for a taxi but we had not seen a car since before we arrived at the restaurant. Somehow we found ourselves at Trafalgar Square with 50,000 other very happy people all trying to find a way to get in the tube. We walked on...my feet cried. The rain continued to fall.

Next station, Embankment. Closed, but rumours were circulating rapidly through the crowds that it would open soon. We staked our spot in line. It began to grow rapidly. Kate and Jay were concerned the crowds were getting too big and wisely recommended we walk on to yet another station. My feet cried NO! So King and I were carried away by the crowd into the station when it opened, wishing with each step that I had worn tennis shoes. What was I thinking ....high heels! We finally made it to Tower Hill and I limped towards home chucking the shoes the last 50 yards to arrive back at the boat in my stocking feet....in the rain at 3:30 a.m. Kate and Jay arrived an hour later and then spent another 15 minutes trying to get our attention to open the gate....while we had given great instructions for operating the head, we had not bothered to give them the gate code to get back on the dock. They finally did what resourceful people do....reached over the locked gate and opened it.