Phew, I've had a day again today. I started off with no particular plans, just a general idea to head over to East London, hit up maybe Whitechapel and the Spitalfields Market. (Y'all know I'm interesting in JtR and the season finale of Whitechapel airs tonight, so I thought it was fitting.)
+ Spent most of my late morning/early afternoon on public transport. Boring, but useful.
+ Whitechapel is not what I thought. I don't really like when my biases make themselves known, but to be fair to myself, I was also really hungry while fighting my way through the crowds, which tends to turn me into Hulk-V.
+ Did not end up finding Spitalfields Market, but found Petticoat Lane Market instead. (Also a bit of a disappointment.)
+ Hit up the Museum of London, which was awesome, and which I will most definitely be going back to. Asked a couple questions and tried to suss out if an American could, in fact, get in on the ground floor of a British dig. The ladies at the conservation desk seemed to think yes. Score one for me! Other exciting things about the Museum of London include: a book called Secret London: an unusual guide which tells you how to find cool little non-touristy interesting things around London (super stoked to plan my next London day) and a guide to things that are going on at the Museum, such as tours called Darkest London and The Archaeological Archive by twilight.
+ Things I love about wandering London: split-second decisions to walk down this street and then turn at that street and just see where it leads, without knowing 100% if I can get back to where I need to be. I love getting "lost" in London, because it's a well-signed city so you're not usually lost lost, but also, you get to see new and different things and people.
+ Ate at the Lyceum Tavern, on the Strand, right around the corner from the Lyceum Theatre. Cider and a burger and onion rings, yum! And my seat was next to a window from which I could observe all manner of city life going on. I thought deep thoughts about life, the universe and everything--but mostly about why I love London so much. I don't actually have an answer to that one.
+ All I know is I've never felt quite such a rush of energy, of being connected, as I did earlier today. I made it halfway across the road and was standing in the middle portion with a couple other people, waiting for the light to turn green. The cars and cabs and buses rushed by on both sides, completely surrounded me, while my London song played loud in my ears. I was so alive and connected to the city. Like it's an entity. (Like it isn't just thousands of people with their own identities and lives, but one organism made up of those.)
+ Starbucks vanilla latte while just sitting in Piccadilly Circus, watching the world go by. Have I mentioned I love my life?
+ Another reason I know I was made for this city: I found my way back to the street our hotel was on when we stayed here for 10 days when I was 13. (It was Curzon Street, right, parentals?) I couldn't find the actual hotel, because I don't remember anything at all about the exterior of the building, but I still have the pictures in my head of certain landmarks. I knew I was close because I remember the tube station; the first subway I'd ever taken and I remembered what it looked like as we approached it. I turned down the road across the way and almost gave up hope until I happened upon the little alleyway of shops where I stopped to get breakfast a couple times. (I remember the lady called me "sweetheart" or something equally nice. I liked her.) I legit remembered the Tescos down the way and how close Hyde Park was. (while Live 8 was playing a couple streets from our hotel, we watched it on telly and had a fancy-schmancy afternoon tea while Elton John performed. I still don't really like Elton John.) This is how much of an impression this city made on me for that brief period in my life.
+ Hung out in Piccadilly, took a walk down to Bond Street, drooled and cried with clothing desire as I passed the Burberry. Wandered through Soho and Oxford Street again, then made it back to Trafalgar Sq and then back down Whitehall and my feet were starting to hurt and it was chilly--and then I was on Waterloo Bridge, watching the sun sink golden and pink against the clouds, throwing light and shadow onto the Thames and Parliament. It was a simply divine sight.
And like my subject says, this post has really become a gushy love letter to London. I'm not sure why I love the city so much; as a general rule, I tend to hate cities. But this one, she's different. It bears more pondering and exploring.
:-) We did go on Curzon a lot that trip! Great that you remembered. We stayed at the Chesterfield Mayfair. I'll send you a link to show how close you were. :-)
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