London, Day 2

March 31, 2019

We arrived in London early, around 7:15.  Then spent an hour in line for border control to check passports.  I know when some people travel, they want to look good.  Me, I look for comfort.  So I wore a knit travel dress and leggings. The travel dress is a Betabrand and is very loose and swingy with big pockets and one tiny zipped pocket.  I wore my hiking boots to get there, then at the gate changed them for lighter, more comfortable shoes.  (I changed back while waiting in line for passport checks.

On the plane, ya gotta love Delta.  Fed and watered passengers are happy passengers.  They came around soon after we took off with crackers, cookies, and bottled water, then drink service, then dinner and another two drink services (one was coffee/tea/water).   Then they offered water during the night a few times.  Heated towels before dinner and before breakfast.  Then we had breakfast with a drink service, then little Toblerone candy bars.  Wow--huge difference between them and Nowegian Air where you have to call a flight attendant for a glass of water (which is all you get). Delta also gives you a bag with a sleep mask and ear plugs and a bag with earbuds and a pillow and blanket.  Norwegian makes you pay for all of those.

After we cleared border and customs, I took the tube to the Tower Bridge station, transferring once.  Then it was 9:30 and I was supposed to leave my bags till 2:00.  I logged into the luggage place and it told me where to look (they use grocery and other little stores to actually store the bags while the money and all is online).  Well, the store was closed (it's Sunday).  So I tried the next one in the lineup and walked there--closed again!  Now for each of these, the luggage website says  that they are open.  I found another company, but they charge by the day and I didn't want a whole day, just a few hours.  So, I schlepped my bag and looked around, then went to a coffee shop for a muffin and juice while I read my book.

Detail from a small park across from a pretty little church

This mound in the park and the pavers in a path around it were made from pieces of old tombstones.  Most are broken, many of the inscriptions are indecipherable.

The Shard

Then went to a park.  There, I looked at my airbnb inbox and noticed that Alex had said that I could check in at 12:00.  By this time it was 11:45 and I was nearby.  So I read for a few more minutes, then walked there.  All of Alex's directions and door codes worked (despite Google Maps trying to send me the wrong way!).  I dropped my bags and texted Alex a thanks for being able to  check in early and that I was going to take a nap.  I dozed, then woke up to sunlight streaming through the windows and a huge  pain in my back.  I took an antinflammatory and knew that exercise would be the best fix for it (I have chronic sciatica).  So I carefully got dressed again (I had stripped off my stinky travel clothes to sleep), and went out.  Alex hadn't arrived yet.

I walked a circuitous route (my usual) to Tower Bridge, then walked mostly along the south side of the river when possible to the Houses of Parliament.  The buskers were out in force--everywhere!  I wanted to see what the finished face looked like (it was too far away to see).  I also took a selfie of myself with Big Ben in the background because I had promised my students that I would.

This was at a market I stopped at--there were markets everywhere!

Kind of a bit Stephen King!

the Shard again

Detail of a building

The city of London, not be confused with Metropolitan London

A tiny, old building

through the tunnel to some cute outdoor patios

a market made between buildings

I want to know the story of  this!

The flowering and leafing tree are beautiful after all of the snow at home!

The site of the original Globe Theater

The newer globe theater a few blocks away

Sights of London--St. Paul's in the background

The millenium bridge

A dark area graffitied and use now by skateboarders

Big Ben

London Eye

This is what is left of Winchester Castle.

For dinner, there were booths set up all over by the river, so I got some fish and chips and ate them on a bench overlooking the Thames.  The sun was shining and it was such a perfect London memory!
Then I walked back, looking for a Tesco Express or Sainsbury Local (smaller urban versions of the stores--we have a similar thing in the twin cities for Target and Lund's).  I found both on the same block and bought some muesli, milk, mandarin oranges, tea, and sugar.  I'm pretty sure I'll need more cereal and milk--I'll wait and see.  Arrived, met Alex (he had been in Paris and just arrived about an hour before I came back).  I'll write this, then go to sleep!  I wore my sort of new shoes (I broke then in, though) and got a blister on the bottom of each foot in the center near the toes  I probably need to buy the insoles for them.  Wow, I'm super tired.  I'll finish this and definitely go to bed!  I have my day tour to Avebury early tomorrow morning (7:30 am pick up at the train station).

Finally, it's Spring Break! Minneapolis, Day 1

Saturday, March 30, Day One
This is my first day of spring break and I'm heading to London on a solo trip!  I used to always want to travel with others and thought that I wouldn't like traveling alone.  Now I realize that I like both, for different reasons.  When traveling with others (friends, family), I love to talk about what we've seen.  It helps me to integrate the experience and to form those shared memories/experiences with others.  However, traveling alone makes me feel empowered and I love not having to cater to the needs of others (a parent's life!).  It can all be about me, which, for a parent, is a novel experience!

This is the light rail station I was waiting at near my house.  I love the stained glass colors cast by the sun!

I am going to London Saturday through Friday.  I have booked a place to stash my big bag in London until I can check into my airbnb, a day tour Monday to Avebury (a circle of standing stones),  a ticket to Wicked Tuesday night, and a neighborhood walking photography tour on Thursday night.  The rest of the time will be wandering London.  I've been to London 5 times before this, so I don't need to see Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, etc.  I'll probably go see Big Ben to see the one face that they've redone to look like the original (the rest are covered by scaffolding).   Other than that, I will walk aimlessly.  I love doing that; turning the corner when the mood strikes me, walking to something that just looks interesting.  That is how I enjoy experiencing a place.  Spending days just wandering in different, meandering directions.  Then, when I'm tired, I make my way back to my lodgings (thank goodness for Google Maps!).  I can either decide to walk back to where I'm staying or use public transit if it's raining or I'm exhausted.

I was up late last night packing (I have been super busy at work and at home so I just never seemed to have the time to start) and was up earlier than I needed to be this morning, so I'll arrive in London exhausted (I can't sleep on planes unless I can lay down).  I was in terror mode for the past few days about my trip.  I think it is because traveling alone is outside of my comfort zone.  And this year, my husband was arriving from his spring break travel the day after I leave, so I was still in charge of our son and house.  One of my daughters is in college nearby and volunteered to come pick him up (she was using our car while my husband was out of town) and take him back to her house for the night.  And they'll leave extra food and fresh water for our cat to survive until tomorrow.  (They are hopefully doing that as I type this--I'm at the gate waiting for the plane).

After doing some picking up and emptying the dishwasher and litter box, etc., I left for the airport.  I left myself half an hour to walk to the light rail station, an hour to get to the airport, and to arrive 3 hours early for my international flight.  Well, my back hurt from my visit to the chiropractor yesterday, so I took the bus to the station, only having to wait 5 minutes for the bus and 10 for the train.  Then security had short lines, I had to do self-check in with no waiting, and arrived at the gate an hour after I left the house.  Which left me four and half hours to wait before my flight!  They will start assigning seats at the gate about an hour before the flight, which I've never experienced before.

Well, I saw a line forming so I got in line and got an aisle seat--great!  I have the worst bladder and need to stretch on long flights.  I hate climbing over people (especially sleeping people), so an aisle seat is perfect for me.  I bought a new neck pillow--I'll see if that works and I can at least catch a catnap on the way.  I'm flying Delta (Virgin Atlantic through Delta) and they typically serve meals, so I won't have to exist on my snacks.  And, about my snacks.  Going through security, my bag was pulled aside.  They looked inside and it was my almonds and trail mix that flagged it--weird!

Well, the terror is gone, now I have anticipation and the usual worry of enduring 8 hours in steerage.  Oh well, London is at the end!