| March 29, 2003 - Kylie, Tom, and me at Mme. Tusseaud's |
| Dear Friends, one of the really fun things I did in London was take a trip to Mme. Tusseaud's Wax Museum. You wouldn't believe all the famous people they've duplicated in there, and quite eerily, too. When I first walked in, I spied a mannequin of Kylie Minogue down on all fours while her song "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" was blaring over the sound system. I posed for a picture with my hand on her rump; something the real Kylie would probably never let me do! Next we went into a room full of Hollywood figures. This time I posed with my arm around Tom Cruise's shoulder (whom I've been told I resemble, HAH! Yeah, right.). Anyway, the picture of me with Kylie turned out OK even though it was dim. But the one with Tom was missing and the negatives are so teeny I can't tell which frame is which. That has convinced me that it's time to buy a digital camera. That way I can look at the pictures right as I take them and determine if they are too dark, too bright, etc. In that same room were Marilyn Monroe (with her dress blowing up), Elvis Presley, James Dean, etc. The next room contained a huge assortment of famous historical characters such as Marie Antoinette, Adolph Hitler, and John F. Kennedy. At one point I walked by the mannequin of Charles II and got quite a shock. He had been posed in such a way that the eyes looked down and to the left, so it looked like he was watching me. When I turned and caught him "staring" I gave quite a little jump. My friend, Carla, with whom I was staying found that quite funny. The museum also had setups where you could have your picture taken. For example, there was one where you could pose with the entire Royal Family with the exception of Diana. In another montage you could pose with Henry VIII and his six wives; the implication being that you were the seventh wife and in mortal danger of losing your head. The third montage I remember was of a podium at the U.N. where you could stand with Koffi Annan on one side with various other dignitaries all around. Most of the statues were just uncanny and although you were allowed to touch them, it seemed almost disrespectful. I half expected Miss Minogue to slap me when I caressed her fanny! The next room was a torture display where you could see wax figures being turned around on spiked wheels or having their heads lopped off by a guillotine. While I was watching one man being hanged (I think he killed several women in the 1930's), Carla had wandered further on. While she was waiting for me to catch up, she just stood there and several people looked closely at her thinking she was part of the exhibit. Since that portion of it dealt with the French Revolution and she was wearing modern clothing, I'm sure they all wondered how she fit into the scenario (maybe as some sort of "Back to the Future" observer). Of course, her slightest movement then sent them scurrying along quite embarrassed over the whole mistake. The noise in the torture room was deafening what with all the screaming "Help me! It hurts!" and the intoning "You're sentenced to hang until you die!" while "La Marseillaise" blared incessantly in the background. Plus there was a strong smell of urine in the room as though someone had got so frightened by it all that he had wet his pants. However, all of that was nothing compared to the next exhibit which was called "The Spirit of London". OK, "The Spirit of London" is a little railway ride in these carts that look like London cabs. You progress through London's history, but the segments overlap to the point where you're not certain at times what you're looking at. At one point there was a medieval plague scene where someone was calling out "Bring out your dead" and then suddenly you heard air raid sirens and bombs from WW2. Then it was suddenly the 60's and seizure-inducing lights were wildly flashing on and off. The cacophony was extraordinary! And somewhere in the middle of it all was Queen Elizabeth I perched high up in the air toasting everyone with a goblet while some animatronic jester capered madly about. When we finally staggered out of there, I was operating on sensory overload and desperately needed a libation. Luckily, in London one doesn't have to look too far to find a pub or bar! Next entry Previous entry Go to diary entries Go back home |