pmsumner

London

My weekend in the big smoke was fabulous.

I wanna go back now. I've always said I wouldn't want to live there but I think I was basing my assumptions on short visits and being herded around in organised tour groups...

Friday evening... Train to Sheffield, then to St Pancras. The East Coast Mainline (http://www.o-keating.com/hsr/railmap(s).gif, the blue line) appears to be a lot more efficient than the west coast line, and we stopped 3 or 4 times on the way down, travelling at high speed the rest of the way. I can cope with a 3hr journey...

We arrived at St Pancras to find a partial building site, which is a pain but finding Kings Cross/St Pancras underground station is easy. Joined the queue to buy tickets in plastic but the idiotic tourists in front couldn't work the machine, ended up borrowing £2 from Jane...

The tube's so efficient - everywhere should have one. 15mins to get to Notting Hill Gate where the parents were waiting... where we returned to their flat... oh my :) Not the most gorgeous building in the world but an absolutely gorgeous location - Kensington Park Road, 5mins walk from Notting Hill Gate underground station, right oppposite private gardens... nice. Not that we could see any of this, mind. It was raining and dark. Toast and Sleep.

Saturday morning. Out the back gate onto Portobello Road, only a block or two from the main market stretch. Looked, didn't buy anything due to a lack of funds. I love the place but wouldn't wanna go again on a weekend if possible. So much tat, so much great stuff.

Saturday afternoon Jane and I headed off to St Paul's station, crossed the no-longer-wobbly bridge and discovered the Tate Modern. Despite what Jane thinks I did enjoy it, though was very hot, feeling dehydrated and trying to avoid eejits (impossible). Some of the art was scary and bad, some of it was well worth spending a few minutes gazing at. The building itself is a space that suits the contents perfectly.

We headed from there to the Globe (grr@"Shakespeare's Globe"). The tour was interesting but not worth the £8.50/person they charged alone - maybe if they didn't close the exhibition at 6 (we turned up at 5, tour was about 40mins). From there, back to Notting Hill and wine, sushi ordered online (way cool) and whisky. Scrummy.

Booked tickets for the London Eye on Saturday evening. Turned up after wandering around various bits of town. I probably should have mentioned before going on that, that I'm terrified of heights. Was OK until we got about half-way up. I looked pretty much straight out and sat down until we got to the other side :)

Wanted to get something to eat but couldn't find anywhere that we all fancied, headed back to the private garden opposite the parents' flat and had a picnic instead. Gorgeous :)

By that time it was time to head back to the station and homewards. Shame really. Had a good time and will be going back as soon as I can come up with an excuse *grins*