Dec 13 2011
So, I get off the plane. A long-needed stretch of my legs, and realize that I have had no sleep whatsoever. So, this makes about 2 hours of sleep for the past 48 hours- yay!
I get off and walk to the baggage claim with the two gentlemen who sat next to me on the plane. They were telling me a couple great hints but unfortunately, my short term memory wasn't working properly on account of my lack of sleep. So, I get off, make it to the Tube and purchase an all-day pass and follow the directions that Parker made me to get to Hammersmith.
Well..... Sorry, Maggie darling, directions were wrong. The particular train stop at Turning Green was only working in early morning or late evening. So, I made some friends with people with nice coats who were therefore English. Maggie told me in my directions that if I got lost to ask people with nice coats for directions because they were English. So, these two girls were just getting back from long trips in NYC and helped me get to Hammersmith. I got off, switched tubes and started walking towards Andy Menasche's house. So, I walk maybe about ten blocks, get a tad bit lost-- but find the apartment! Key is outside the door, just as instructed.
I walk in the door, practically kissing the ground that I'd made it across the pond, and meet their Ecuadorian cleaning lady, who I have a short Spanish conversation with. She shows me the way to the room I am staying in and I drop my things. I then make it down the street to a local pub for some WiFi to tell my family I made it alive. I return back to the house in a sleep-deprived delerium. I set down my computer to charge, eat the rest of a sandwich I bought in Newark, and sit down for a minute.
So, I wake up seven hours later to a knock at the door. So much for busting through my jet-lag! Evidently, I'd closed my eyes and didn't quite open them for a while. Then, I had this fight with the door and they keys- their house key looks like a piece of Swiss cheese and the only way to open the door is to use said piece of Swiss cheese. So, I did this “Hold on, I'm coming to the door-- wait, hold on- uh, wait- uh, key??” I opened the door for someone asking for Ms. Menasche, who was out with her daughter at the hospital for an operation. I put on my coat and decided to head down to the pub again to grab some WiFi. I realized I had purchased an all-day ticket on the tube and headed to the Hammersmith station. The only line I knew I'd be able to grab was the Picadilly line. I had about two hours until my pass stopped, so I rode into town.
I stopped first at the Hyde Park corner of the Picadilly line. There were a ton of people coming onto the train. I later saw that this was from the Winter Wonderland that was happening in the park. There was a huge automated sign that said “BEWARE OF PICKPOCKETS” so I stopped to fasten my messenger bag and headed into the German-themed Christmas market. Jager shots? On the streets of London? I didn't partake myself, thanks to Chris McDonald and his love of Jager and my hatred of it, but I marvled at how different the liquor laws were here. I then headed back to the Picadilly line into Picadilly Circus. I found something that looked akin to Times Square and really turned me off about the area. I looked into several pubs and found a large three-story club looking Irish pub. I ordered a Heineken and looked around. Mostly tourists, so rather boring. I figured I'd resort to talking to the bartender with no luck. I heard a quick line of an American accent and turned around to find a pink-haired girl who was from Minnesota, of all places. She was with a co-worker from Ireland. The two were in women's shoe design in London. We grabbed a table and had a short and pieced conversation. I'm quickly discovering that London isn't quite the place for talking to strangers.
I headed back to the tube to the St. Pancras station. I was told by the bartender at the hotel that this was the best place to find information about the Eurostar. I heard this had something to do with Platform 9 ¾, you Potter fans, but I didn't seek it out. I looked for some brochures about the rail line with no luck. At quarter til 12, just before my pass expired, I rode the line back to Hammersmith and walked back into the house. I found an email from my new best friend-- Lauren England!! We were to meet at the Oxford Circus station at 9:45 the next morning. I set an alarm on my watch, praying I'd get up in time.
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