Honeymoon 03 - June 9, An English Birthday

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i was awakened by a call from my sister vanie, who was enthusiastically shouting something to me. it took a while before i realized that TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY! i thanked her for calling and she apologized when it dawned on her that we are already in london time (oohh how great does that sound!) and it was about four in the morning here.

darwin greeted me a sleepy happy birthday after the call and was disappointed that vanie beat him to it. this is the first time i'm spending it as mrs lim (i'm still and will remain an olfindo, by the way. darwin thinks it's cool that i'm keeping my name) and it feels deliriously weird and wonderful.

we went back to sleep and an hour after, we were roused by the alarm clock. we had a quick shower and prepared for the start of a true tourist day. tiya eve was still sleeping when we said our goodbyes and she mumbled the directions to the worthing station. we would have wanted a ride but she looked tired (jappy has been crying the night before) so we walked our way instead.

it was cold outside but the scene was calm and peaceful. the whole neighborhood has rows of similar old-world two-storey edwardian houses but the front gardens make each one unique. except for a few joggers, the streets were empty and the bakeries were still closed. the walk took us more than half an hour, with a few wrong turns and a lot of help from the locals we passed by.

when we reached the station, we were stunned when the teller told us that one trip back to the london center at this time (it was about seven in the morning) would cost us 18 pounds each! this is the biggest problem with staying out of the suburban rail lines. but we didn't have a choice so we paid for it and took the stairs down to the platform.

a man saw me struggling with my bag so he offered to help and seeing how frail he looked, i mumbled an "it's ok, thanks!" but he insisted so i obliged. almost running, he carried it to the platform and i wondered if he regretted helping me when he realized that the bag was heavy. we said our thank-you's, he smiled and waved goodbye.

it's going to be another hour ride and we wanted to grab a breakfast-to-go before the train arrives so i went over to the coffee shop at the other side of the platform. but before the lady can take my orders, the train arrived and was ready to depart in a matter of minutes. on early mornings, trains to london-victoria depart on a 30-minute to an hour interval and we didn't want to cut down on our first english tour so i ran back to the platform and we boarded the train.

we marveled at the view. the same meadows that we saw on our way to worthing last night were now dewy green and shining against the early morning sun. the air was crispy cold and moist. the other passengers on the train were wearing power suits and reading all sorts of paperbacks and dailies. i couldn't believe that people choose to commute this length everyday to work, living expenses in central london must be really steep.

we arrived in london-victoria and the station was starting to get crammed with people. we left our overnight bag at the station luggage counter and with a map in our hands, cameras and video camera swinging on our necks, we prepared for a walking tour of london. we grabbed a couple of cold sandwich at the w. h. smith store and a big cup of coffee at starbucks.

we made a stop at the national express counter from across the station to purchase tickets to our bus ride to stansted airport tomorrow. we're taking the 7am easyjet flight to rome.

we were back on the streets in a few minutes and we walked towards the direction of the buckingham palace. the streets of london are tourist spots themselves. they are filled with double-decker red busses, black london cabs, policemen on horses, horse-drawn carriage and tall, very tall british lads.

we reached buckingham palace after walking a couple of blocks. it didn't look like the residence of a queen. it was just a plain three-storey high building but in front of it stands a regal monument of queen victoria and the goddess nike then a long tree-lined avenue leading to trafalgar square. the gates looked heavy and highly wrought and a few ladies in elaborate hats dotted the forecourt.

we walked around the nearby gardens and parks, took pictures with the policemen in horses then settled into a corner gate post of the palace. it was all so surreal! a lot of tourists were milling around waiting for the changing of the guards. several beckham fans were gathered near us, all wearing beckham's famous jersey. an assortment of various languages can be heard, some british, some french and others we couldn't recognize.

the sun was out and the breeze was a gentle cold. at half-past eleven, the forecourt of the palace started brimming with activities. guards in striking black and red uniforms started marching to prepare for the coming shift. it was a colorful parade of uniformed dogs, horses and soldiers and we watched it in amazement.

