London Part III

Geeze, at this rate I'll never get a chance to finish just my London entries before my trip is finished (i'm currently 2 days into Paris as I type this).

So my second day in London was spent mostly just hanging out with Jas, we walked through the market near Nan's place, then headed to a really laid back bar/cafe in the Shoreditch area called Cafe 1001. We chatted and played cards, then Lara had to scoot for work. Then we started to walk back to Nan's to put on warmer clothes and get ready for dinner. At this point, real London weather finally emerged (it had been hot and sunny most of the day, and all day yesterday). The skies opened up a bit, rain came pouring down, but 10 minutes later, you would hardly have suspected that it had just rained (don't look at the wet pavement, I wasn't including that).

We went for Indian on the infamous Brick Lane. Store merchants accost you out front should you show even the slightest hesitation in front of one of their establishments. Free rounds of drinks, 25% off your meal, and no service charge is pretty much par for the course. We ended up settling for less, just because the place seemed a bit nicer, and the woman in front was the least bent on dragging us in. This hunch turned out to be a good one, as the meal was yummy. Stuffed and sleepy we returned back home to catch some shut-eye.

Day 3 we awoke and Jasmine left for work. I met her for lunch (marks & spencer's take away sandwiches) and we picnicked in a teeny little park right next to the store where she works. After lunch I made my first solo tourist trip, up to the British museum.




It was packed with other camera toting foreigners like me (well except the sideburrns). and was well worth the price of admission (free). I saw the Rosetta stone, a chunk of rock that formed part of the beard of the sphinx, about half the friezes of the Parthenon, and the mummy of Cleopatra (amongst other things that slip my fallible memory at this point).

After that it was up to Camden station to meet Lara, for a tour of the market for a couple of hours. I get the impression that Camden market is where all the hip youngsters like to hang out if they're into bands like the clash and are not opposed to piercings. It's got a gritty feel to it, and is full of vintage clothing and vinyl record stores. Everything seems pretty expensive relative to canadian exchange rates, so I pass on the opportunity to spend 8 pounds on a used dick dale record. We find a nice terrace over-looking a little lock and body of water, and stop for a pint in the sun.

We pick Jas up at 6pm, then start doing a bit of a pub crawl. We order some yummy chips, and I'm actually pleased at the cost of something for the first time on the trip (what a shocker, its beer!) A pint of guinness is about 2-3 pounds which when converted works out to about 6 dollars. Steep, but when you factor in not having to pay a tip, its like getting your 7th pint free! We end up at the Hayfield, a student friendly local just minutes from Nan's place. I think there's actually a maximum age limit at this place... weird! "sorry sir, but I'm afraid you're too old to drink here", it's like being too tall for a rollercoaster. The night draws to a hazy close, with Jas and I both sad over the looming events to follow the next day.

Day 4 (my last day in London), Jasmine has to be up for work, so I take her there. We both know that this will be the last time we see each other for 3 weeks, and it seems unfair that we've been apart for so long lately. These past 4 days have simply been the appetizer, and the main course hasn't yet arrived. The minute of doom arrives, and we say teary goodbyes around the corner from her store. I spend the next couple of hours wandering around, feeling extra low.

I get a chance to do a bit of writing, and slowly make my way over to Waterloo station. My chunnel train departs at 3pm, and I say goodbye to Mary Poppins style houses, rolling green countrysides, and pounds sterling. Less than 3 hours later, its Bonjour to the Euro and Paris, France.

London Part II

Picking up where I last left off, we made our way out to the sprawling and lush greenery that is Hyde Park. We found a nice spot next to a big lake, complete with paddle boats, swans, and Canada Geese! We spent the afternoon just lazing about, soaking up the sun and each others company. Fast forward 4 hours to high tea time. Walking along the streets of West End London, we stumble through the doors of a nice Italian restaurant, where we continue to chat, sip cheap wine, and gobble up yummy fettucini alfredo.

I'm stuffed and worn out, so we hop on the underground making our way Eastwards towards Stepney Green station, and Lara's Nan's flat (where I'll be slumbering for the next few days). Nan is classically British, and very sweet. The first words to pass her lips after our brief hello's, is "would you like a cup of tea?" I'm shown to our room, and prooceed to pass out soon after that, happy to be reunited with my gal.

Day 2 begins much how day 1 ended... with a cup of tea, and a big English breakfast courtesy of Nan.

(to be continued)

London

Tired, hungry, and euphoric. This is how I arrived in London midday on the 27th of June. The trip got off to a rocky start, thanks to the 4.5 hour delay before the flight even left Montreal (thank you, Canadian Affair!). The flight itself was fairly uneventful; I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of leg room, and unpleasently surprised that they didn't turn off the cabin lights until about 3 hours into my 6 hour journey. The mixture of bright lights swirled with my giddyness at soon seeing my girlfriend for the first time in 2 months created a sleepless elixir I had no choice but to endure.

I arrived in one piece though, settled into the snaking customs line, and sighed as those with British and European passports breezed on past me, without the customs agent even so much as looking at half of their passports. That complete I picked up my bags and proceeded towards the train exit, where I was expecting to settle into a 45 minute train journey to Victoria station to finally meet Jasmine. But lo and behold, as I strained and read the confusing array of signs and arrows, a white-dressed, curly haired, big brown eyed apparition floated into my peripheral vision. It took several seconds for my brain to actually register that Jazzy was now standing right there in front of me, in person. I had been tricked, in the most pleasent way. The next 45 minutes were a backgroundless blur, as the train rumbled and slid along the tracks. It hadn't even registered that I was in London, until we got to the underground, and I passed the accents of passing commuters.

The sun was shining, so we decided to stop at a cafe for a bite to eat, then off to Hyde park to just lounge in the sun.

(to be continued)