London II, Or, Fish 'N Chips

Day 6: London

This morning, I caught the train back to London.  Fun fact, they blow whistles when the train doors are about to start closing. Of COURSE - how British.

I’ve noticed by now that in this part of Europe they seem to only get around eight hours of sunlight – even less than at home.  From my vague recollection of my world map, the latitude is not much different than here, though, maybe on par with Canada.  But the sun doesn’t come up until 8 or 8:30, and by 4:00 dusk has fallen.

When I got back to London I had lunch in King’s Cross station, which is where platform 9 ¾ is located in Harry Potter. All my dreams are coming true! I decided to take a picture on the platform later, though, because there were dozens of people in the line.

Again I tried to be mindful and do only one thing at a time, especially when eating. Strange looks be damned, though I didn’t notice any today. It’s incredibly uncomfortable to be alone, especially without wifi, but I tried very hard to focus on the moment and be mindful and mentally present. I feel like I have lost the ability to savor the moment and do one thing at a time, which was made even worse when I started graduate school. It’s taking practice, but I think I’m getting better. I hope not to lose this feeling when I come home. I am learning to just enjoy the present moment.

After King’s Cross I went to Camden Market in Camden Town, which was highly recommended by a lot of people.  It reminded me of Austin, Texas.  It was a street and an indoor/outdoor complex with kitschy shops, buskers, street food, and artwork.  I drank hot quince punch (!?) and wandered through the shops. I also had curry – their Indian food is amazing here.  All the neighborhoods of London are so cute and completely diverse. It reminds me of Chicago in this way, but friendlier and not as cold.

Also, when I walk through any neighborhood at any given moment, there are guys roasting chestnuts on the streets. Nobody ever seems to eat them, but the air is always filled with a crisp, comforting charcoal smell that is the epitome of winter to me.

I took the overground this time (sort of like an el train) to an Indian restaurant that got great Yelp reviews. You can take your pets on the train in Europe, by the way. Loads of people had their pet dogs on this one!

When I got to the restaurant, I realized it was a very trendy place and everyone was there in groups.  I looked down at my hoodie tied around my waist under my parka and decided there was no turning back.  The wait was an hour and a half, but I wanted some fancy  Indian food, so you bet I stayed!

I decided in that moment to treat myself and not be embarrassed to be in a hipster place, alone and rather disheveled-looking. I spent $40 on an amazing dinner and kept the other half for tomorrow. Look at you, being so adventurous!
 

I’ve realized also that Americans are very ethnocentric. We are so preoccupied with pop culture, making money, materialism and consumerism, beauty, and just being what we perceive is busy with our own lives that we do not stop and enjoy the moment the way the Europeans do. I noticed this on my central Europe trip in May as well.  They care more about friendship, family, and experiences – they are the opposite of Americans. They are very aware of the world: other cultures, politics, worldwide conflicts and affairs, everything. I was distinctly conscious tonight of how little I know of the rest of the world, and I consider myself a relatively well-informed person. All I can do is try to be better. To learn as much as I can and be the best person I can be.

I signed up for BBC news updates, too.

Day 7: London

Everything apparently opens very late in Europe. As in, 10 a.m. on a Monday.  I had wanted to check out the Shoreditch neighborhood and Brick Lane for shopping, so I headed over around 9. Most of the etsy-like shops were closed until 10, though, so I ended up getting breakfast at another Indian restaurant.  I noticed that even coffee shops don’t open until 7:30 or 8:00 a.m., and everyone is just always out late, even on weeknights!  Life is so different here…

After Brick Lane I had a bit of time to kill before my bus to Salisbury and Stonehenge.  I decided to walk through St. James’s park more thoroughly. It was still beautiful despite being slightly barren at this time of year. I could see Buckingham Palace through the trees, too.  I got a coffee and a cookie and strolled along the path looking at the birds. The park is full of many different types of birds, all within dangerously close pecking proximity.  I sat on a bench and watched a mother answer her toddler’s questions about the birds.  Hearing British children talk is so entertaining.  They sound like very polite, proper adults with little children’s voices. It was endlessly amusing to me.

By the time I had to start walking toward the coach station, I noticed a crowd had gathered down the street. Since I was trying to be more adventurous, I approached the crowd, of course.  As luck would have it, I stumbled upon the Changing of the Guard ceremony just outside the palace! It was like a very prim and proper parade.  Yes! The best things happen when you least expect them!

