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Published: March 24th 2009
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Hey again peeps....& welcome to an information overload blog from my fantastic 3 weeks in London - please enjoy ;-)
My 3 weeks in London has simply flown by, literally! & typing up this blog, upon reflection, I have done more than I realised. It's true what they say: Time flies when you having fun! This fun often included braving the cold weather to be in some sort of physical condition to run the half 2 Oceans race in April.
My 1st day here, after settling in, I decided to do a quick 45 minute run. Not heeding Reven (my best mates advice/tip) I got lost & ended up running 1hr 45mins - lol ;-) But since then I generally had 2 routes here. The first route was along the infamous river Thames, crossing the river at one of several bridges & making my way back on the opposite river bank. The second route was in & around Battersea Park. I enjoyed this the most of the 2 as many people were out exercising in the park - making the most of & enjoying the bit of sun that was often out. For some variety I also did some
exploring of London on a 2hr mountain bike ride with my mate Ross through Wimbledon Common & Richmond Park. I thoroughly enjoyed this ride & he achieved his objective; to show me that there is more to London & outdoor activities do exist here ;-) The best part of all this exercise? Evereything in London is flat, so no hills - hehe ;-) Kitted with my ipod, another "form" of exercise was "playing" on the under ground tubes & buses in London.
For those whose already experienced this, especially during peak hours, using the public transport here can be a serious workout too. But the hussle of this was always soon forgotten when I arrived at my destination taking in all the tourist sites on my own leisure time ;-) My sights taken in include: Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Westminster, River Thames, the Princess Di memorial fountain, London bridge & the Tower bridge. Blessed with good weather, I also spend some time in St James & also Hyde Park. On very sunny days, I was always amazed at how many people sit in these parks during lunch times having a picnic in their suits & smart work clothes -
how desperate are these people for some sun?! On sunny days, spending lunch times in these parks was always a favorite past time of mine. I would sit, relax & watch the people while jamming my ipod or reading the news paper - really chilled times ;-) Then giggle when lunch was over & they make their way back to the corporate rat race that exists in London! However my "night life" in London was quite the contrary to that of my day time activities.
My nights were always busy & filled with loads of fun which included catching some football games. I was fortunate enough to watch 2 games in 2 days. I visited Upton Park, home of West Ham United FC. Here, with Damien, Winston & Denver, I watched West Ham vs West Brom. My 2nd game was at the overly impressive Emirates Stadium - home of Arsenal FC. The evening at the game, Arsenal vs Hull City, was one of the highlights of my trip. The atmosphere was electrifying, the match itself was really good but most importantly the company (Reven, Denver, Rudi & Winston) was just wickedly funny! Sitting with home supporters & Denver the
only "Gooner" (Arsenal fan) amongst us, we decided to shout in Afrikaans not to upset any of them, as we were not really supporting any team (but being a hardcore Man United fan, I secretly wished Arsenal lost ;-)). So picture 5 "coloured" guys at the Emirates stadium, in the heart of London, cheering in our best "gam" (slang) Afrikaans! Aaah, I never laughed that much in a long time ;-) Ultimately Arsenal won & the vibe in streets post the match & on the tube ride back home was another experience with Arsenal supporters singing on their loudest. What an experience - hair raising! Another highlight of my trip was a day trip to Brighton.
Brighton is a very popular pebble beach. It is roughly a 40 minute train from where we lived. For me the weird thing was i) being on a pebbled shore beach & ii) everyone was fully dressed in clothes! The sun was out but it was still chilly - & yet there was still a strong gathering to for some fresh air & sun light. I am certain it must be as nice as explained during the warmer months. Nevertheless, Brighton was nice
& another wicked day with wicked friends - thoroughly enjoyed! Between all this I was extremely busy catching up with old mates & hanging out with Reven & the rest of the crew....& over indulging (blame the cold weather, hehe).
It was fantastic to see some of my old mates from varsity, gym & MBA again, catch up with them, share plenty of laughs, exchange stories & also heed some of their advice & tips about life in Europe, London specifically. The downside of these meetings was often over indulging over coffees, lunches & dinners! Good company & good food makes for good times ;-) Friday & Saturday evenings were our party nights & London did not disappoint! There was plenty of good parties other than our time in Newcastle. Great fun! Worth a mention also is coincidentally bumping into a good mate & a few other acquaintances at our last party venue. Can you imagine how surprised we were to just casually bump into each other?! Nevertheless it was great to see them too! To all of you reading this blog who made the time & effort to catch up; & hereby making it more memorable, thanks again!
It really was great seeing you all again!
My time here is up & has flown by! I had a real good send off on my last night in London at my farewell drinks with some awesome friends at All Bar One! Thanks guys & girl; real fitting way to end this vacation! To everyone, & there is plenty of you, who added to this experience (planned & co-incidentally) thanks again so much! Reven buddy, the biggest thanks is extended to you - for everything! I had a sensational time with you here! After 20 years of great friendship, it was fantastic to spend 3 full weeks with you before your big day in April! Thank you!
Thanks for the memories peeps ;-)
Until next time, not sure when that is but hopefully sooner rather than later, take care!
cheers for now
Zubs
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Jill
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still in london?
Just asking if you still inUK?