A Crash Course in ...London?
London: Day 4
My final morning in London began with another amazing shower. I wanted to take the shower head with me back to Prague, and even reasoned doing so...
I packed up, dropped my bag at the front desk, and took a walk around London, capturing those last pictures that I had missed earlier. I also made a special stop to buy a gift for a friend back home (who shall remain nameless)... But lets just say it was at a store where women typically shop (not lingerie store) but the bags were just as girly...
So I walked thru a freezing cold London with a girly bag on my arm, and a camera in the other hand.
I stopped to have lunch at the “River Side Bar,” which is essentially a small coffee and sandwich shop that looks out at some pretty boats. And after enjoying a British hamburger, I headed back to the hotel to get some more case law read.
Yes, I’m in London, and I’m reading case law. But sometimes that’s just what you gotta do.
I left the hotel lobby for the airport at 3:30, took the (slow) circle line to Paddington, where I caught the Heathrow Express again back to terminal 5 at the airport. Even though my flight was at 7, I still wanted to get their early, as I have heard security through Heathrow is an absolute nightmare.
After realizing that in order to get to departures I was REQUIRED to take the elevator (instead of the escalator) I checked in, and headed off towards security. Strangely enough they never looked at me and my passport at the same time, other than the airline employee issuing my ticket. I felt this strange, but I guess they have a system.
I ran my backpack through the x-ray along with my girly shopping bag. And even though I had only a gold ring on (which NEVER sets off the detectors) I still managed to be flagged down by the metal detectors and sufficiently felt up by yet another security guard.
It’s getting pretty old
But the way to go with film: buy an x-ray safe bag. They don’t even question it...
Anyways, Terminal 5 is HUGE and unbelievable. Every designer store you can imagine is in there. I had only one mission: buy Veronika some Lady Grey tea bags, which you can not find in the Czech Republic.
So after two stores and 4 pounds later I had my tea, and found a place to eat dinner, after which I read some more case law.
Yahoo.
The flight was mostly uneventful. I do have to say that I asked how much the whiskey cost. The flight attendant looked at me funny... and handed me two Johnny Walker Red-Label nips, and said they were free.
I guess it looked like I needed a drink... Even though they are complimentary I was surprised at the double...
But who the hell am I to complain?
I was seated next to a lovely couple from Melbourne, Australia, who were on the last leg of a 30 HOUR trip to Prague to vacation for a week.
30 Friggen hours. They better have an amazing time in Prague.
After landing I went back thru passport control (which is becoming all too familiar to me) and collected my baggage, only to go out into the cold and wait 15 minutes for the bus to take me home.
All in all an amazing trip. A few final thoughts about London:
It feels similar to Boston... but it’s not...
They drive on the wrong side of the road, just because they can.
The metro is slow... The Prague metro sucks your eyeballs back into your head.
London has a nice balance of ultra modern and classical...
When it’s cold, it’s raw.
The double decker busses kick ass.
and it’s so strange to hear black people talking with a British accent. But I suppose I sound strange to them when I talk.
Finally, in regards to the picture at the top...
WHY THE HELL DO YOU WANT TO WARN THEM?