Hello London!

I’m finally back in London! The trip was nothing out of the ordinary, except for the wait for the luggage. I think it has never taken me so long to get my suitcase (well packed and weighing no more than 15kg). My carry on luggage though was too heavy for me to carry, so I spent some extra time putting books and paperwork into the suitcase. Stansted Express was quite quick and so was the tube - surprisingly as my usual experience is that the line I’m using is closed for repair, the alternative route I take stops due to engine failure and it usually takes me way longer than this time. On my ride to Bayswater, where the hotel I’m staying at is, I sat opposite an American family and it almost made me cry seeing and hearing Yankees. And that wasn’t all! At Bayswater I was just getting ready to lug my suitcase up the stairs when a man came to me and offered to carry it for me, so I got talking to his wife and guess where they were from ;-) Yes, you’re right! They were American (no need to mention the fact that after the man said ‘No worries’ I assumed they were Ozzies - ooooopsssss!!!). They are an incredibly friendly nation. And yes, I am biased. But let’s stop my infatuation with the Americans and focus on my long term relationship with London. London and I have had an on and off love affair ever since I first caught a glimpse of it 9 years ago. Ever since then London has provided me with joy, quality free time, excellent shopping opportunities and of course COFFEE! London never fails me. I love the smell of it, the smell of the tube, the hot air that hits you while you’re waiting for the train, people who don’t stare at you and who you secretly observe, the sounds of London, rumbling of the tube, people chatting, a mixture of accents, dogs barking, cars, machines, buskers, etc. I could go on forever, London has it all!

As for my hotel.... Pictures online aren’t always to go by. Don’t get me wrong, the hotel is in a great area, it’s clean and I’m sure the twin/double rooms are decent size, however, my single room is definitely nothing to write home about. First of all it’s on the mezzanine level, so the lift doesn’t help much as you still need to carry your luggage down the stairs (or up - depending on which floor you get off). Then you somehow need to get through the 2 sets of doors and having your hands full, that’s quite an accomplishment, especially because the corridor is so narrow you cannot get past your suitcase in front of you. The room itself is the size of a shoe-box. There’s a chair in front of the wardrobe, so it’s impossible to open it. The room is also so tiny that I cannot even open my suitcase unless I put it on the bed and if I was any bigger, I wouldn’t be able to get into the bathroom, let alone into the shover.


Another thing that infuriated me was the WiFi that isn’t working as I am supposed to be able to use Internet at the hotel and now I am NOT!

Maybe I got spoiled by big and almost luxurious American hotels and traveling with an American who prefers to book a twin room with 2 king or at least queen size beds, just so we have room for suitcases :-) Yes, it is also important to care for the well-being of your suitcase. As your suitcase will always be grateful :-)

I have nothing more to write as today was consumed by traveling, but I’m waiting for my hair to dry, so I keep on rambling.

TA TA FOR NOW