I never really “got” London.
It was always this hulking city that I struggled to navigate, overwhelmingly
large, with a subway system that seemed like a tangle of routes and directions
that I just couldn’t unravel. But part of it is my fault as I never really
spent a lot of time trying to figure it out. I just accepted defeat early on.
So this time, I decided to walk from one side of the city to the other, to get
a feel for it. And I have a London-sized callous on my foot, but it was worth
it. I got to see the neighborhoods and the districts while I wandered and
stopped in cafes and coffee shops, and just sat and watched snippets of
everyday life in London. And now, I “get” it. London is pretty fun – and
delicious.
Spending nearly a week there gave me
some time to make a few discoveries – finding some new places, and revisiting
some old favorites. Such as the pastries at Ottolenghi in Islington and a trip to Neal’s Yard (where
they happily hand out samples, which – of course, makes you powerless to resist
buying slabs of – well, everything), all accompanied by a pleasant friendliness
and efficiency.
And I even mastered the Tube
(subway) and managed not to get lost during the entire time that I was there,
which is a first for me. All of it is – as the French like to say are (although
they should probably tweak it a bit, to comply with grammatical rules) – “So British!”, such as
black cab drivers opening the door for you with a peppy greeting, and getting
dairy delivered in glass bottles for a spot of milk in your morning coffee.
No comments:
Post a Comment