Then it was time for Stonehenge! The Victoria coach station was a dumpy little bus depot, but that didn’t matter as I was soon aboard a coach bus for the 2-hour drive to Salisbury, where the stones are located out in the English countryside.  Our lovely bus driver gave us a little tour as he went along, pointing out the homes of famous people like Kate Middleton’s family, Alfred Hitchcock’s condo, and the place Freddie Mercury lived and died.  We drove through Victoria, which was yet another avenue of shops with things in the windows that you can’t afford if you need to ask how much they cost. As we drove out into the rolling hills of the countryside, more cottages started to appear. "Thatched cottages,” as our driver called them -- how positively British!




I knew two things about Stonehenge going in:
1. It is very old.
2. Nobody knows why it was built.

just some rocks or something
 

 Here is what I learned about Stonehenge while I was there:
It was built between 3000 and 2500 BC.
It was a very advanced feat of engineering for the Neolithic people of the time.
It may have been used as a temple.  There were theories that it was used for human sacrifice, but these have since been disproven.
The entrance aligns with the sun; during the summer and winter solstices, the line from the sun cuts it perfectly in half.  This indicates that the people understood time, seasons, calendars, and sun cycles.
The ditch around it was dug 5000 years ago with picks made from antlers.
It may have been a cemetery at one point, since bodies were uncovered there.
The heel stone leans to one side, but nobody knows why it was placed there.
Each stone weighs around 3 tons (6000 pounds!!) and came from HUNDREDS of miles away!
It probably took hundreds of people to move the stones, and they must have had advanced transportation methods to move and lift the stones – pulleys, rollers, sledges, etc. -- but no evidence of these has been found!
This is the only monument of the time where the stones were smoothed and shaped into regular blocks.
Metal tools did not exist, so this was done with other, smaller stones.  On top of this, it took sophisticated engineering to carve the stones into a fitted joints, where the stones lock into place so they would not fall down.  Stonehenge is the only stone version of this; other monuments of the time with this locking design are all wood.
Burial items (mostly solid gold) were found under the hills nearby.
The back of the monument is less meticulously carved, indicating that it was less important to the people.
People camp out there to see the solstice!
“Aubrey holes” were dug around the monument around 500 years before the henge was built, but the reason for them is still unknown.
Many of the stones have fallen over the centuries; for safety, they are all reinforced now by concrete blocks.
Access to the inner circle of the stones is restricted because the ground would erode otherwise, destroying the monument.
Only half of it has been excavated!!



Stonehenge was definitely a highlight of the trip. I just love old things.  

old things


Then it was back to London, where our tour guide pointed out some more famous folks’ houses and told us that the Sainsbury’s grocery store has a singles night, where if you have a pineapple in your cart, you can look for love! I don’t know why but this had the entire bus in giggles. Goodness, I love it here.

Two things remained to check off the list:

Back to Harrod’s for some last minute gifts; and back to King’s Cross station to get a picture at Platform 9 ¾. I did both, stopping for a while in the Harry Potter store, which was nothing short of magical. Then I went back to the hostel, had my leftover Indian food, and had a drink with my roommate, who was from Germany.  It just amazes me how we can all differ so widely in lifestyle and culture, and yet we are all the same in our emotions and desires.

(and my utmost desire has been fulfilled)

Day 8: London

On my way to the airport, I stumbled (again with the stumbling) across an adorable little hole-in-the-wall coffee shop. I had my last espresso and croissant.  I love coffee shops in Europe: they’re full of armchairs and they make art in your lattes.  I will miss the bread products and coffee that Europe provides.

I accidentally took the Heathrow Express to the airport, forcing me to shell out $28 instead of taking the cheaper Underground (thanks, Google Maps), but in the spirit of adventure, I decided to embrace it.  It basically was a fancy purple train that whizzed me to the airport.

London has been one of my favorite cities. I love that the main roads are called the “High Streets.” I love that in the Underground the announcements are “mind the gap! Stay warm now!” I love that people stop and embrace and chat in the middle of the sidewalk.

I have loved talking to strangers. Above all else, I envision myself like a drop of rain on a window, collecting water and forging connections as I go along, growing larger and greater all the time, fanning out in all directions.  I want to learn and grow. Anyone can do anything. The world is your oyster.

I have loved being pushed out of my safety net.  For a thing that I so often fear, it wasn't so bad after all. It was sink or swim when I was on my own, so I swam as hard as I could.

Don’t be shocked if I start kissing you on the cheek!