11/13/10

    Alright here we go with some good stuff finally! The real tourist type things. Saturday was by far the hardest day to get up.  We slept in long enough to miss the hotel breakfast so I didn't have my coffee before we headed out and I was quite cranky.  Hungry AND decaffinated is not a good situation to put me in. Sean was quiet and in his head worrying about the flat situation, trying to email the real estate lady every fifteen minutes, until I talked him out of it. We ate breakfast at a very cute cafe down the street that boasted about their farm fresh and local ingredients drawing us in with their giant displays of kale right when you walk in.  The meal was the usual...grilled tomatoes and mushrooms, eggs, toast and yogurt and fruit.  Sean's meal came with something called "bubble and squeak" which was a big mystery til we googled it later that night. It was pretty good. I guess it could be compared to homefries, but traditionally made with leftovers from a roast dinner, so it had potatoes, cabbage and some other bits.  I like starting these busy days with a good filling meal and a hot tea or coffee. Little was said during the meal though, we have a lot on our minds I suppose.
   Sean and I hopped on to the Tube and headed into the real London.  We rode the train all the way to Westminster Bridge and emerged out of the underground station surrounded by waves of fellow tourists and sightseers.  Catching a glimpse of Big Ben we pushed through and found a tiny empty spot to stand and get the camera out.  What a great moment though!  All this time we've been wandering around all these little neighborhoods, nothing feeling too dramatically different, til now.   That was a "wow" moment right there.  Walking up those steps, seeing the river to the left with the London Eye looming over its banks.  The river was busy with boats and water taxis, people in line on gangwalks and floating docks.  Big Ben was towering high above the crowds over all our heads while tourists all around us bustled to take photos, buy cheap souvenirs, and push in throngs to the next site.  We claimed an area of empty sidewalk space and I reached in to grab my camera.  I handed it to Sean to hold while I zipped up my bag and then I heard "ohhhhhh Carlaaaaaaaaaaa". What? What? What? Did he drop it? Is it now floating down river? Did someone grab it and steal it? What? What? What? While I was fussing with my purse Sean went to take a photo, only to discover that I had left the memory card back at the hotel in the card reader device. Holy Moly! Seriously?!  In an instant I went from being totally enthralled, finally feeling that "a-ha LONDON" moment to pure disappointment and a little shame.  How could I be so silly? I know what it was, it was because I left the hotel without coffee! I wasn't in my proper state. Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Sean so lovingly assured me though that we really aren't vacationers on holiday and that this isn't a one shot deal. We'll be back, maybe during the week with hopes of smaller crowds? Looking on the brightside it was nice to stroll along, or more like push along in the tight crowds, and not have to worry about stopping in the middle of traffic to get a good shot.  So, there we were, camera-less and walking along, trying to soak it all in.
   About 15 minutes into this walk I realized something very disappointing.  I knew NOTHING about this place.  Ok, I could recognize Giant Ben (it's giant, not big) but other than that I was clueless!  Why don't I remember these rich buildings from any of my art history classes? Why is the history so unknown to me? What is going on? I remember stepping foot in Florence and what a feeling that was.  Knowing the landmarks, knowing the artists, knowing the builders and the history.  Here though I feel lost.  It's kind of a feeling of panic where you want to get the most out of this trip but how can you when it's so hard to relate to these places?  Don't get me wrong, visually this place is breathtaking but I need to know more.  I pictured the history books we bought before the trip, longing for them, wanting to read nonstop,  but those were packed in the boxes that will hopefully be shipped safe and sound to us once we find a place to settle in.  The tour books had some information but again, I wanted more.
   I have always hated history class but I do like to know something about the place I'm visiting.  With the thought of spending at least a year here I made a personal vow to myself to learn as much as I could.  I would read all the books, muse over the guidebooks and google it all.  Even writing this I can't relay what we saw.  I don't know what we saw! We saw Big Ben and Parliament, Buckingham Palace, and then we took a long walk through Hyde Park.  It was all gorgeous and we stopped every few feet to say "hey awesome, wish we had a camera".  The weather was clear, meaning no rain, so it was pleasant walking about.  We wandered up and down random streets taking it all in.  Most of the afternoon we were silent, holding hands and trying not to get lost in the crowds.  Sean and I did a great job taking turns navigating our way around, stopping in front of churches, monuments, and show-off rollerbladers in the park.  We walked far and our feet were aching by late afternoon.   It was a quiet day for the both of us despite the noisy crowds.  The entire time we were anxiously waiting for a call from Lindsay and an update on our flat.  We don't want to spend a month in a hotel and  our patience is only so strong.  As soon as we settle in I promise, promise, promise that I'll head back out and really spend some time in "LONDON".  Sorry for the disappointment folks.  I feel like a lame tourist with nothing good to report.
   We wandered through Hyde Park for a good portion of the afternoon.  It's gorgeous there!  Lots of people walking and rollerblading.  Once we made it through we headed back on the Tube towards our hotel home.  Sean had a pub in mind that he wanted to visit in Parson's Green ( a few stops from where we were staying) but I was a bit skeptical since we weren't sure if they served food.  (I am happiest when I'm caffeinated and fed)  We stopped at the White Horse.  What a great place! We may have found our James' Gate of London.  We sat in the best seats of the place, two wing-backed chairs next to the wood fire and ordered a round of pints.  I don't remember what we got but the place had over 400 beers, wines and whiskeys. The beer menu was 40 page book.  The food there was AMAZING too.  Sean had some sort of duck with potatoes and I had a spinach, mushroom and goat cheese pie with a walnut and pear salad.  Sooooo goooodd!!!!! The beer, food, and fire were so comforting.  While we ate and drank toasty by the fire we got a call from Lindsay! It was hard to hear but Sean made out that the landlords finally liked our offer and conditions and agreed to meet on Monday to sign the paperwork and get things moving!  If things go well we could be moved in within the week! CHEERS! We may have a home! It could have been the beers we drank or the good food we ate or the good news we got but either way we both felt a huge weight lifted and things starting to look a little more promising.  If only we had gotten that news a little earlier in the day. Perhaps our sightseeing would've been a little more uplifting.  Sean and I took the subway a few stops home and ate some dessert at the hotel.  The staff and bartenders are getting to know us very well here and it's making me feel even more that we need to get out!
   I have never moved to a new town without actually having a place to live and how odd it feels.  Even when I moved to Boston I had an apartment I was going to that I found before I actually moved.  Sean and I have been spending our first exciting days in London apartment searching, figuring out the different burroughs, where the grocery shopping is, and where we can get much needed items for our hopeful apartment.  There's so much to think about and so many mixed emotions.  We are excited and nervous, awestruck and tired, homesick but hopeful. I hope we didn't pass the fun tourist phase!
   My apologies if this is not the uplifting tourist blog entry you were expecting.  This apartment thing is really weighing heavy on us! If this deal doesn't go through then it's back to square one which means even more time in the hotel and more fumbling around in a mini cooper.  We get tv now in our room which we won't have when we move, but I want to cook, and set up shop.  Sean needs an office and we both need a place to call home.  We're going through a lot of adjustments and I hope we don't sound too pessimistic.  Our bodies are trying to figure out when to sleep, we left our comfy apartment, and most importantly we left our friends and family.  We miss you all and it's hard while sitting at a pub to not turn your head when the door opens to see who walks in, hoping it's someone you know.  Ok ok ok ok. To lighten the mood....our steak and ale pies just arrived! Cheers and love and miss you all!