One night in London
A kilometer is longer than a mile. Keep that in mind when traveling in Europe.
Getting off the plane, Sheldon and Dan seemed like they were going to take another 20 minutes, so I left ahead of them and planned to meet them at baggage claim. Great plan, except when one continues on to another country (as they did), one doesn't pick up checked bags in between flights. And thus, my time with Dan and Sheldon ended...far too abruptly. It was like I never got to say goodbye to that feeling of homey-ness before I went into the deep, dark uncertainty of navigating this whole thing alone. Kinda threw me off the rest of the day.
I had no problem finding the hotel, but getting to the Tube from the airport, I finally understood what Moses went through (minus the manna...I was starving).
The rest of the day has been quite surreal. My lack of sleep, intense hunger, and lots of physical activity combined to make my mind completely unable to focus on any one thought for more than an instant. I found myself debating whether to eat or shower, and while debating my body decided to carry my into the shower. Cool. Thanks for the decision making, body!
I ate. I went to sleep. And then I woke up. What the hell time is it? My stomach ached, I was incredibly groggy, and for some reason I was convinced I had woken up late (late for what?). Where am I? Why is it light outside? Ehhhhhh scary.
More sleep, and I felt better, good enough to head out and explore London, which I did with a passion. I decided I wasn't quite ready to do the "authentic" Brit stuff, so I stuck to the touristy attractions: Trafalgar Square, Parliament building, Leicester Square, etc (lots of cool pics on the Flickr). It was all very beautiful, but I was kinda half asleep. I am in LOVE with the Tube (I love public transportation, and this is the best of it), and I love London. Such an easy town to just walk around - not intimidating at all. The old buildings seem to bend over you and give you a hug while you walk.
I ate dinner at the Sherlock Holmes Restaurant, and had the fish & chips I promised Casey I would get. Unfortunately, the restaurant was as schlocky as it sounds and was filled with Americans attracted to the kitsch-y name (...like me...). The entree wasn't really...real...so, sorry Casey, but I still haven't really had fish n chips! I met some girls from BU (and other schools) studying here who seemed kinda confused by me:
Them: How do you know where you are?
Me: ...I don't...the Tube gets you everywhere though
Them: So you're just walking around?
Me: Yeah, I had nothing else to do.
Seems logical enough!
I got on the Tube at Leicester Sq. to go home, but found myself getting off one stop later at Piccadilly Circus. After all, you never know when you're going to see these things again. And yes Mike, I went to the London Trocadero. I can see why you and Matta loved it. I realized I had been there the last time I was in London - I definitely remember one particular photo of me playing a racing video game with the steering wheel on the other side.
Back at the hotel now, time to pack up and get ready to leave (wake up call at 4:45am). Thankfully, I feel fairly adjusted to the new time zone (the walk helped a LOT). Tomorrow is sure to be a day to remember :-D.
