Twenty-Four Hours and Fifteen Minutes in London
Yes, the general consensus is that I'm barking mad for going to London for 24 hours, but hey ho, sometimes these things have got to be done!
Sunday 11th December 2011
08:20 - I land in London. It is grey, and drizzling, and much colder. I can see my breath and I'm thinking "Great, things really haven't changed."
09:00 - I sit on a Stansted Express with a Costa Coffee (a small Pralines and Cream, yum), and laugh at the randomness of my first "return to London" purchases. Train tickets, coffee and Costa's version of a Jammie Dodger, which I don't actually eat!
09:15 - I stare out of the window and watch the English countryside flash past me. I overhear the following conversation between a young couple:
Boy: What's wrong with her?
Girl: ...I think she's in love.
Boy: Is that how you look?
Girl: ........
09:30 - I ring the friends I am going to meet in Holborn so that I speak clearly about the fact I have not been in England for 4 months and that it is really strange seeing the English countryside. I hope the young couple get the hint so I can convince them I'm not really insane, just a bit delirious.
09:47 - I arrive in Liverpool Street Station and proceed to get the tube through to Holborn.
10:14 - The underground is busy, "even for a Sunday!". It is one of the last weekends before Christmas I suppose. People have a lot of shopping to do. I am still smiling to myself. A lot.
So I am early. 45 minutes in fact. What shall I do.....hmm.....what shall I do?! Erm....oh yes...I know. WETHERSPOONS!
10:23 - I sit in a Wetherspoons with a pint of Festive Ale: Redbreast. Ahhhhhhhh.
Real Ale. It exists in Italy of course. I'm not saying it doesn't. But nothing beats drinking Ale at 10:30 in the morning in a dingy pub with sticky carpet and old men and menu's covered in the latest offers available. Welcome back to London.
10:30 - The first of my friends arrive. Followed shortly by the other two. Oh how I have missed them. So much. We remain in Wetherspoons for a while catching up over a beverage (of course the others choose more reasonable drinks for a morning - tea, coke, juice) and we exchange Christmas presents.
This is where the accuracy of my day dwindles. Lost in conversation we amble through to the Giraffe (a restaurant) in Russell Square. We manage to get a table without having to wait. I enjoy my Indonesian style noodles, yummy.
After leaving Giraffe we catch a bus to Southbank and walk around admiring the German market and various London landmarks that can be seen from that area. What tourists we were!
16:47 - My best bud and I get the train from Waterloo. I leave her on the train as I get off at Clapham Junction. From there I do a little bit of shopping. I buy a pair of socks and a book entitled Father Christmas Needs a Wee.
17:30 - In the pub along from my church in Battersea I meet a friend I know through the church I attended in London. We catch up on the latest goings on in each other's lives and head to Evensong where I catch up with another friend who looked incredibly well. I am very jealous of his extended Christmas off of work. For once I think he has a longer "holiday" than I do!
19:00 - I leave Battersea by train from Clapham Junction church and head to Balham. It is here that I meet friends from my teaching life. We catch up on all things new and I discover that they are all doing very well and in high spirits as only a week remains of term. Always a happy feeling for any school teacher!
23:30 - I set my alarm for 03:45 before falling asleep on an airbed in the lounge of my ex-housemates having enjoyed a real cup of tea and biscuits catching up on the latest developments in their lives. It was like Pescara didn't even exist.*
Monday 12th December 2011
02:45 - I am woken up by my alarm. I go to the toilet and brush my teeth in a dazed state. I check my watch. 02:50. I look at it again....I'm sure I set my alarm for 03:45, not 02:45. Confusion holds me steadfast in my friends bathroom for a minute or so. It's actually an hour earlier than I thought. I have set my alarm without taking into account the hour's difference between London and Pescara. I only changed the time on my watch. What a bonus! I sleep for another hour.
04:05 - I leave the house after successfully waking at 03:45 and getting dressed. I pray I didn't wake my friends as I bumble down their stairs and out the door.
05:10 - After two buses across London I am sitting on the Stansted Express in Liverpool Street. Sad times. However I remember I hadn't eaten my Jammie Dodger from Costa so devour that quickly, crumbs go everywhere!
Turns out, of course, I arrive at the airport exceptionally early. Fortuantely this gives me adequate time to purchase Travel Scrabble and a bar of Dairy Milk and still have time to walk around and have a 20 minute power nap. I'm very glad I am not going to England via Stansted for my Christmas trip in just over a week. There's only so much of Stansted's Departure Lounge one can take!
08:35 - The pilot announces that there is a technical fault with one of the computers on the plane but that a technician is on the way. Hmm....not sure about this.
08:55 - We take off. And I leave London.
