A wonder of the modern world....

... London transport! It truly is a wondrous system, and we learned a lot about its history (and had several burning questions answered) by visiting the London Transport Museum on Sunday.

It's a museum that's heavy on interactive exhibits, family-friendly activities, and hi-tech displays (the picture at the right is from a moving light show of Underground symbols), but also rich in historical info, covering all aspects of London transport from the earliest days—river traffic, horse-drawn buses, early rail service, and, of course, the Tube.

Did you know that the Thames at one time was so crowded with boat traffic, both freight and passenger, that there were frequent collisions? Boatmen lost custom when a second bridge was built across the river, but what really spelled the end of their heyday was the spread of the railroads. However, at first these iron horses weren't allowed into central London! People either walked to work, or, later, as the city grew, took the bus. (You won't be horse-drawn in a modern London bus, but the double-deckers still look very much like the old versions. And they're so much fun to ride! Check out Hal's delightful and informative how-to article on bus-riding.)

One of our most recurring questions about the Tube is when it was started. At the left is a map that shows the early dates. Steve also took a video of an animation that shows which lines were added (and subtracted!) when, from 1863 to the present. Let me know if you'd like to see it and I'll email it to you. Major fact: Metropolitan Line was the first one, followed by our good old District Line!

In addition to informative displays, the museum has all kinds of old buses, rail and tube cars that you can go into. Here's an early Tube map from the interior of one of the cars (they have the old adverts, too, which are always a hoot):


You finish up with some intriguing looks at the near and far future of London transport, including all the additions and improvements that will come online (hopefully) in time for the 2012 Olympics. It's a great museum, and well-worth the £10 admission price.

We had a different kind of experience, one even more overwhelming, Sunday morning when we walked around Camden Lock Market in search of bargains and Christmas/souvenir presents. We ultimately found a few of these, but the main impression of the place was just—WOW!—what an amazing number of THINGS people make and sell! It was a bit rainy, but the place was quite crowded, both of which kept me from getting a good picture that represented all its craziness. (Some shops even said: No photos! I guess they're used to tourists just coming to gawk.) At right you might get some idea. And below you can see the canal Lock that gives the Market its name.

Hookahs, wind chimes, all manner of vintage clothing, all manner of Goth clothing, odd furniture, vinyl records, antiques, London street signs, I could go on and on. It was an experience, especially when shopping's not a favorite recreational activity. But I'm glad we went, and not just because of the good falafel lunch I found. (Yes, there's all types of food, too—Steve had fish and chips!)