The Gang's All Here

Sept 13
London Day 5

Today everyone that went to Manchester: Mel, Lori, Mich and Min, is due to arrive in London. I am to meet the owner of the flat at 3pm to get the keys to the flat and then go meet the girls at Euston Station. I slept pretty late, guess the drinks to forget the travel fiasco did a proper job because I slept like a rock. Lazed about for the most part until time to go meet the guy. Now getting there is interesting due to tube being shut down. So I find a bus that takes me right up to the place. I hang around outside for a while, but don't see anyone. I go to the door and the doorman lets me in. I ask about the guy and the doorman knows zip. Then he checks and says there is a key for the place and gives it to me. Doesn't ask for any ID or even for a name. OK I fell safe now. I go to the flat and it is a beauty. Nice and big. Much beter than I expected. Not a direct view of the river, but you can see the London Eye and Houses of Parliament for the window. There is some kind of river celebration planned for that day and we should have an awesome view of the fireworks from our balcony. I sitting on the sofa watching TV when the door opens and a lady walks in. I freak out. OMG the doorman gave me the key to the wrong flat! No it was just the maid, coming to pick up the things she had drying in the dryer.

Went to meet everyone at Euston. Their train was on time. My first time to meet Min. She's as cute as a bug. I tell them of the fucked up tube shutdowns and then we head out to the flat. They were all pretty tired between the concert and traveling. So after a division of rooms, Lori, Min and I went to get some groceries, but this being London the store was closed when we got there, so we had to go to Victoria Station to get food. I was too tired to go get my stuff and decided to leave it til morning.
We watched the fireworks from the flat.

SFCUK

Sept 12
London Day 4

Saturday in the UK means football! I was hoping for a trip to St Mary's but alas, the Saints are away at Charlton today, so trip to The Valley it is. But first o fcourse was my daily trek to the Bakery. Ha. There was a different car in the drive today. Still zero JB sightings.

Any way, off to London Bridge station to catch a train to the match. Stadium is a short walk. Saints played better than I expected. Addicts were in first place, but could only manage a draw against us.

Got back to London to find the cluster fuck that is the shutting down of multiple tube lines on the weekend. Great planning London. Took forever to get back to my hotel. Had multiple drinks at the hotel bar to forget this crappy experience. But if this is going on the following weekend, getting back from Wembley is going to be interesting to say the least.

Happy Birthday JB

Sept 11

London Day 3

Started day off with a trip to the Bakery. It's JB's birthday and surely they are throwing a massive celebration in North London. No signs of a party any where. Well boo and hiss to them! I sat on the bench across the street and have a jaffa cake in my own personal celebration. I wanted to get some side walk chalk and write a birthday message on their drive, but decided against it because it may freak him out.

Went shopping at Covent Garden. I always go and buy a cat when I am in London. Listened to some of the preformances there.

Went to Greens Park and had a lovely day sitting in the sun. Still not used to extreme sunshine in London. The trees at this park are just so amazing.

A Stalking We Will Go........

Sept 10
London Day 2

OK I have been in the UK for a day and it is time to start the great hunt for JB version 2009. I know where the Bakery is so I at least have a start point on this trip. In past times I have just walked for hours through the streets of Camden with out finding anything but sore feet. Today I decide on the the #24 bus up to Hampstead Heath as my method of travel. Now I have taken the #24 to Camden a zillion times in the past but have always got off near the market and never go all the way to The Heath. So I don't know if it will even go any where near the Bakery, but what the hell, lets go have a look. Once we turn off the Camden High Street the first thing I see is The Bar Fly. I have watched my Coldplay Bar Fly videos a thousand times. This is Coldplay Country. LOL It's Karma working already. The buses in London are much improved in that they now have a voice that announces the stops and what street you at on/approaching. So when I hear "Fleet Road" I get overly excited. Fleet Road is where the Bakery is located. I should get off the bus and try to find it. Well I won't have to "try" at all because when the bus makes the turn, the purple bistro in all it's colorful glory staring me strainght in the face and low and behold there she blows!!!!!!!! Meca to all Coldplayers, The Bakery. I get off at the next stop and walk back. There is a car in the drive, but the security gate that covers the door is closed. I think I see someone from the back side upstairs, but can't be sure. Well poo, no JB but on the good side the bloody bus that stops right outside my hotel door, takes me straight to their door so this will def not be my last trip here.

After nosing about the Bakery, I make the short walk over to Casa de Chrissy. They are playing in Nijmegen that day. I know they played there the day before and most likely stayed over at a hotel, but maybe just maybe they traveled back home after the show and I can catch him leaving for the airport. Approaching I see people gathered around outside on the street and start getting excited. But it turns out to just be workers there doing the construction on his house having a smoke break. I clamly walk past and the front door opens, my heart stops but it was just another worker. I am such a spaz! I cross the street and walk back towards the Bakery and catch the bus back toward the hotel.

I get off the bus at Trafalgar Square and spend several hours in the National Gallery. My favorites are the Rubens and the Sainsbury wing. After is sit out at the Square and watch the people. Trafalgar is alway good for people watching.

London Blog

Sept 9
London Day 1

It's been a couple of years since my last trip to London. It's such a beautiful city and I have really missed it. The flight from Texas was not bad at all. The plane was almost empty which meant a row to myself so I could stretch out and get some sleep. Nothing worse than arriving in London totally worn out. That being said it is still a long ass flight. Meal was some type of pasta thing. Booze was free, woot! Watch a few movies, the best of which was The Hangover.

Landed at Heathrow and decided on the tube into central London. Mistake. Slow as shit and hot as hell. WTF, why is London so damn hot this time of year? Sunshine, warm weather. Did my plane get miss routed?

Checked into the hotel. Gotta love the small rooms. This one was really small. But the windows worked and it was high enough to get above the street noise, so it's all good.

Needed to get out and shake off the jet lag. Took a long walk along the Thames. Saw the building were the apartment we rented for next week is located.

England vs Croatia at Wembley Stadium. England hammered them 5-1 to secure their place in South Africa next year. Sunshine and England winning, this is going to be a good trip I can tell it already.

*Sorry to be putting this off til now, but I really haven't had time to sort out everything since my return from London until now.