*By special request I have to note that it was indeed fantastic to see the real Hockers herself, in flesh, rather than on Skype. I must say that rowing is definitely a sport that suits her and I am very excited at the prospect of visiting her again when she moves in February. However, it won't be until she visits me here!
Sunday 11th December 2011
08:20 - I land in London. It is grey, and drizzling, and much colder. I can see my breath and I'm thinking "Great, things really haven't changed."
09:15 - I stare out of the window and watch the English countryside flash past me. I overhear the following conversation between a young couple:
Boy: What's wrong with her?
Girl: ...I think she's in love.
Boy: Is that how you look?
Girl: ........
09:30 - I ring the friends I am going to meet in Holborn so that I speak clearly about the fact I have not been in England for 4 months and that it is really strange seeing the English countryside. I hope the young couple get the hint so I can convince them I'm not really insane, just a bit delirious.09:47 - I arrive in Liverpool Street Station and proceed to get the tube through to Holborn.
10:14 - The underground is busy, "even for a Sunday!". It is one of the last weekends before Christmas I suppose. People have a lot of shopping to do. I am still smiling to myself. A lot.
So I am early. 45 minutes in fact. What shall I do.....hmm.....what shall I do?! Erm....oh yes...I know. WETHERSPOONS!
Real Ale. It exists in Italy of course. I'm not saying it doesn't. But nothing beats drinking Ale at 10:30 in the morning in a dingy pub with sticky carpet and old men and menu's covered in the latest offers available. Welcome back to London.
10:30 - The first of my friends arrive. Followed shortly by the other two. Oh how I have missed them. So much. We remain in Wetherspoons for a while catching up over a beverage (of course the others choose more reasonable drinks for a morning - tea, coke, juice) and we exchange Christmas presents.
This is where the accuracy of my day dwindles. Lost in conversation we amble through to the Giraffe (a restaurant) in Russell Square. We manage to get a table without having to wait. I enjoy my Indonesian style noodles, yummy.
After leaving Giraffe we catch a bus to Southbank and walk around admiring the German market and various London landmarks that can be seen from that area. What tourists we were!
16:47 - My best bud and I get the train from Waterloo. I leave her on the train as I get off at Clapham Junction. From there I do a little bit of shopping. I buy a pair of socks and a book entitled Father Christmas Needs a Wee.
17:30 - In the pub along from my church in Battersea I meet a friend I know through the church I attended in London. We catch up on the latest goings on in each other's lives and head to Evensong where I catch up with another friend who looked incredibly well. I am very jealous of his extended Christmas off of work. For once I think he has a longer "holiday" than I do!
19:00 - I leave Battersea by train from Clapham Junction church and head to Balham. It is here that I meet friends from my teaching life. We catch up on all things new and I discover that they are all doing very well and in high spirits as only a week remains of term. Always a happy feeling for any school teacher!
23:30 - I set my alarm for 03:45 before falling asleep on an airbed in the lounge of my ex-housemates having enjoyed a real cup of tea and biscuits catching up on the latest developments in their lives. It was like Pescara didn't even exist.*
Monday 12th December 2011
02:45 - I am woken up by my alarm. I go to the toilet and brush my teeth in a dazed state. I check my watch. 02:50. I look at it again....I'm sure I set my alarm for 03:45, not 02:45. Confusion holds me steadfast in my friends bathroom for a minute or so. It's actually an hour earlier than I thought. I have set my alarm without taking into account the hour's difference between London and Pescara. I only changed the time on my watch. What a bonus! I sleep for another hour.
04:05 - I leave the house after successfully waking at 03:45 and getting dressed. I pray I didn't wake my friends as I bumble down their stairs and out the door.
05:10 - After two buses across London I am sitting on the Stansted Express in Liverpool Street. Sad times. However I remember I hadn't eaten my Jammie Dodger from Costa so devour that quickly, crumbs go everywhere!Turns out, of course, I arrive at the airport exceptionally early. Fortuantely this gives me adequate time to purchase Travel Scrabble and a bar of Dairy Milk and still have time to walk around and have a 20 minute power nap. I'm very glad I am not going to England via Stansted for my Christmas trip in just over a week. There's only so much of Stansted's Departure Lounge one can take!
08:35 - The pilot announces that there is a technical fault with one of the computers on the plane but that a technician is on the way. Hmm....not sure about this.
08:55 - We take off. And I leave London.
*By special request I have to note that it was indeed fantastic to see the real Hockers herself, in flesh, rather than on Skype. I must say that rowing is definitely a sport that suits her and I am very excited at the prospect of visiting her again when she moves in February. However, it won't be until she visits me here!
Aw shucks!
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