I needed to get near Waterloo Station and my Google Maps application told me the fastest way was to catch the #59 bus from Wharfdale Road, a 3-4 minute walk from my door. It estimated it would take a total of about 30 minutes, including the walk. Well Google Maps was wrong. Normally I would walk the 12 minutes to King's Cross Station and take the underground, but I thought it would be nice to take the bus for a change.

I just missed the first bus, but the schedule indicated they arrive every 7-8 minutes and I wasn't in a hurry. As I waited, about four #91 buses, three #259s, and a couple of #390s came and went. Finally after about fifteen minutes, I boarded my bus. I was the only passenger. Then about twelve minutes later it had made two right turns and stopped at a bus stop directly across the street from King's Cross Station, the station I would have arrived at twenty minutes earlier by walking! I contemplated getting off the bus and just taking the tube. I didn't, but in hindsight I should have. Traffic was bad. I finally reached Waterloo Station an hour and a quarter after I left home.

I walked the short distance to the Old Vic Theatre to collect my tickets for tonight's play and stopped for tea at their downstairs cafe, Penny.

Then I headed to the Southbank Centre, a 21-acre arts complex that was created in 1951 for the Festival of Britain. It includes the Royal Festival Hall, the Poetry Library, the Hayward Gallery, the Purcell Room, and Queen Elizabeth Hall. The last three are in the middle of a two-year renovation and will reopen in 2017.

I was there to see the Illuminated River Exhibition and was directed to level 4. It wasn't what I was expecting and I learned why when I came home. What I saw was the work of students from four high schools and their visions of how to light up London's bridges. There was a video of each student explaining their design and showing their drawing. It was nice, but I was expecting more. I went up to level 5, but only found the Poetry Library. I should have gone down to level 3 where the real exhibition was and, since today was the last day of the exhibition, I won't be able to see it.  This is what I missed, the six finalists from a competition that included 100+ design teams from 20 countries.

I wandered around the complex, shopped a little (bought a pair of socks), and then walked through the adjacent Christmas market until it was time to meet Gord. We met for dinner at Wahaca, a fast food restaurant chain serving Mexican street food. It was actually pretty good even though they can't spell Oaxaca.

We then went across the street to the play, and what a play! We saw King Lear two years ago in Stratford, Ontario with Colm Feore in the title role. He was amazing, as always. Tonight we saw Glenda Jackson as Lear and she was outstanding. She hasn't acted in 25 years and to play this role at the age of 80 and to play it with such intensity was a delight to behold. I don't know how she had a voice left at the end of the night. The stamina she and the rest of the cast needed to pull off this 3 hour, 40 minute production was impressive. The set, the lighting, the sound, everything was solid. I wish I had brushed up on the play beforehand because there were so many characters, beyond the main ones, and some confusing sections. The cast was great, and I hate to single out just one of them, but Harry Melling was an exceptional Edgar.