Evening the Last

I came back to the hotel after the walk (to change jackets as the warm afternoon had quickly turned rainy and cold) and found Debra back in the room not feeling well.  She'd gone off to the National Gallery in the morning (ironically, that's where the Da Vinci Code walk ended) but came back to the hotel with the lack of sleep having caught up with her.  :(  My mental plans for a nice last-night-in-London dinner quickly reorganized themselves into "hey, where do I wanna get some eats before theatre tonight?"

I settled on Chinese food.  And while I traditionally go to a Chinese restaurant in London known for its really cheap meals (and rude waitstaff), I decided to step up a bit and googled around for a good dim sum place.  Found one that seemed reasonably priced and ... while not actually on the way to the theatre ... it was near enough that I could find it and still make it to the show on time. 

Oh.  My.  Goodness.  Seriously yummy dim sum.  I had me some pork buns (love that bao!), and prawn (shrimp to you and me) and coriander pouches, and some chicken thing in puff pastry that was astonishingly tasty.  I almost ordered a second order of the chicken thing in puff pastry.  I also ordered some hot tea.  They gave me an empty glass with a round ball of ... leaves? ... in it.  Then came by with hot water and filled the glass.  As it steeped, the leaf ball fell to the bottom of the glass (making tea) and then, suddenly, burst open and a little flower came forth, floating in the glass.  Have never experienced this before, but (bless google) have found an image of this. 

Jasmine flower tea.  Fun at parties, I'm sure.

Then, it was off to the theatre.  I had decided to yield to my initial impulses and go see Mary Poppins.  (Up until Tarzan, I would've said Disney Theatricals could do no wrong, but, you know, once bitten, twice shy.  And while my memories of dancing cutlery and the parade of animals around Pride Rock are pretty strong, the debacle that is gorillas bouncing on bungee cords would not soon be forgotten.) 

It was wonderful -- it really was.  With the exception of one entirely misconceived scene (that might actually frighten children in the audience), it was everything it was supposed to be -- big huge dance numbers, fast moving choreography, appropriately-placed special effects, and a heart a mile wide.  Just sweet and sassy and adorable and a delightful end to my week here.

... and now, back to packing.  Need to get enough charge in the ipod to make it all the way home.