"only two more weeks" - must counter the impulse to rush around and attempt to see everything still on the "would be nice" list. MUST remember that London will be here in two years (not next year w/ the Olympic madness!!) and I will be back.
Those who know me, know that I read. Having finished the books that I brought, I read my friend's books (english!) in Munich, but in London, no books! Horrors -- however, I found myself, long ago at the beginning of July, in a L2 any book book shop, near Kings Cross. I bought two books, one of them Wind in the Willows. I thought that a very appropriate book to read while in Britain, even though I "knew the story" and was expecting it a cute fast read. I was delightfully surprised to find it a wonderfully written book - on many levels - like so many good stories. If you have never read it, I recommend it highly. (also ran into the info in the Museum of the Bank of England that Kenneth Grahame worked for the Bank of England...and they had a charming audio reading of sections of the book - so that goes on my 'look for' list.
Listening to BBC Radio 3 / Proms - Triple Concerto on the radio. It's a lovely piece, and being very nicely done.
Eating carrot sticks & goat cheese & almond croissant from M&S that I carried back from the mall. Oh yes, went to 'the mall' Westfield London (they are the same folks who own Fox Valley & Old Orchard & others in Chg area) (and the company my nephew works for...! in Birmingham, England!) Was looking for shoes, and in general, very curious about how a mall plays out in a city where everything is so close and so convenient. It's different... and the toilets are spotless - and numerous!!! There is a cinema, with tote boards that list movie times, how long till that movie, and how many seats of what sort are left for that show (they sell two price tiers of tickets, and assign seats..!) Another thing the mall advertises is L5 parking any day after 5 pm - they are at a tube stop, so maybe commuters till then? And all the restaurants are in a line parallel to the enclosed mall -- and the restaurants are open till midnight - which the layout makes easy.
Did I mention that today started with a fire drill at 6 am? It did. And sitting on the next bench was an english gent who hadn't been back for 15 years, and was very taken with "the accomodations for students" (he also bailed in his dressing gown and slippers -- whee, people, real people, really wear those! it's notjust in the TV dramas..! I put on clothes over my jammies, not traveling with any robe or slippers.) anyway - as I may have mentioned, I am in one of the newer dorms - falmouth - room 306, which, for those of you who have been overseas, is not our third floor, but USA 4th floor, because the floor you enter on is GROUND and then it's 1 up, 2 up, etc. -- However, in this dorm they did one better, and snuck in a mezzanine between GROUND and 1 - so I am really on floor 5 American. I walk down, but I do take the elevator up... and interesting, the stairs are metal suspension, so the edges of the treads end in space, so there are no nasty corners to catch dirt,etc. May put a picture on..
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