London Trip: Days Two & Three

Saturday late, Lynton Hotel, London

One of my friends on Everything2 wrote an article about Heathrow Airport, so I knew what to expect. Still, it was not as bad as I feared. Suzi and I took a coach (that's a long-distance bus...as opposed to those double-decker things that are so characteristic of London...those are just called 'buses') into town and wound up a mere two blocks from our hotel. The Lynton, our hotel, is a great place, cozy, clean, and homey--it's just great. It's also very inexpensive, which is great, but I'd probably stay here even if I had a lot more money.

Our host, Simon, is a really nice man--a big, boistrous, jolly fellow full of good humour and good advice. Just what you want from a B&B guy.

After shopping, lunch, and a nap, we went to a local pub for a snack and a pint...who should we run into but Simon? He bought us a couple pints and we all had a laugh or two, then Suzi and I feasted on baguettes filled with brie and bacon.

Chris (just Chris), as our local Anglophile expert, had advised me about English bacon. It's not like American bacon---I never ever EVER thought I'd say this...I never thought it was possible. It's actually better! It is something a bit like a compromise between our breakfast bacon and Canadian bacon, but REALLY smoky and thick and crisp. It absolutely blows my mind. I've said that bacon is the reason I could never be vegeterian...and it's still true.

Before I came here I hoped to have a drink at a real English pub on this very night. It's interesting, I recently read an article to the effect that we Yanks don't really have a homologue to the pub. I think the author was right. A pub is much more than a bar or a bar & grill--it's a big part of the social landscape and a sort of geographic centre for neighbourhoods. Very hard to describe.

After a couple of drinks, we came back for a good night's sleep. There aren't many perfect days in a lifetime, I'm going to remember this one.


Sunday Noon, Camden Town, London

I've made the following observations about London so far:

1. I can deal with people driving on the left. You can get used to it pretty quickly, actually. But the steering wheel being on the right side of the car (while eminently sensible) just looks strange to me!
2. I know they're "pounds" or "quid" but I keep trying to say "bucks"--as in "That's a buck 'n' a half...I meant one pound fifty." Also, it's kind of hard to remember that they're twice as valuable as a USA buck. So four quid may not sound like much, but that's almost eight dollars!
3. People look different here. What I mean is, in Dallas, there are certain accepted models for dress, hair, etc. according to your social status, age, etc. Back home, middle-aged businessmen dress and look a certain way, teen-aged rebels dress a certain way, angry loners have their look as well. Minor (but only minor) deviations are allowed. Here, it is much less strict. I've seen middle-aged businessmen in suits with nose-studs, for example. I think it is because the city is so cosmopolitan, I've noted the same thing in New York.

Suzi was very sweet last night. Little Sis turned into Big Sis, being protective and lavishing me with lots of advice. It was really touching. This morning she and I had breakfast at the Lynton (eggs, toast, sausage, bacon, tomatoes, and beans--filling and delicious!)... After that, she was off to Cornwall, I walked her down to the cabstand and she grabbed a cab to Paddington (normally, these so-called 'black taxis' are not a very good value, but she wasn't going far and it really beats taking the tube...at least for someone who hates stairs and escalators as much as my beloved Suzi). A hug and she was off. I hope she has the time of her life!

I went to Camden Town to meet Catherine, a friend from on-line. Simon at the hotel told me that the buses are much better than the tube, but for the life of me, I could NOT figure them out, so it was down to the tube station to get some advice from the information people. A few false starts and I got an Oyster Card (a transit pass that is re-fillable...like a little credit card thing), and was off to Camden Town. This afternoon promises to be very cool, as this is one of the major punk and goth centres of the world.


Sunday 11:50 (23:50), Lynton Hotel, London

I had an absolutely amazing time. Catherine gave me the tour of Camden Town. Punks with hair spikes that would make rhinos jealous, women with hair the colour of cotton candy, people with enough piercings on their faces to qualify them for careers in cutlery display...all this and SO much more. I was in heaven.

Afterwards, we went to her home and I met her husband, Anthony. LOVELY people, very charming and good hosts. Simon, another friend, came over and the lot of us drank, talked and had a laugh. Dinner was marvellous--wine, and a Mediterranean style tapas too complex and varied to adequately describe here: fresh bread, delightful dips, fabulous cheeses, hummis, and a dozen other items...As my 'Second Mom,' Carol likes to say, "If you leave hungry, it's your own fault." ... heeding that advice, I ate and drank VERY well.

Afterwards we chatted about a dozen subjects, played some Wii games (oh, NOW I see what those are about... great fun!), and I got treated to an exhibition of some of Catherine and Anthony's lovely photography. They are extrememly talented, and I was quite impressed. I also got to hear some tales about the places where they grew up.

Catherine also took me to a Goth pub...that was really cool. The heart of weirdness...Although one fella sorta gave me a little trouble. He said something to me to the effect of "You don't belong here, mate!" while clapping me on the shoulder rather aggressively. It wasn't a real problem, but it was a little weird. I mean, come ON! I was wearing a Bauhaus shirt and everything.

Catherine paid me a big complement when she told me that I don't look at all like a tourist, for which I'm glad. Tomorrow, I think I'll allow myself to look like a tourist and go do some touristy things.