when the parade has finished, we walked towards the direction of trafalgar square but was tempted by the ice cream stall. we grabbed a cone and settled into the nearby park. when we continued our walk, we met the outgoing shift of guards marching to their headquarters and we followed them like groupies. the crowd was lesser here and we had a triumphant feeling for being so lucky enough to stumble upon this spot by ourselves.

we then proceeded to trafalgar square, london's most famous square, and is also a sight to behold. apart from the nelson's column, there's also a lovely fountain at the center with several neo-classical buildings surrounding it. a big african band was preparing for a show and some of its dancers were dressed in big colorful costumes. we wanted to stay but there was still so much to explore so we walked to the direction of charing cross.

we passed by several souvenir shops and red english phone booths. charing cross station is just a few minutes walk from trafalgar square. above the ground floor station is a rectangular five-storey hotel and an ornate marble cross of crowned statues and angels. we bought a bottle of soda from one of the shops and walked towards the parliament square.

along the way we passed by 10 downing street, the official residence of the british prime minister. some groups of tourists were milling around and the gate was heavily guarded so we just walked towards the city and was so pleased when we finally saw the big ben and the glorious gothic building of the house of parliament.

the big ben is one of london's best known landmark and is said to be an excellent timekeeper and a symbol of hope during london's war times. at the backdrop of big ben's view is the british airway's london eye.

we took a break and sat on a grassy patch on the side of the parliament house, took off our shoes and enjoyed the view. it was already midday and although the sun was hot, the breeze was cold and the whole scenery felt like a lullaby.

after a few moment's rest, we walked to the nearby westminster abbey. it is another architectural masterpiece and holds countless memorials to the great and famous. we asked someone to take a picture of us and was surprised when he gestured that he's deaf and mute. we clumsily signaled our thanks back and admired him greatly for bravely touring a city as busy as london.

we sat on the grassy gardens of the abbey and relaxed for a moment. a lot of text messages from family and friends started pouring in to greet me a happy birthday. i never felt so special and blessed. darwin and i shared what's left of our cold sandwich from breakfast, lazed for a few more moments and decided to visit nottinghill. i wanted to see if the travel shop from the hollywood movie of the same title actually exists. and the house with the blue door, of course.

we took the tube to nottinghill station. the directions were pretty easy to follow and are like singapore's train system although older. we arrived at a quiet neighborhood and aside from the cars, the streets were almost empty. we stopped by a turkish stall and had a quick lunch. we would have preferred the traditional fish and chips but there was only a cafe and several fruit stands in sight. but the roasted meat and the pita bread were delicious and filling.

after our late lunch, we walked towards the direction of portobello road and passed by several shops selling outrageously-priced antiques and vintage clothing. the houses are not any taller than two-storey and so are the shops. i didn’t find a house with a blue door nor a travel bookshop with a hugh-grant look-alike owner either. it was a very quiet neighborhood but i've read that it gets crowded during market days. more and more people started appearing on streets and after a few wrong turns, we finally found portobello road. blair's have fun go mad suddenly played in my head.

portobello road is in itself a tourist attraction with hundreds of vendors filling the street, selling everything from antiques to household gadgets to fruits. we heard all sorts of "lovely" fruits announced "pound for a pound". it was like the scene of the movie where hugh grant sadly walks through a flea market and the seasons change. it was beautiful and very ... english.

darwin was raring to use the bathroom and we found an automatic toilet which is supposed to open and let you pee after you dropped a twenty-cents coin but we already dropped two twenties and the damn door wouldn't open. off we go walking instead.

the cherries on one fruit stall were enticing and we bought a quarter of a pound in a paper cone. we walked a few more blocks and caught a double-decker bus to piccadilly circus for some shopping. the bus didn't have an air-conditioning and the open windows made it look shabby.

the ride was an enjoyable one passing through streets filled with rows and rows of elegant london apartments and we wondered if we could ever afford living in one just in case we decide to work here. piccadilly circus is a junction of five busy streets and we continued our bus ride till we reached oxford street where all the big malls are. the street was full of tourists and locals and the windows were dressed in the latest london cult fashion.

darwin was looking for an england jersey (it was the height of the euro cup 2004 and football fever was all over europe) but didn't find anything especial. i was looking for nothing in particular, just something that might catch my eye. and boy, how my eyes feasted on all the clothes on display! but we were reluctant to buy just yet because we're still coming back to london at the end of the paris leg.

