10 Jan, 2007 (Wednesday) London, SOHO
In London
1340 (London time) 10 Jan, 2007
I've arrived in London. It's cool here, but not as chilly as Toronto. The streets feel older somehow and there is a different kind of bustle. Oxford Street at midday is crowded!
Flight AC848
Despite leaving an hour later than originally scheduled, the flight across wasn't too bad. Economy seats are inevitably cramped and I had an aisle seat, but the 6 hour flight passed relatively quickly. My only real complaint was that there wasn't a lot of time to sleep between the dinner meal and breakfast. Customs and immigration gave me no trouble at all. It was a pleasant surprise.
After gathering my huge pile of luggage (skis, boot bag, backpack, suitcase, laptop bag) I made my way to the subway. Unfortunately I didn't think to differentiate between the Heathrow Express and the Piccadilly subway line - so I ended up paying 15 pounds for my train into Paddington, when I could have paid just 3.80. Ouch!
Left Baggage
All my luggage is currently resting at the Left Baggage counter at Paddington. They charge 6 pounds per piece of luggage so 24 pounds is highway robbery. An expensive day. Nevertheless, I've got the freedom to wander without worrying about it.
So right now I'm typing away at a little cafe just off Oxford, drinking a huge cappuccino and telling myself that 2 hours sleep is plenty. I'm looking forward to getting all my things to Megan's this evening and starting to set up. So far I've visited two banks to inquire about setting up an account. They want to know my employment details and place of residence. It's a bit of a catch-22 situation as usually employers and prospective landlords want to know your bank details before committing. Will have to think on how to approach this one!
First impressions:
- London is an expensive city to live in. I can tell that it's going to take a little while before I get my head around the real value of money. Right now I'm trying to convert to CAD / AUS using a rate of between 2 - 2.5. Expensive!
- The girls aren't as bad as Benita described - they're not all buck-toothed, pimpled, units. Go London!
- Londoners are in a hurry. Not exactly the type who are going to stop you in the street to chat.
- London accents are... different. I'm still trying to decide whether I like it or not.
- You have to pay to use public toilets. It costed me 20p. At least they were kinda clean.
A narrative
After 2 hours rest on Air Canada flight 848 I arrived in Heathrow at 9am. Dazed and confused I lugged my 70kgs of luggage onto the Heathrow express (€15) and found myself at Paddington. The luggage was stored (€24) and I was soon enjoying my first breath of crisp London air ( ).
I wandered South and East, enjoying the newness of it all around me. Oxford Street was a mass of midday humanity, out in worship to the retail goddess. I soon escaped the crowds by ducking into the back alley ways of Soho.
Sucking in the atmosphere like a diet coke addict guzzles nutrasweet, I surveyed some of London's nightlife gems in daylight - wood fronted pubs and sleek bars. It was comforting standing there, the local denizens sauntering by and the grey clouds raining upon my head.
I walked on. The roadway was tight and sinuous but I soon found myself dumped out in Leicester Square, amongst billboards advertising The Lion King at the West End and the new Bond flick (Odeon - €12 tickets). Dodging through Chinatown behind a pair of bobbies I tried to remember to look right and then left, avoiding the black cabs (registered. Requires 2 years training to qualify for a license) when the green man was being reticent.
Piccadilly Circus: a long street of designer shops circling clockwise. I followed Piccadilly and then Regent, before heading due West out of Marylebone. White-washed house fronts and a school girl with a big blue backpack, the temperature started to drop with the sun.
It was past 5 by the time I arrived back at Paddington. My mass of baggage waited. So did three flights of stairs to my tube platform. No better wayto meet Londoners, right?
1340 (London time) 10 Jan, 2007
I've arrived in London. It's cool here, but not as chilly as Toronto. The streets feel older somehow and there is a different kind of bustle. Oxford Street at midday is crowded!
Flight AC848
Despite leaving an hour later than originally scheduled, the flight across wasn't too bad. Economy seats are inevitably cramped and I had an aisle seat, but the 6 hour flight passed relatively quickly. My only real complaint was that there wasn't a lot of time to sleep between the dinner meal and breakfast. Customs and immigration gave me no trouble at all. It was a pleasant surprise.
After gathering my huge pile of luggage (skis, boot bag, backpack, suitcase, laptop bag) I made my way to the subway. Unfortunately I didn't think to differentiate between the Heathrow Express and the Piccadilly subway line - so I ended up paying 15 pounds for my train into Paddington, when I could have paid just 3.80. Ouch!
Left Baggage
All my luggage is currently resting at the Left Baggage counter at Paddington. They charge 6 pounds per piece of luggage so 24 pounds is highway robbery. An expensive day. Nevertheless, I've got the freedom to wander without worrying about it.
So right now I'm typing away at a little cafe just off Oxford, drinking a huge cappuccino and telling myself that 2 hours sleep is plenty. I'm looking forward to getting all my things to Megan's this evening and starting to set up. So far I've visited two banks to inquire about setting up an account. They want to know my employment details and place of residence. It's a bit of a catch-22 situation as usually employers and prospective landlords want to know your bank details before committing. Will have to think on how to approach this one!
First impressions:
- London is an expensive city to live in. I can tell that it's going to take a little while before I get my head around the real value of money. Right now I'm trying to convert to CAD / AUS using a rate of between 2 - 2.5. Expensive!
- The girls aren't as bad as Benita described - they're not all buck-toothed, pimpled, units. Go London!
- Londoners are in a hurry. Not exactly the type who are going to stop you in the street to chat.
- London accents are... different. I'm still trying to decide whether I like it or not.
- You have to pay to use public toilets. It costed me 20p. At least they were kinda clean.
A narrative
After 2 hours rest on Air Canada flight 848 I arrived in Heathrow at 9am. Dazed and confused I lugged my 70kgs of luggage onto the Heathrow express (€15) and found myself at Paddington. The luggage was stored (€24) and I was soon enjoying my first breath of crisp London air (
I wandered South and East, enjoying the newness of it all around me. Oxford Street was a mass of midday humanity, out in worship to the retail goddess. I soon escaped the crowds by ducking into the back alley ways of Soho.
Sucking in the atmosphere like a diet coke addict guzzles nutrasweet, I surveyed some of London's nightlife gems in daylight - wood fronted pubs and sleek bars. It was comforting standing there, the local denizens sauntering by and the grey clouds raining upon my head.
I walked on. The roadway was tight and sinuous but I soon found myself dumped out in Leicester Square, amongst billboards advertising The Lion King at the West End and the new Bond flick (Odeon - €12 tickets). Dodging through Chinatown behind a pair of bobbies I tried to remember to look right and then left, avoiding the black cabs (registered. Requires 2 years training to qualify for a license) when the green man was being reticent.
Piccadilly Circus: a long street of designer shops circling clockwise. I followed Piccadilly and then Regent, before heading due West out of Marylebone. White-washed house fronts and a school girl with a big blue backpack, the temperature started to drop with the sun.
It was past 5 by the time I arrived back at Paddington. My mass of baggage waited. So did three flights of stairs to my tube platform. No better wayto meet Londoners, right?
posted by the wastrel @ 3:43 PM
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