London Calling

After a nice breakfast in Tallinn I was off to the airport bound for London. I was really excited to change out of my snowboots and tuck away my long underwear for awhile. I arrived in London and made a lengthy commute into the city via regional rail and then the tube, and found my hotel with no problem. It is so nice to be able to speak English!! I had missed lunch entirely and was really hungry... but I am only in London for just tonight! Priorities must be observed.

So, I quizzed the receptionist, and he happily supplied me with directions to the fashion district on Oxford street. He indicated it was maybe 15 minutes on foot... I made it in 10.

Wow! Not as fashion forward as Paris or Barcelona, maybe, but this city has a life of its own! The people were out on the streets hussling and bussling, and I took careful note at the intersections for to look right or look left. Traffic here is crazy. After my forray into the retail world -- not too expensive, mindful always of the limitations of my luggage, let alone my budget -- I undertook the unwinding of myself back to my hotel.

That is when I discovered Lancaster is a different word than Leinster, and that there is a Craven Hill, Craven Terrace, and not one but three portions of Craven Hill Gardens (the street my hotel is on) none of which are connected... sigh. It took my last bit of energy to drop by the hotel and make my way to the restaurant area, whereupon I stumbled (after asking directions three times) on this lovely internet cafe. Grin!

So now I finally am off to seek sustinence in the pubs of London. Tomorrow is a major travel day-- Chunnel to Paris (reading Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities the whole way) then from Paris, an evening departure for the overnight train to Rome.

Love you and miss you and am sending you the travelers wisdom I gained today: it is always a good thing to look BOTH ways before venturing into the streets (and always bring a good map) :-)