LONDON, day 1
Monday, December 13 - 2010

Backpack is packed. Tickets, money and shoppinglist, check. Ready to cycle to the trainstation \o/


Parking my bike. So it's not the most interesting activity to capture on film, but I really liked the autumny leaves that had almost the same colour as my hair :-)


Oooh, steamy. Not the train though, just my breath; it's freezing!


Sunrise.


Frosty Netherlands.


Beautiful lightfall, near Rotterdam station.


Arrived well on time in Rotterdam, where my connecting fast intercity train to Brussels was supposed to leave at 10.55... but...


...right after I got there, there was an announcement that the train to Brussels was cancelled. No explanation; it simply wasn't going.


Sadly the alternative slower 'stop'-train had just left, so I couldn't do anything but wait an hour for the next one. Provided that one was going, it would still get me to Brussels on time, although I would have to hurry through customs.


Well, at least the 11.55 wasn't cancelled and even though it was about ten minutes late...


... I did manage to catch the train to London thanks to the surprisingly efficient Eurostar personel and French and English customs, who for once weren't slowing things down. Pfew.


Finally time to relax with food, drinks and a book.


I only had a tiny bit of window, but look at that beautiful view!


London, St Pancras International station, where I walked straight through the hardly-there customs area to King's Cross Tube station to get on the subway to...


... Russel Square and my favorite hotel. (where EVERY room is equipped with a bathtub, even the singles, yay)


View from my hotelwindow, oooooh, sunset.


Left my luggage in my room, freshened up and went into town.


Walked up to Regentstreet, after buying a theatre ticket at Leicester Square (more about that later;)


It's Christmas time all over London!


The windowdisplay at Hamleys. Ahw.


The bear-department *snuggles all the bears* Bought just one. I totally have self-control.


Then walked through Carnaby street on my way to...



Mother Mash. No visit to London is complete without getting mashed potatoes and pie (AND GRAVY). This time I also treated myself to dessert: sticky toffee pudding with (warm!) custard.
Funny thing: in Dutch 'pudding' means custard, while what the English call pudding, we call 'cake'. Confusing, but so tasty.


One quick look at Oxford street, before going underground again...


... to catch the tube to Waterloo station and the theatre.


Hey, fancy seeing you here, Tim Minchin: we'll meet tomorrow night. First it's a farce at the Old Vic, that stands illuminated so invitingly in the background;)


I had a great seat (not that much reduced in price, but still;) for 'A Flea in Her Ear'. I should have known by the title and poster that it wasn't my kind of comedy, but my other options had been a musical or drama, and since I wasn't in the mood for the latter and had already planned a concert on Tuesday, I chose comedy. Because I so love the Old Vic's artistic director Kevin Spacey I picked this one.
It was a farce and although some people in the audience obviously peed their pants because of the hilarity, it just didn't do it for me. So I left in the intermission (which I honestly thought was the end at first, but most people stayed in their seats, so I guess the scene with the explosion and all the characters coming onto the stage in various stages of undress wasn't the grand finale). I'm considering this my donation to the wonderful educational youth-programs the Old Vic provides. And yes, penance for forgetting my woobie. It will not happen again.


Of course this meant I had some time of my evening left and I decided to go to Piccadilly Circus to see if massive bookstore Waterstone's was one of the shops that stayed open until late at night. IT WAS! So I spent a lot of time there drooling over books and filling my wishlist. (I did get some books for other people as well;)
(Don't worry about the emergency sign on the photo, that only lit up because of my flashlight. I so love the graphic design of the London Underground; I have to take pictures at every opportunity as you may have noticed;)


Back at the hotel around 22.15 with bear, bathbubbles, books and program plus script of 'comedy'. All in all a very satisfying day, despite the play:)

Time for a bath \o/

Mom Sinterklaas gave me bath-caviar, very luxurious. Finished reading To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (Review will eventually be written).
Oh bathtub, how I love you. Bed around midnight.

London, day 2