Settling in.

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The de-boarding went smoothly. I was in the second row behind first class so I didn't have to wait all that long for my turn and was soon making my way through the maze of corridors towards customs. I arrived and there were no more than 100 people in front of me. The timing was great because another 5-6 flights landed within minutes of mine and during my comparatively brief time in line another 1500 or so people joined the line behind me. Yikes. About 10 minutes and 3 questions later, my passport was stamped and I began my walk towards the tube station.

I bought my ticket and boarded the tube for the 45 minute or so ride towards Piccadilly Circus and my London HQ of choice, Piccadilly Backpakers. I'd stayed at the same place on my last visit 5 years earlier. Functional but by no means extravagant, this budget hostel provides the basic necessities (bed and bath) within a 2 minute walk from the well known Piccadilly Circus. At the time, a room for two was around 65$ US per night, which was a steal for the location.

I arrived at around 8:30 AM, but would not be able to check in. I took advantage of their storage room to drop off my larger bag and then got right down to my day. My first stop was just around the corner and was more 'administrative than anything else. I had a spare ticket for the Kevin Smith show I'd be seeing the next evening, and had made arrangements with an Internet acquaintance to sell him the ticket. I met him at his place of employment, an Apple store, and have to admit that following a full day of preparation and nearly 8 hours on a plane, the shiny glass and expensive electronic cleanliness of the place made me feel very self-conscious about my overall state of dishevelment. There was nothing to do for it until Noon or later, when I could finalize my arrival at the hotel. Luckily, he didn't keep me waiting and with the business aspect of the trip taken care of I got on with being a tourist.

My next stop was a re-visit. I walked a few blocks to the British Museum, which had been the first stop on my previous trip. Since I was a wee lad I've loved museums and the British Museum had blown my mind with it's collection and the second go around was no less impressive. As beautiful as some pieces in the collection are, the somewhat pedestrian looking Rosetta Stone is my favorite for its important place in our understanding of the history of mankind.

A few hours and much learning later, I headed back to the hostel and picked up my room key. I'd been up for some 36 hours at this point, but if I gave in and took a nap I knew that it would be a couple of days struggling to adjust to the time. I needed to stay awake until at least 10PM so as to get a proper night's sleep. I took a shower (yay) and repacked my day back to make it lighter before heading back out for the afternoon.

Truth be told, I didn't have anything particular planned, and spent most of my time just wandering around the general area. I tried to get myself lost, but given the amount of time I had spent staring at maps of the city, it seemed I was always within eye shot of a sign or other marker point towards somewhere I knew. It was interesting getting a little bit off the tourist trail, and I was quite enjoying myself. I eventually found myself in Leicester Square and was checking out the pricing and availability of theater tickets when heavens opened up and rain began to fall from the sky. The build up was very quick and I was lucky to find myself not far from a covered walkway into and through a shopping plaza. It was getting later in the day and I decided that it was time for a meal. I wanted to sit down, and I ended up in a place by the name of 'Adam's Rib'. Long story short, it was terrible and over priced. It was a good mistake though, because it reinforced my will to avoid eating from restaurants as much as possible on the trip.

I can remember very well the next hour, which I spent wandering through a shopping mall on a mission... there was something I recall I had forgotten to pack, and I was looking for one. What it was, I can't for the life of me remember. One of the places I was sure I would find it was in a sporting goods store, which had me traipsing up and down 5 flights of stairs making sure to check every floor. No luck, sadly. Well, not so sadly, since I was able to finish my trip successfully without whatever it was. By this time, it was 8:30PM and my energy was fading fast. I was near my hotel when I passed by the door of the Devonshire Arms (which may no longer exist, which would be a pity as it was established in 1793) and looked up to see the signage for Spitfire Ale, one of my favoritest beers ever. A quick pint turned into a quick 3, before I final decided to turn in.

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Photos

Great Court
British Museum

Old dude
British Museum collection

Amber stein
British Museum collection

Ancient bling
British Museum collection