we passed by a hat stall selling all sorts of caps, from fake von dutch caps to busker hats. several pictures of the tv series friends' shoot in london were on display at this stall, with some takes of chandler and joey buying a souvenir cap from ... surprise, the owner of the stall! and while we were walking through the streets, we saw a bus going to aldwich, darwin's nickname to his brother adin, and for a moment it felt like we’re home.

the sun was slowly starting to set so we traveled to the famous st paul's cathedral. this has been a venue for several royal weddings, including the marriage of prince charles and lady diana. we were disappointed to find it closed for renovation so we stayed instead at a park across and admired the view.

we were already tired and we freshened up with some wet wipes then continued on to a nearby street to look for a hotel. spending the night in worthing was no longer an option since we have an early morning bus ride to stansted airport for our flight to rome. unfortunately, the hotel didn't have any room for us as it was a busy season. we decided we'll just rest at the train station until our bus leaves london at four in the morning.

we boarded a bus and off we went to the famous tower bridge. the suspension bridge has two high castle-like towers leading to two walkways. it was just as regal as all the other famous spots of london. we took a lot of pictures on the bridge and from the side. it was already nine in the evening but the sky was still lighted up by the late sunset.

darwin wanted to wait for a little longer so he could take some night shots but i was already too tired and too hungry to wait. besides, we still have to collect our bags out of the baggage counter before it closes at midnight or we won't have luggage for the rest of the trip.

we walked back towards the nearest underground station and took the tube back to london-victoria. when we got there, we noticed that the gates were already half-closed and we realized that nobody's allowed to stay inside the station when the gates close. we didn't have a choice but to find a hotel quickly. i hated myself for not planning this london leg carefully. i assumed my aunt’s house was inside the suburbs of london.

after buying dinner and some provisions from the grocery, we collected our luggage and scouted for a hotel booking counter in the station. luckily, one counter was still open and the girl managed to find us a hotel near the station for forty pounds. it was already a steal considering that we got it at the last minute.

the girl gave us the directions, it sounded appealingly near and we were happy. i was already tired from too much walking, my legs were starting to feel numb and the luggage were getting heavy despite the rollers. we got lost and made a few wrong turns, then i finally lost it. i broke down and cried from sheer exhaustion! on the streets! darwin was so patient and calming, and i was so grateful that i will always have him with me for the rest of my life!

in my defense (ohh let me say this), i have high-arched feet and my legs tire easily because of that. i have an insole foot support that i slip inside my shoes but the doctor once warned us that using it for more than the recommended hours will cause pain. i have been walking since morning with that brace inside my shoes and that must have caused it.

finally, with tears, little steps and a couple of helpful people, we managed to find the wellington hotel. true to what the girl said, the hotel was only a few minutes walk from the station but because her directions were not clear, we made several wrong turns. the wellington is a typical edwardian building made of red bricks with a garden in front and looked like an old school building. we were directed to a room on the fourth floor, there was no lift and we carried our luggage all the way up. as we would again learn later on, most of european hotels are at least a hundred years old and don't have lifts!

our room was small and dimly-lit but the bed looked comforting. the corridors were ghostly with the eerie little lights on the walls but some girls in towel-wrapped hair came out of the common bathroom and i felt safe.

after a very late dinner of beef sandwich and diluted juice (we didn't realize we bought an orange concentrate), we freshened up then prepared to sleep. it was already close to midnight and we only have three hours left to sleep. darwin teased me ceaselessly about the little drama i pulled off a while ago. i know he was also tired but was keeping a happy face for my sake.

despite a very tiring end to the day, we had a really fantastic day! london was a dream come true and it did not in any way disappoint. this was also a swanky way to celebrate my twenty-eight birthday.

then we're going to sunny italy tomorrow! we set the alarm to half-past-three the next morning. i felt a little pang of sadness for leaving london so soon but we're coming back again in a little more than two weeks. we kissed goodnight and the world faded away.

a birthday in london. who would have thought?

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our london pictures are posted here.

coming up next …
Honeymoon 04 - June 10, A Roman Honeymoon

the "i love london" picture was swiped from the asos website.

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