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Published: November 30th 2008
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London is undoubtedly one of the world's great cities. It holds the potential to meet just about any whim or fancy one can imagine-provided you have the cash to indulge! For me, the allure of the city has largely been the arrival of family or friends, or the chance to spend some time with those based in the British capital. Despite not having spent a concentrated amount of time exploring, bit by bit Adam and I have pieced together a mind map of the best places to go to eat or shop, and we've slowly ticked off most of the major sites on every tourist 'to do' list. The best bits for me are unquestionably the fabulous markets on offer-whether it’s the big guns like Borough, Spittlefields or Portobello Road, or smaller markets dotted around the city suburbs, I love them all and have never yet failed to find a bargain. The art galleries, especially the Tate Modern and National Gallery, are also favourite haunts while Adam loves the British Museum and could spend days in there if let loose!
The other major draw card is of course the amazing amount of entertainment on offer-with the West End holding endless
appeal to me. I've seen a few major productions over the past year-namely Avenue Q, Cabaret, Blood Brothers, and a rather quirky musical interpretation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night- and a trip to the theatre was recently the catalyst for a girly weekend in London with Lara and Claire, OT friends, and a new acquaintance from Belfast, Joanne. We were blessed with a spate of good weather and a good dose of girly chit chat occurred as we lazed about on the South bank of the Thames, before heading home for wine and nibbles and to get dressed for a night at the theatre. Like every other production I’ve seen, Billy Elliot was fantastic and I left Leicester Square already planning which show would be next on my agenda when the opportunity arose!
For me, thoughts of London are intertwined with the euphoria of 'catch-ups' with loved ones. Living in the UK, where you are constantly meeting new people and being confronted with new experiences, has made me truly appreciate how invaluable an 'old friend' really is. The past and all that is familiar has a strong hold over me in this faraway land, making time with loved ones even
more precious. I will always remember the joy of greeting May or Del on their arrival, as well as popping champagne in the London home of our gorgeous Aussie friends Lara and Sean, celebrating our reunion. Staying with Ange and Dave when we first arrived as they orientated us to all things British, and every visit since, has always been fantastic. Meeting up with friends only here for a short time is really great too as you desperately try to squeeze in as much time together as possible, knowing you'll soon be off again in your different directions. Meeting our friend Rachel for a pint in Dublin last year, and more recently our friends Sam and Amy for lunch and a bit of shopping, was sensational. It's so great to hear all the news and have someone instantly understand exactly what you mean as you make reference to something quintessentially Australian (as opposed to when you do that in the company of those from abroad who greet you blank stares as they have no idea what on earth you're talking about!)
Unfortunately, our most recent London visits have been to farewell close friends heading back home. Our good friend
Sean started this trend, with many friends gathering to bid this lively lad farewell in a London nightspot. After dinner and dancing and much frivolity, the night ended with kebabs on the sidewalk in the wee small hours, which completely set the standard in my mind as to what a good farewell should be. I think the pending departure of a special one makes you want to squeeze out every last moment of time you have together. So most people arrive at a farewell do with their dancing shoes on and a determination to see the night through to the dawn, delaying the inevitable moment of goodbye. This was certainly the case when lovely Lara followed in her fiancée’s footsteps three months later, with Adam and I managing to overcome a bout of fatigue around 2am to party on until 5am. Hugging Lara as she picked up her bags and headed to the awaiting cab also brought home the hard truth that no matter how many goodbyes you make, they certainly never get easier. Less than 24hours later, our Kiwi friend Lisa headed on back home and two weeks later, we gathered in beautiful Hampstead Heath to farewell Ange, Dave
and their little son Fletcher who were also homeward bound. With Fletcher in tow, lulling about in the afternoon sunshine near to a gorgeous lake and surrounded by green, its hard to imagine why one would want to leave. But yet, depart they did, with each person's farewell bringing to an end some of the best London times we've had. For now, we're left to sit tight until our next call to the airport to greet a new arrival and welcome them to this sometimes strange but increasingly endearing little island.
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