Arrived home yesterday evening. I'm still slightly jetlagged, but happy to be back. The trip was lovely, and I did virtually everything I had planned.

All my treats arrived home in one piece, surprisingly. New books, cologne from Penhaligon's, CDs, and chocolate from Hotel Chocolat store in Cambridge, plus a few odds and ends.

I'm at that point already where I'm trying to recapture all the cool tastes and experiences I had in London. New Tracey Thorn CD. Cheese and pickle sandwiches. Cheese and bacon croissants. (Hm. A pattern.) Strong espresso coffee.

The virtually 2:1 exchange rate I won't miss so much.

After a haircut, the rest of the day will be spent resting and recovering for work tomorrow.

Labels: london, vacation

About 20 miles from Cambridge is the small, beautiful town of Ely. The town itself is dominated by the huge Ely Cathedral, which is stunning. The stained glass inside lovely, and the painted Norman ceiling was a treat. The cathedral doesn't have the star-power draw of Westminster Abbey or the deep story of Canterbury, but it was well worth the effort to visit.

Ely itself was awash in mist. We walked through the King's School grounds near the cathedral, where sheep and horses graze on green fields not far from the cathedral doors.

Last full day in London. I'm ready to be home for a bit, although I'm off to the Keys next week.

The clocks changed in the UK this weekend. We were meant to be out at XXL when it happened, which would have cut short our evening by an hour, I think. But two days of walking, churches, and trains took their toll. We settled for a Lebanese dinner at Maroush, then a few tragic drinks at the City of Quebec. Maroush was lovely. Falafel, fried haloumi cheese, chicken schwarma and fresh vegetables, with Lebanese beer. The staff hovers in a disconcerting manner, but the place is busy and the food good. We picked Maroush Gardens, which is one of four different Maroush restaurants within about 100 metres of each other. (Three of which have exactly the same menu and prices.) We were seated next to a young guy dining alone, who was curiously earnest with every request he made. "Would it be possible to....", "Could I ask you to....", "May I ask you....". Each question was accompanied by a strange bow of the head. He was obviously nervous.

Labels: dining, london, vacation

Took the train to Canterbury today to see the cathedral. The village around the cathedral is charming, with loads of great shops. The cathedral itself was beautiful, although noisy. Lots of schoolkids on holiday made it hard to stay in any one spot for very long.

I'm to the point in my trip when my feet have started to hurt and I'm running out of clean clothes. London requires a great deal of walking, even though I love riding the Underground.

Today was a half day of South Kensington, Knightsbridge, and Oxford Street. A bit of shopping, but not much. I'll be hard pressed to get all this stuff home. I resisted my usual urge to buy clothes at the Gap, which I inevitably seem to do when travelling. (Although they had some great knits that we don't get at home. And a cute salesman with sparkly blue eyes.)

But overall it's been fun so far. Beers at The King's Arms on Monday night turned into a marathon Korean dinner. Yesterday visited Hampton Court, where it was windy and cold, but interesting. I skipped the hedge maze in lieu of the Tudor kitchens, which were very interesting. We ate in last night and were in bed early.

Tonight is Patrick Stewart and the Royal Shakespeare Company in The Tempest. Then tomorrow I'm up early to go to Canterbury. Friday I think we're going to Cambridge for a night to check out the college boys.

Labels: london, vacation

In London after a 10 hour flight on British Airways. Despite the upgraded "World Traveller Plus" seat, it was still bloody uncomfortable. I slept for probably 1 hour of the flight, so needless to say I'm a bit fagged out now.

But in other news, I'm thrilled to be in London. Brian and I had dim sum at Ping Pong for a late lunch. Now we're watching a ridiculous movie.

Labels: london, vacation

Things are finally looking up a bit.

Spending the week in anticipation of my trip on Friday. I leave on the BA flight from Phoenix to Heathrow Friday night, arriving in London on Saturday afternoon. I can't wait. I get to see Brian's new flat. I'm planning on spending a week pretending to be a Londoner, and trying not to cringe at the exchange rate.

It should be chilly and overcast, which will be a nice change from the late spring weather that seems to have overtaken Phoenix all of a sudden. I'm so not ready for summer temperatures yet.

In other news, would anyone like to buy a flash Mini Cooper? Slightly used, but in good shape? British racing green with a white top? Email me.