Despite the impending hurricane, I managed to move my flight to Saturday and arrived bright and early in London this morning. It was a lucky move as Irene is battering my house and my original flight was in fact cancelled. I honestly didn't oppose the chance to pop over early and get a chance to nap, shower, and settle in rather than have to go straight into orientation.
Finding the Tube was easy enough and worth the couple of flights of stairs at only 5 pound. Even with the Bank Holiday weekend the train came quickly. I wish the T would take lessons from every European metro system! #InMyDreams
Door to Sorbonne House
After finding Sorbonne House and figuring out which door was the entrance, I promptly took a long nap, haha. I sleep poorly if at all on planes and have this charming tendency of always booking red-eyes. The logic defies me, and then I remember that red-eyes tend to be several hundred dollars cheaper than morning flights. It also means traveling to wherever you're going once you land in the day light, which is plus when it's somewhere new.
National History Museum, on my way to the grocery store.
Once I woke up and showered I meandered off to find the Sainsburies - a large, average priced grocery store. According to (I don't know his title but he definitely works for BU London even though he's very young) it's the best grocery store to go to. The Welcome Pack directs us to a Tesco Express and while I love Tesco, the Express ones tend to be more expensive than the actual grocery shops and after the one near me in Prague, I don't want to chance the poor produce. The other option was a Waitrose - the fancy, expensive, Shaws of British grocers. I took his advice and arrived just in time for it to close. So, I sucked it up and picked up some essentials at Waitrose at not too bad prices so I didn't starve. Then I drank a lot of tea and contemplated the intimidating orange lump on my floor.
Then it began and several hours, and several cups of tea, later, it was over and I was settled.
I am, overall, well disposed to like London. I want to find the twisting streets and old houses that bump together charming. In a way, perhaps then I have too high of expectations for the city or perhaps then even if my expectations are not met I am optimistic enough to forgive her transgressions and remain cheery. Summer has left London already, leaving behind air that is just warm enough and just cool enough. It feels like Fall; it smells like Fall; and yet the atmosphere on my jaunt to buy groceries seemed to still contain the energy of summer. I wonder if that is the type of energy London always has or if perhaps a longer Fall allows one to enjoy it before Winter rushes in.
So until I know, I will smile at the city and frown at the piles of things waiting to be sorted.
And, of course, go drink another cup of tea.
Where the tea was made! Also known as, hey look, it's my kitchen.
Ciao,
Fallon
