I am always amazed at the anticipation that leads up to an event. Everything is calm and it seems as if you are waiting and waiting forever and then the event happens and is gone. Of course, in the end it was rather uneventful. I definitely was excited and anxious and ready to get going (Tracey can testify to that). But I spent a lovely hour with Tracey in the airport and then I was heading towards security and everything was beginning. Both of us were very good and there was no open weeping in the airport.
The flight over was calm and I was sitting beside a couple who were heading back to Aberdeen to see family and attend a wedding. As for Air Transat....mmmm...rather bizarre airline. I'm sure there's a better word but bizarre will do for now. Definitely cramped and I'm only 5' so that's saying something. After we had eaten dinner about 4.5 hours into the flight everything is dim in the cabin and then suddenly all these coloured lights go off and the entire cabin gets lit up so they can sell duty free products. What? Huh? Most people, myself included, at this point are just relaxing and trying to catch a bit of sleep but the lights stayed on for another 1.5 hours. At that point there was about 2 hours left in the flight, it was all very unsettling, so needless to say no sleep on the plane. I know that Jenn D had mentioned the bright disco lights going on in the plane when she recently flew to the UK, now I understand. The one good thing about Air Transat, great media on the flight. I watched various TV shows and the Lego Movie (BTW watch the Lego Movie, it was awesome!)
Made the marathon walk from our plane to customs, seriously, I think I did 10,000 steps just to get there and finally got to have my visa cleared. I was waiting for them to have questions maybe look through my stuff...nothing....the UK Border officer was very lovely and stamped the visa, checked my fingerprints, wished me a lovely day and welcome to the UK. Done. Gotta admit I was disappointed. Apparently, no one in border security feels that my one dozen decorated eggs, hobo tiles, scallop shell, Batgirl figurine and unsharpened pencils warrants a few questions. :-)
The rest of yesterday is a bit of a blur. I had arrived in the middle of morning rush hour from Gatwick and sure enough, there had been a train delay so the platform was jammed and I'm there with a full backpack, suitcase on wheels, day pack and a messenger bag. Oh yeah, people were loving me and the numerous other passengers who got on the train. Arrived at Victoria Station knowing full well that morning commute on the London Underground was not going to happen so, did it up right and got a taxi. I love British taxis, I love British taxi drivers, everyone knows where they're going, they don't hesitate to get out of the taxi and get your bags and open the door, the taxis are roomy. Love it! So it was money well spent. After dropping luggage, the Batgirl and I were off to run errands. I am staying in residences for the London School of Economics (LSE) so I am in Holborn which is fairly central and in close proximity to Euston Station and Russell Square and of course, the British Museum.
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| Bats and cats getting along! |
Got all the finicky paperwork errands completed and then went off to said museum. Which was packed, so I just went to one exhibit on the Sutton Hoo artefacts and then left and ventured in the other direction to the British Library. Now I had not been to the Library on my last visit to the UK, how was that possible? I could go there everyday. It's a large, open space with lots of collection rooms and exhibits in the open areas and people just sitting around studying, working on laptops.
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| Very large statue of Sir Isaac Newton |
Brenda was in a little bit of book heaven. The amazing part of this library though is there permanent collection. They have on display a surviving copy of the Magna Carta (which you can also see in Salisbury), Gutenberg bible, musical compositions from Mozart, illustrations from Galileo, even originals from the Beatles. Definitely my kind of place. I know I will be returning here.
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| I will definitely be returning for the Gothic exhibit which runs from October until early January |
It was at this time that I realized how very tired I was and how sore I was from so much walking. Did a leisurely walk back to LSE and stopped in at the park across the street. Which was fascinating. It appears it is a "peace" park. There are plaques and statues all associated with embracing world peace.
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| Mahatma Gandhi sculpture and shrine |
Really intriguing and a welcome oasis in a very busy area, so it was a nice break to just slow down and sit in some greenery. I think that will be my motto for today. Partly because I am still jet-lagged so my schedule is out of whack but also because of the realization that even though I am staying in a hostel, for now, I am not on vacation. I don't need to see everything I'm interested in right now. I have some time. So today I have a bank appointment and I need to do a bit of shopping and then I am going to be very lazy and just sit in my room, maybe catch up on some sleep, do some reading, sit in the park, whatever.
My quest for a flat can begin tomorrow and I have an interview with 2 senior recruiters for a non-profit recruitment agency on Tuesday, so it all comes together. Piece by piece. And with that it is nearly breakfast time and I am going to wander downstairs and have a bit to eat and a cup of tea.
