Hello!
I've just spent 5 very full days in very busy London. It only took me five minutes of being here to remember how fast-paced and bustling this city really is. It's amazing, the only other city you can really compare it to is New York, and even then, it's almost like a cracked-out, yet extremely organized, fast-forwarded version. The shopping and financial districts are just jammed packed with people. And the Tube - you better walk fast or get out of the way. And if you are moving slow or things do get a bit congested, expect a 'Tube cop' (my name for them, not theirs!) to be there in a jiffy, directing traffic and asking people to, 'Please move along. Please hurry, please hurry! Thank you!' (So much better in an English accent, though, of course!).
I did so much and things move so quickly in this city, I almost can't remember everything I saw and did here. It's quite overwhelming, if you haven't picked up on that yet.. My dear friend, Susi from Germany, was also in London this week, so we met up several of the days for great shopping and some good Indian food. Susi is quite the shopper (she denies it, but she is!), so she showed me around Old Spitalfields and Portobello Markets. A fusion of clothes, jewelry, antiques, food and other random accessories and pieces, both markets were a ton of fun. I loved them. I also visited some museums - the Tate Modern, the Victoria & Albert and the Fan Museum. All were lovely, but by far, I enjoyed the Yayoi Kusama exhibit at the Tate Modern the best. I wasn't familiar with the Japanese artist before, but she's really incredible and the exhibit was really well done and well explained, spanning her lifetime of work from the '40s all the way up until last year. And lastly, I had to see a show, so I chose Les Miserables, since it's a classic and I've never seen it before. It was lovely!
As for the food, I'm still full from the time Connor and I were being little piggies in France and Italy, so I haven't made my meals as much of a priority here. However, there were a few things I really wanted and had - High Tea at the Mandeville Hotel and really great Indian food. And actually, I did also have some pretty good sushi from just a little take-away place. That's the best thing about London - culture and food from everywhere around the world!
Next - Belgium tomorrow. Can't wait! The eating will have to begin again with chocolates and waffles! =)
Love,
Court
