ahhhoooo werewolves of london

current location: islington, london, united kingdom
local standard time: 23:10
buses taken today: more than one, less than 20...

and so my trip is slowly coming full circle! after delays in vienna (the computer system at the airport failed which resulted in being checked in by hand and then an hour sitting on the plane waiting for "the paperwork" to get done) i arrived in london, waited an eternity for my backpack, was sent to the wrong train, but eventually found my way to my cousin maria's house. the detour i took on the trains landed me at kings cross station and like a good harry potter fan i made my way to platform 9 and 3/4 (picture to follow). i had to ask someone working at the station where the platform was (it's been moved) and unlike in the books he was very helpful and pointed me in the right direction with a smile! it was nice to chat with maria and then i settled into bed happy to be one step closer to home.

i set out this morning without much of a plan for my day besides 'buy bus ticket. ride buses.' the weather was a perfect temperature: warm with a wonderful breeze to cool off and i, feeling decidedly bill bryon-esk (i read his 'notes on a small island' about his travels in england in july), was content to see where the wind blew me. my first stop was the info station across from st. paul's cathedral. i picked up a bunch of pamphlets and leafed through them on a bench across from the cathedral stopping at intervals to marvel at the building in front of me. i ended up not going inside because the price of a ticket was very high but i did sit for a little while in a small side chapel which was nice despite the dim roar of people in line to get into the main cathedral. i then headed to the museum of london which i had read had some interesting sounding free exhibits. turns out the whole museum is free and had some great exhibits including roman and medieval london, the great fire of 1666, the anti-apartheid movement, and a few others as well. i didn't go on the free tour but i did loiter near the group for a while and heard some interesting facts about the objects on display (did you know that rich romans basically had radiant floor heating!? yea, neither did i!). having worked in the science museum in boston i find it really interesting to look at what other museums are doing to engage children. the museum of london had a couple of different dress up areas relevant to what was in the section (different fireman helmets in the fire of 1666 exhibit, medieval clothing in medieval exhibit) as well as places to feel what the roman tiled floor felt like etc.

with a growling stomach i made my way back to the marks and spencer i had seen near the cathedral for the much anticipated egg and cress sandwich (i have actually been thinking/talking about how excited i am for one for a few days now). i emerged from the store after jostling my way through (it was packed!) with what is probably going to go down in the annals as one of the best ever supermarket lunches ever. not only did i come away with a 'free range egg & watercress' sandwich but i also found 'thai green curry (rice) crackers' and nectarines... close to perfect :) i made my way across the millennium bridge with my loot and had a lovely little picnic outside the tate modern and then made my way back across the bridge and got onto the first double decker bus to stop at the station i had found.

i spent the rest of the afternoon getting on and off buses when something caught my eye or my feet got tired (took a look at the london tower and bridge from afar) and then slowly made my way back to maria's. she and i had a lovely meal at a delicious vietnamese restaurant where we talked about family and i heard stories/the gossip about all the different cousins and great aunts/uncles.

tomorrow promises to be another full day: i am meeting up with another cousin, caroline (who i saw very briefly in vienna), and we are going to spend the day together doing whatever strikes our fancy.

and then: HOME! i only need to sleep twice more and then i will be homeward bound. yay yay yay yay!!

hope everyone is enjoying the last few weeks of summer.
peace
agnes

p.s. pictures to follow