A Storm in London

We left the perfect little English town of Wincanton for our next sit in the big city of London!

This would be our first sit where we would not meet our hosts, at all. Our host and her husband would be leaving for overseas before we arrived and returning after we left their flat. It was odd for us. At the beginning of our journey we would have been relieved, the introverts that we are. But here we were now, after many sits and many wonderful hosts who made us feel at ease, welcomed in their home and became our friends, we wanted to meet Lianne and her husband. My how we have changed!

Artwork in lobby.

We took "the tube" to Islington, a neighborhood in London. Lianne had said the subway station was next door to the apartment building. She was right, literally next door which made getting around London very easy for us. Sometimes at night we could hear the tube underneath us even though we were 7 floors up. The building was ultra modern with keyless entry, a concierge and some very cool artwork in the lobby. The apartment was also modern and the views of London Town were fantastic!

Our "roommate" was Storm. She is a beautiful black and white kitty. She was extremely well behaved and a little shy. She loved sleeping on the heated floors in the bathroom. She was easy to be around and loved rubs and attention. She tolerated us well and liked us to get her toys and play with her.

She loved to sit by the window and take in all the activity down on the streets. I don't blame her, it was fun to just people watch and see the happenings in the neighborhood. One morning we caught a glimpse of an elaborate funeral procession, quite impressive I must say.

The neighborhood had everything we could want including 2 restaurants that we really enjoyed not just for the food but for the service. Both were run by Middle Eastern families that have nailed down customer service. Two doors down from our building was an Italian restaurant. The owner waited on us our first time in. He and his staff were friendly and attentive, making small talk with us and making us feel welcomed. The second time we came in, a few days later, he not only remembered us but also what brand of beer we drank. He engaged us in conversation about where we were from, provided us with great food and again made us feel so welcomed.

The other restaurant was just down the street and featured Middle Eastern cuisine (soon becoming my favorite cuisine!) Our first night we were waited on by the wife and co owner. She was very pleasant and after we ordered she provided us with a complimentary appetizer. She also talked with us about where we were from, how long we were staying and what we liked to do in London. Our food that night was incredible! Two days later we decided to go back. She remembered us, asked what we had done since we were last in and again gave us another complimentary appetizer. Her service was outstanding, we didn't lack for anything. When we get back to London, we will make it back to both these restaurants!

Borough Market.

We explored London outside the neighborhood. We went to Borough Market, our niece Dena said we would love it and we did. We were lucky enough to get to spend an evening with Dena in London during one of her layovers. Dena knows so much about Europe and has been a great resource for us.We met her at a pub and sat drinking pints, laughing and catching up with her before we all caught our trains and tube back "home".

Lobby of the theatre.

We caught a play in a small theatre. We have always liked going to the small theatres. When my mother lived with us, the three of us would attend shows all around south Florida and then in Asheville after we moved to North Carolina. This theatre held around 70 people. It was a great little comedy and afterwards we strolled through the neighborhood and stopped for a late night coffee. A perfect evening in London!

We were in London for Guy Fawkes night. Our host Lianne said we should go up to the rooftop terrace and catch the fireworks. We had no idea who Guy Fawkes was and why he gets fireworks on his day. Turns out, Guy Fawkes is the inspiration for the masks and logo of the activist group Anonymous. Long story short, Guy Fawkes was a member of a group who planned to assassinate King James I and restore a Catholic monarch to the throne. Fawkes was in charge of guarding the explosives placed under the House of Lords. He was found, arrested, tortured and hung. Fawkes became synonymous with the Gunpowder Plot, the failure of which has been commemorated in Britain since November 5, 1605.  There ya go, he's kinda of a big deal in Britain. A great reason to shoot off fireworks not just on November 5 but the entire weekend! We did go to the rooftop, where we met several of the neighbors, all very nice, successful, young and from many different countries. Beer, wine and appetizers were served and everyone seemed to really enjoy the fireworks. The rest of the weekend we could watch fireworks from the livingroom of the flat. Pretty impressive!

We hated leaving London but our next stop was Ireland so we weren't too broken up!

Cheers!
Barb