It’s been over two weeks since I left the isle of the US, and it’s been a pretty amazing trip so far. Apologies for not getting a post out sooner–running a blog is harder than I thought it would be for a semi-perfectionist running around in different countries without a computer, especially since a) internet cafes aren’t that easy to find, especially when I don’t stay in one place long enough to know my way around and b) there’s not much time to post pictures and write when I spend most of my time running around (and sleeping in).
In case anyone is wondering, yes, I am stranded because of the volcano. Instead of flying to France today, I am sitting in an internet cafe in Florence, Italy. It’s actually quite nice to just relax and do nothing but work on a bit of blogging/picture posting. Where am I going after this? My flight is scheduled to leave the UK this coming Tuesday, but that flight may not be happening due to the ash, which is perfectly fine with me. I think I’ll head over to Spain for awhile instead. At any rate, I’m eager to post photos from my trip to Rome, but for some reason I’m going to bow to my binding sense of order and begin chronologically.
So…springtime in London!
Rain, mostly cloudy, some sun, temperature in the 40’s…my first real winterish experience of the season. I actually had to borrow a real coat, even though I’d brought my warmest. My second day, a group of us–Maria, Gin Sil, Esther, and Sarah and Mai (two of the girls who so kindly hosted me)– took a trip out to Hampton Court Palace, home of Henry VIII. It’s also the home of the Great Vine, over 230 years old.
The conference at Bower house was excellent. I got to reconnect with several people I know–KT Parker for one…and, for those of you who know Newman and Gloria, meet Annaliese!
London is extremely diverse. It’s home to people from probably the “four corners of the earth,” all with the fahscinating British accent. Yet what most interests me about London is the nuance in language, specifically word choice. Probably those who speak any other language and travel at all are used to differences in dialect. As an ignorant Southern Californian, however, I’m not. So when the waiter didn’t understand me when I asked for a “to go” box, it took three repititions for me to realize that no matter how well I enunciated, he wasn’t gonna get it. (Maria had to translate for me: I wanted it “take away.”) A “queue” is a line, a “toilet” is a restroom, and to “alight” is to…um…get off the train? As to the meaning of “niggles,” it’s still a mystery. Picking up a newspaper presented more problems. What is it to “cock a snook” or to “be in a proper froth?” And the names of the boroughs and/or tube stops–Picadilly Circus, Tooting Bec, Pudding Mill Lane, etc.–is it just me, or are those downright wierd?
So yes, fahscinating indeed. Also, some of the signs (“publicity”) either confused me or made me laugh.
I wanted to check out Central London, so I rode the tube to Oxford Street, a popluar shopping area. I ascended from the tube station to find myself smack dab in the middle of madness. 7-story buildings surrounded the streets on all sides, and hoards of people were being swept along in both directions in the typical London gait (fast) amidst a general roar of conversation. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I stepped back for a moment and screamed, “I’m a tourist!” (More specifically, I whipped out my camera and started snapping. I think I also yelled something like, “Please, allow me to be as annoying as possible,” and started videoing the crowd.)
On my last day I took a small cruise boat down the river Thames, from Greemwich to Westminster Abbey.
Yes it is...and no it's not.
Regarding British food, I don’t have much to report except that a) they really like fish and chips and b) they eat something called “mushy peas.” It tastes like mushed peas.
A few last shots of London (I should have mentioned this earlier, but for description or comments, place the cursor over the photo. I’m new to WordPress and am still working with finding a setup I like for photos.).
That’s about all for London. The best part was getting to go to the conference, blend with new people, and spend a little time with Newman, Gloria, and Annaliese. Next post should be about ROMA!
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