tally ho chaps

I arrived in London on Monday, found my hotel in Earls Court (why break with tradition ... although so far I haven't seen a single other of my countryfolk) and a new definition of the word 'dinge'. No wonder the English never used to bathe, if this is what their showers are like.

So many people have told me how much they dislike London (about 15 different people I think), that I wasn't sure what to expect, but so far I really like it. The big difference to my mental image of it is that it is a lot shorter than I thought - not really a surprise when I think of it, but I automatically assume 'big city = skyscrapers' and much of London is under ten storeys which gives it a more open feel than I thought it would have. The weather has also been really nice, I think it was 29 degrees when I arrived and both days since have been in the same vicinity. It has only rained at night so I've thus far missed that pleasure - though I'm sure it will come. There are so many different 'hoods to explore it is very exciting choosing what to do next. When I arrived I wandered around Earls Court and Kensington, was pretty exhausted so collapsed in Hyde Park for awhile, contemplating how badly English 'baristas' need to to spend a season in Sydney, and you know what's nice? Sun! Sun that you can sit outside in without sunscreen - or hats, umbrellas, special vests, products from the Cancer Council in general - and not be fried to a crisp. Might only happen for a short time of the year, but it is rather nice. Yesterday I set out for the National Gallery, and got diverted en route (well when am I not diverted? nay, diverting! ) by a successful attempt to contact friends from home who have been living in Germany and were visiting London, Klaus and Jude, so found myself on the tube to Liverpool St to meet up with them before they went to the airport. Was great to see them and their gorgeous son Ollie - who's grown! So much! And now speaks German!
After that I realised I was in the vicinity of markets! Unfortunately the Old Spitalfields markets are being renovated so there was only a small amount of it open, but they had some nice stuff. Then I went to the Petticoat Lane markets, where there is rack upon rack upon rack of cheap clothing, so plugged a couple of holes in my wardrobe, and as long as I don't do any currency conversions, it was all very cheap. I then headed over the Whitechapel Gallery, but much to my disappointment they are in change-over at the moment, so nothing was open. It was good to see the building at least, as an exhibition they had in 1961 is something that I have been reading about. I managed not to tell the staff that. So exhibition desire thwarted, I headed back onto the tube and got out at Westminster, and had a nice session of slack-jawed tourism. Coming out of the station into harsh sunlight it was quite disorientating, and as I slowly pieced together where I was and what I was seeing The parliament! An enormous bicycle wheel! An enormous clock! OH! THAT's why they call it BIG Ben! Westminster Abbey! The Thames! I joined the throng of people, cameras in hand, and I could see why I had been warned about it being a prime spot for pickpockets, there are that many people wandering around, faces tilted skyward, babbling random historical facts. Evensong started soon at Westminster Abbey, so the church was closed to any more disco-flash sessions, but I decided to go along to the service. The Book of Common Prayer really does sound better when it is spoken in an English accent. And the singing helps. The choir perform beautifully, and there is a sense of awe to be participating in something that had been taking place for such a long time in that building.
After that I wandered through St James Park, squirrels I saw squirrels! and sat and read the paper for awhile, then continued through the park, past the Palace, into Knightsbridge, and wandered back to Earls Court, via dinner, and with feet that felt like slabs of squoosh.
Now I'm going to try and make it to the National Gallery again...