Day Two in London

Sunday, for those keeping track... 17/10/2010

Woke up to a squirrel in my face. Literally. And Brian cackling hysterically. Apparently he was waiting for a while for me to wake up. Thanks, brother.

Oh, joyous SLEEP! It was fantastic! Feel like a new person! We heated up some water (in our lovely electric kettle) for tea (Brian) and Nescafe' (por moi), and we came up with a general plan for the day.

Today we tried showers for the first time, and we realized that the bathroom floor tiles are heated! Tried out the wacky hair dyer hose thing, too. Hmmm... guess my hair's gonna be a bit flat while in London.

The Art Cafe' is officialy our breakfast spot! We had dinner here last night, though I think the breakfasts (especially the latte's) are better! Yaaaaay!


Today we are heading to Portobello Road Market, the London Eye, walk across the Millennium Bridge, and the Covent Garden Market. Who knows what other adventures await! :)

(later that day)
WOW! Beat again. What a day!

(I do need to say, though, that I'm sort of surprised at how few British folk we've actually talked to or seen in the shops, trains, etc... oh well.)

Portobello Road was FANTASTIC! Great little shops and vendors all up and down this long stretch of road -- great buildings, neat little shops and cafe's -- we probably could have spent the entire day there! Brian nearly bought some cool rings, and there were lots of items I was drawn to (but had to resist -- what can I say? I'm a cheapskate!). We found a woman selling amber jewelry, and she told us she was the "Queen of Amber" :). She was from Russia, she said, and had an amazing variety of Amber -- there are hundreds of different kinds! [Can't write the next part - it has to do with a gift we bought! Don't want to spoil the surprise!]

After walking all the way down the street, and then all the way back up the other side of the street (so much to see!) we headed to the Underground, and stepped off at Westminster Station ("Mind the Gap!"). We were immediately faced with Big Ben -- it's big alright! the Westminster Abbey (which I somehow managed NOT to get a picture of), and the House of Parliament. Such majestic buildings! Oh, and there were a TON of people with the same idea... crowds, crowds, and more crowds. A bit annoying at times, but we soldiered on. We walked over the Westminster Bridge and down to the London Eye. Crowded, Crowded, Crowded! We got our tickets for our "flight" and queued up, with the rest of the cattle. We were searched/patted down on the way in ("got anything sharp in that bag?" "Only a safety pin" "I meant like scissors or a knife." "Oh, no, nothing like that"), and we entered our little pod.

Well, it wasn't little, it was big enough for about 10-15 people to walk around or sit on a bench down the middle, and was completely surrounded by glass, for a 360 degree view. There were two little kids, along with their Italian parents/grandparents/other family, and they were running around in there most of the time, as the rest of us tried to enjoy the amazing views. The mom halfheartedly tried to stop them, but she gave up, since a little while later they were playing with the air conditioner/ventilation and then started SPITTING on the glass and SMEARING it! So gross! :( Kinda killed the experience a bit.

Once back on the ground we high-tailed it through Jubilee Park along the River Thames, where there were a lot of street performers. We didn't really stop, though, as we were anxious to get away from the intensity of these crowds.

The Jubilee Bridge was really nice, a pedestrian bridge that took us back to the North side of London. Wandering around there a bit, we headed to the Covent Garden Market. meh. It was okay, but we were cranky after our run-in with Satan's Italian Spawn on the Eye. Brian and I decided to get some coffee and sit for a bit. Once again we pulled out the map and guide book, and made a plan based on where we were.

To get the train, we headed back to Trafalgar Square and headed underground. Got back to the Queensway Station, and we found a yummy pub and had dinner. I had a falafel burger with chips and a Stella, and Brian had some sausage and mashed potatoes, known as Bangers and Mash. He also had some yummy broccoli soup and a hard cider called Strongbow. Yummy!

Brian needed a new calling card, so we headed to a shop (he's much chattier than I am, apparently), then called our hubbies to check in. Got a bottle of water for the hotel room (the tap or "still" water is warm :( ), and we headed for our London home.

We have a neighbor now! He's Arabic, or speaks the language, at least. We know this because he's LOUD. And he's been on the phone. A LOT.

So, we chilled. Had some tea, and made the plan for the next day. Brian makes fun of my lists, but it helps to keep up with what we've seen! Tomorrow we're hoping to see the Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Millennium Bridge, London Bridge, plus we're meeting Brian's friend Barb (and her boyfriend Ren) for dinner at some place called The Hospital Club near the Covent Garden Tube. So, I guess I should go to bed now -- Nighty Night!