I'm going to take a departure from the usual sarcasm and jokes from my other reviews. I have to write Abbey Road a love letter...
Abbey Road, a little piece of you lives in my soul.
It was our last day in London. I told my husband, "I'll regret it forever if I don't go to Abbey. What if we never come back to London and I never have a chance to see it? We have to find our way there." After asking around, we figured out we had to take the Underground to St. John's Wood. Once we got there, an Underground Metro worker must have spotted the glimmer in my eye. "You looking for Abbey Road?" Me: "Yes maam. Can you tell us how to get there?" And that, she did.
We rounded the corner, and I recognized the crossing immediately. It was in a brick-laden, upscale neighborhood. "The" Abbey Road crosswalk is actually pretty dangerous. Cars drive through quickly and they don't stop or slow down. If you want to cross it, you have to time it carefully.
There was a small crowd of twenty-somethings gathered across the street...some writing messages to the Beatles on the Abbey House wall (http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz_photos/P_QEyHeYPJ3yA8Fh8YOZtA?select=BU8Bj66t3MRwe7Zm-pz5Bg), others quietly sobbing and hugging strangers. One young man held up his small radio playing "Let It Be". It was a somber and surreal moment, yet a part of me felt unworthy to be there.
We (carefully) crossed and met a young man from Columbia with wild, curly hair. We chatted it up for a while and he told us funny stories about all the people he had witnesed over the past hour who were nearly get hit by cars trying to take a picture crossing Abbey. Then he offered to take our picture at the crossing. Now, I'm from San Francisco, so I instantly worried about why he was being so nice. Was he trying to steal my camera? Sounds bad, but folks from big cities know what I mean.
I handed it (my camera) to him, and he positioned himself in the middle of the road, with cars whizzing by on either side of him. "Okay, walk!" he yelled. I was sure this dude was crazy, but I was thankful he was doing this for us. Because of him, I now I have my own cheesy memoir of that day (http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz_photos/P_QEyHeYPJ3yA8Fh8YOZtA?select=n9zGq_jG1myN6ThqootIZA).
I gave him a big hug afterward and wished him the best. I wished I could have stayed, but the sun was setting and we had to get ready to leave for Amsterdam. The next day, I spent my train ride to Amsterdam listening to "Yellow Submarine", "Come Together", and sobbing a bit to "Imagine"...and just reflecting on what I had experienced. I left a bit of my heart in London, and on Abbey Road that day.
For those of you whose lives have been changed by The Beatles (or even if you're just a casual fan), this is a place you must visit. It has a spirit. It's alive, in some way. And everyone who visits feels the same. Just look at all the messages on the walls (pics below). Thanks for reading :)
http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz_photos/P_QEyHeYPJ3yA8Fh8YOZtA?select=BU8Bj66t3MRwe7Zm-pz5Bg
http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz_photos/P_QEyHeYPJ3yA8Fh8YOZtA?select=aS6mNrEeHBS2tlBcZVdfGg read more