Britannia Rules!

I am in London. The transatlantic flight was incredible. British Airways knows how to run an airline. I’ve never been on a 747 before, so that was impressive. The snack, meal (chicken or salmon dinner—including roll, Key lime pie, mashed potatoes, carrots, and a bite-size candy bar), and breakfast were all terrific. Though I choose to read and tried to sleep, they had many channels of music and movies for free. The shuttle ride to the hotel left something to be desired. It took over two hours of incredibly small and clogged roads. The hotel was a surprise. It wasn’t what I expected. It looks like a residence. The room is small and quaint, but it will do. I’m typing this at a desk next to my second-floor window, which overlooks a park. The current temperature (at 9:25 p.m. London time) is 59 degrees. It has been rather pleasant. I wore my Elvis jacket tonight when I went out.

I don’t really have a feel for London yet as I’m not really near anything I’d recognize. The hotel is in Kensington Gardens. I did walk to a large park complex that includes Hyde Park. People were everywhere: some were jogging, riding bikes (where permitted—I’ve already seen that the British are big on following the rules), playing in the grass, and just plain enjoying life. I finally just sat and watched and listened to the people walking by. I will go back on Sunday to see the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain (and take pictures) but also to see the “Speakers Corner.” Every Sunday afternoon, people from all political persuasions gather there to espouse their beliefs, to debate, and to declaim. I can’t wait to see that. I may schedule my trip to Stonehenge for Monday. I haven’t decided. One thing I can say for sure is that London is an incredibly cosmopolitan city. The number of ethnic restaurants is incredible. I’m ashamed to admit that I had my first meal at McDonald’s. Getting money from the ATM was a snap. So is spending it. I just ate dinner in an Italian restaurant. I was impressed that the waitresses seemed to all speak several languages. I’m not sure why they kept addressing me in French.

I did get accosted by a fairly aggressive guy on the way back to the hotel. He said he was Scottish and his car broke down. He had a handful of change and needed more. He said his grandchildren were in his car. He actually followed me into the hotel and asked for the manager to borrow some money from him. You have to give in your key each time you leave, so I needed to pick it up at the desk. So far, the girls who have been working the front desk are not English. I asked the girl whether it would be difficult to get to Ely from here; she obviously had never heard of it. My destitute friend told her it was the smallest city in England, had a great cathedral there, and was on the way to Cambridge. In case you’re wondering, Ely is where my ancestors are from. I’ll peruse my guidebook tonight and try to figure it out.

A group of guys just walked under the window on the street singing something I couldn’t make out. This is a very jovial city and very alive. Though I’m definitely not a big city person anymore (if I ever was), I think I’m going to like it here.