Advertisement
No More City Congestion
London used to be choked by traffic however since the introduction of the congestion charge the traffic at times is non existent. This picture is of the once-busy Oxford Street. My five week European holiday is almost over and its now time to put my travel blog to sleep. The holiday has flown by at such a pace that I am still coming to terms with the fact that it is almost over. As with all holidays I walk away with many great memories.
Last night (Friday 18th May) I met up with my friend Mai for dinner. Mai has been in London for a few months now and she suggested we pop into Soho for a bite to eat.
We ate at a café/bar called Amato. It’s the kind of place workers flock to for a sandwich, coffee or cake during the day or to enjoy an excellent selection of pasta before heading off to a movie or a show at night. It has a great buzz, friendly Italian staff and good quality pasta.
After dinner we popped into a rather smoky pub nearby for a drink before jumping into the tidal flow of people heading up Oxford Street. It was 9.30pm and the northern European twilight was kicking in. It is fantastic to think that it is still bright at that time of night and
Reflections of a Great Holiday
My last night in London and the capital turned on a beautiful evening. summer hasn’t even started yet.
I had suggested to Mai that I would like to buy a few clothes before returning to Sydney and so she gratefully provided me with a guided tour of the best shops in the street.
The further we walked along Oxford Street the more my mind was filled with great memories of this holiday.
It is true that we learn to appreciate our own place having been away, however you are also struck by the realization of the distance between Australia many other parts of the world (especially Europe).
Today (Saturday) I met up with friends Sal and Mick and we wandered around Soho where we grabbed a meal at one of the many noodle bars.
We popped into my brother's favourite Soho café - Bar Italia, before heading to a pub to watch the FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Manchester United.
London put on some sparkling weather today and although it was difficult to find nice (smoke-free ) pub we enjoyed rambling around the streets of London with the warm sunshine on our backs.
I have now conquered Spain as a tourist having visited Madrid, Barcelona,
St Pauls Cathedral
St Pauls Cathedral still dominates the London Skyline though may soon be dwarfed by a number of new structures judging by the many cranes around the city. Bilbao, Cordoba, Seville and Granada spanning two holidays over the last two years however I leave again this year contemplating what I have yet to discover about this country that is fast becoming a favourite of mine. Another holiday in another year? A possibility? Perhaps to work in Spain? Who knows!
My brother Paul and his partner Mark have been great hosts, allowing me to fly in at weekends and to bunk down on their futon bed in the living room. Tonight (my final night) we went to Zizzi, an Italian Restaurant close to Tower Bridge.
We have been out for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, dining at some wonderful places from your traditional greasy spoon to one of London’s finest restaurants, Locanda Locatelli. Their hospitality has made my trip even more enjoyable.
It was also great to catch up with friends, Sal and Mick, David Swagell and David Tucker all recent arrivals in England having left Australia for what they consider a better life.
I cannot end this blog without also thanking Rafa and his team in PwC Madrid who were extremely hospitable to me.
Again I enjoyed the company of my family in Ireland
In the evening glow
My brother Paul (right) and his partner Mark. We wandered along the Thames to have dinner at Zizzi a nearby Italian Restaurant and I fly back to Sydney with great memories.
Anyway I leave you with some photos of my last weekend in London and I hope you have enjoyed the blog.
It was sometimes mentally taxing to write (especially during my two weeks in Madrid when getting home at 2am was a regular occurrence) however it allowed me to capture both visually and in words my experiences.
The next time you will hear from me I am likely to be at home on the couch in Dee Why or on the football pitch at training or perhaps enjoying your company over coffee. I will try not to bore you with tales of my trip on my return however I can’t promise you that!
It is now time to put away my notepad, the laptop and my camera and contemplate a return to Sydney and a return to normality.
Adios and Saludos
Advertisement
Tot: 0.36s; Tpl: 0.017s; cc: 15; qc: 70; dbt: 0.1146s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb