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Published: January 24th 2015
London was like coming home. We are all very fond of this big city and it felt very familiar and cosy to return after a 7 year gap. Very, very little has changed from our year of living here in 2007. We made sure we stayed in a hotel in Hammersmith (Aviva apartments) so we could get our bearings quickly and visit our old haunts. It felt like putting on a well-fitting coat that you thought you had lost: snug and comfortable. Practically the first thing we did was find a Costa Coffee cafe and each of us ordered our old favourites. Not longer after this, we found a Cafe Nero. It's funny the things you miss!
It was great fun to just walk around and remember stuff like:
Big, comfortable lounges in cafes (very unlike continental Europe)
More relaxed clothing styles but all generally centred on the colour black
More relaxed body sizes than the more body-conscious French (but not many overweight people either)
British school children who seem like 'normal' school children to our Australian eyes: loud, unaffected, joking around, laughing and hugging, slightly obnoxious to the older Londoners..normal
Really lovely
Natural History Museum
ONe of the best reasons for visiting Londonparenting on display, especially in museums: patient and kind dads and mums who always explained everything, even to constant questioning and unreasonable behaviour
Mind the Gap! ...you hear this all-the-time
Double decker buses...the best part is getting the front seats on the top deck
Huge parks and small dogs
Lots and lots of French migrants..lots
Excellent second hand stores with quality clothes and cheap stores like Primark and TKMAx and even H&M (cheap here)
The superb sandwiches at Pret-a-Manger (Posh cheese and chutney with sun-dried tomatoes and watercress being my all time favourite)
Percy Pig lollies at Marks and Spencers (and excellent Earl Grey tea and Caramelised red onion chutney of which I bought 2 jars)
People walking really, really fast
Constantly hearing and saying "excuse me" as everyone bumps into each other because there are just so many people
Very polite people
Every so often witnessing the sudden release/explosion of rage that is just beneath the surface of polite Londoners if you scratch the surface a little (usually set off by perceived rudeness)
Lots and lots of tempting prepackaged meals and even meal kits in Tesco's, Sainsbury's
and Marks and Spencer's food sections.
The great Underground which is easy and efficient and fast...and also light (it is dark in Paris Metro trains)
So much spellbinding history and wonder in all the FREE museums: Science museum, Natural History Museum and that great tribute to British plundering, The British Museum
Especially the Egyptian section of the British museum!
That familiar sound of Big Ben as it chimes on the hour
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Marcia
non-member comment
London
Fran, how are you? Reading your London post brought me back so many great memories!!!! Big hugs and happy Australia day to you all!!! Xxoo