Beyond the barricade is there a world you long to see?

Brief summary of the awesome-ness of today:

• interview with cool people at Scotland Yard, very interesting and engaging
• lunch in St. James Park
• Cabinet War Rooms and Churchill Museum...I never realized he was so cool
• Visit to Trafalgar Square on the way back (who reading this remembers the fountain scene in "How Many Ways"? and/or the RTC fountain fiasco after the AP US History exam junior year that I based it on...there can't be many of you ;) but let me know if you do! cause that's where I was today)
  
• Les Miserables...seven rows back...oh...my....goodness...

That's right. I just got back from seeing Les Mis. Umm...okay there are no words. I always knew that it was an awesome show, and after seeing it, I just can't even begin to describe how great it was to be in that theater hearing songs performed that I know all of the words to and just being blown away by it as if I had never heard it before. Definitely cried. The man who played Valjean (ha his name was Jack Nicholson) had the most incredible tenor voice. He could sing higher than I can. Like way higher. He's just put "Bring Him Home" higher than it already was on my favorite Les Mis songs list. My favorite female vocal was probably Fontine, though Cosette and Eponine were great, too. I think the finale might be my new favorite song though. Hmm...but it was incredible. I wish I could buy the CD of that performance. Robin, Lauren, and I got up early to go buy tickets at Leicester Square, so they were nicely half priced tickets, but absolutely worth every penny, or pence as the case may be.

Other than that, Churchill is pretty cool. The museum was very interactive and I learned a lot about Churchill. The people at Scotland Yard were really interesting, too. We asked them various questions, mostly focusing on different aspects of gun control, civil rights of prisoners, right to a fair trial vs. giving the media a chance to report on court proceedings, and where to draw the line for the actions of policemen, ie how much power they should have. Good morning debate. Robin, Lauren, and I also enjoyed a very nice English breakfast this morning that kept me pretty full throughout the rest of the day.

And, of course, Trafalgar Square. I was so excited when we looked on the map and saw how close we were to it. For those who don't know, I used it as a scene in a story I wrote in high school once, because of the fountains. A couple of friends and I had decided that it would be a wonderful idea to take a picture in a fountain at a town center nearby after enjoying a lovely dinner to celebrate the end of AP exams junior year of high school. Yeah...we got yelled at...by a rent-a-cop...but he let us take pictures with him, haha. The scene was kind of based on that.

So I got a picture of myself near a sign that said something about how the public isn't supposed to swim in the fountain. I couldn't resist. Oh, and I climbed up one of the blocks upon which the four lions sit around Nelson Column to take a picture. Well, Michael gave me a boost so that I could get up there. It was fun. :) Pictures will be up soon, I promise.

And clearly, any square dedicated to someone with the last name of Nelson is an awesome place. Period.

Oh, we're going to go try to see Equus tomorrow.

Do you hear the people sing
Lost in the valley of the night?
It is the music of a people
Who are climbing to the light.

For the wretched of the earth
There is a flame that never dies.
Even the darkest night will end
And the sun will rise.

They will live again in freedom
In the garden of the Lord.
They will walk behind the plough-share,
They will put away the sword.
The chain will be broken
And all men will have their reward.

Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Somewhere beyond the barricade
Is there a world you long to see?
Do you hear the people sing?
Say, do you hear the distant drums?
It is the future that they bring
When tomorrow comes!

Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Somewhere beyond the barricade
Is there a world you long to see?
Do you hear the people sing?
Say, do you hear the distant drums?
It is the future that they bring
When tomorrow comes...
Tomorrow comes!