I was really sad getting on the train yesterday to go to Gatwick. I'm sad every time I leave, but usually it's in the context of my cheeky friend dropping me off at the airport in Aberdeen and that's that. It's a different feeling getting on a train and waving bye to your friend as it pulls out of the station; the moment is stretched out, and the last few seconds when I could still see her waving and acting like a loon before I pulled away were the most precious and poignant times of my trip.
At any rate, London is very different from Aberdeen. The Tube is great, even if it's sometimes laden with Euro-stench and a bit crowded at rush hour. Decent public transportation is a good thing. I had a high level map of London and never once felt lost. There's so much to see and do, and I wish I'd had more time. I'll be back, though.
Getting to her flat from the airport on Wednesday was mostly simple, but I'm getting luggage with wheels on it. I felt strong and brash and confident tossing around my large bag while navigating the Tube. I felt weak and stupid and frustrated while walking the mile or two from the last station to her flat, switching arms and realizing that the shoulder strap was useless. :)
That evening was simple; we met some of her coworkers at a local pub for a quick drink, then bought some groceries and I made some Thai green curry chicken with vegetables over rice noodles.
Thursday, I wandered around the city and met her and a friend for lunch at a Thai restaurant. I ordered the hottest thing on the menu, ignoring the admonishments of both my companions and the waiter. It was good, but not spicy. I won't deny that Asian cuisine can give Mexican food a run for its money, but being used to the latter has inured my palate to the British idea of what constitutes hot. :)
We met some other folks for what Louisa called a "sharpener" that evening. Near as I can figure, a "sharpener" is like a starter course of drinks. I guess the company was convivial enough to where we stayed for a second starter course, a few entrées, and dessert, all composed entirely of beer and wine. I'm ashamed to admit that we had KFC that evening, mostly because it fulfilled the requirements of being quick and cheap. The train ride and walk back to the flat were fun, but my plans of waking up for an early crack at London were derailed by the reality of my body's inability to bounce back from my overindulgences. I think "sharpener" might really refer to the sharp pains that were going through my head that morning.
Friday was another relaxing day. After rousing myself from bed at the crack of noon, I headed back into town, took a ride on the London Eye (the world's largest ferris wheel), and was about to go to the Tate Gallery when a gaggle of Storm Troopers perched atop nearby balustrade caught my eye. Lo and behold, there was a Star Wars exhibit right next door. Now, the Tate will always be there, and the Star Wars exhibit might not, so it's clear which one I opted to visit. Well, that, and I'm a nerd.
It was a great exhibit; Darth Vader walked right by me, and there were all sorts of costumes and replicas throughout the many galleries. It was a terrible place to meet a smart and interesting girl, but it was a great place to see R2D2 close up. :)
I took a walk down the Thames on the Queen's Walk afterward, then had tapas with Louisa and met her friend, Ruth. Ruth is awesome, and she stayed with us (or really, I stayed with them) through the weekend.
I made some decent (if I do say so myself) smoked salmon, brie, and oyster mushroom omelettes with a fresh fruit medley for us three on Saturday morning, and then Louisa and I saw the Lord of the Rings musical. Yeah, I know, I know, but again, it's one of those things where I thought, "How could I NOT see this?"
The set design and costumes were great. There was one scene where smoke and gusts of wind were blowing through the entire theatre along with black confetti that looked like ash. The stage was a set of concentric rings that rotated and each was segregated into various platforms that could be raised and lowered. As a spectacle, it was outstanding. There is something about the immediacy and presence of live theater that can't be replicated in cinema. I'm motivated to go see some more shows now. Maybe not musicals, mind you, but good stage productions, symphonies, and the ballet. It's fun.
That last night in London was great. We were going to see some standup comedy, but ironically enough, we were stood up on the tickets. We wound up going back to Louisa's flat and sat outside, drinking cava and talking until almost one in the morning. I can't think that anything could have been more fun. Here is a great clip of the girls trying to do American accents: http://www.baronvonawesome.net/movies/LondonWR.mov (give it a moment or two to load).
So, that's the trip. I have some new sets uploaded at http://www.flickr.com/photos/superflyc/sets/. I'll be back soon enough. I hope to go for New Year's Eve, and who knows what else I might be able to come up with?
Cheers!
Chris
In an interview with La Repubblica newspaper, Monsignor Tommaso Stenico said he frequented online gay chat rooms and met with gay men as part of his work as a psychoanalyst. 