PulpLit.net

markets and museums

After our delightfully delayed-by-two-hours flight last night, dropping us into Genf at about 10:30, I am the sleepiest possible monster today. But alack, I suppose suffering through a weekend in London is enough to ward off any negativity whatsoever. It was a delightful time of it, I say, and hereby recall my favorite bits.

The beds in the hotel were, malheureusement, some lumpy ones. But the locale was too good to be believed. We were about six steps from the (oh so ghetto) King's Cross tube station which meant easiest possible access before and after and all events in between. We had a lovely day on Friday, went to Covent Garden and shopped around, met up with Steve's friend Danielle, and had an absolute DELIGHT of a vegetarian feast at Food For Thought, at 31 Neal Street, which I really cannot possibly recommend enough. If I get my act together, I am going to try and concoct a cabbage sesame coconut salad such as the one they made. Oh it was the yummiest thing.

Then we made our way across town to Union Chapel to go to the Show For Which We Had No Tickets. Was unfortunate, as Danielle did, in fact, have a ticket, but the other four of us (Steve, Christina, Angelica, and I) did not. We figured we could get them from wretched scalpers on the street, but alack, no. There were a number of people standing out there with little signs that read "Looking for 1 ticket" in a most desperate and sad way. We decided to cut our losses and wish Danielle well, but as we were walking back into the subway, some guy yelled out "TWO CATPOWER TICKETS COST PRICE" which we jumped on immediamente. Steve and Christina took those, and Angelica and I went bobbling back to Covent Garden, had some coffee and watched the world go by. Then Steve called to report that he had two more tickets, so we hopped in a cab and got to see all of Cat Power in the most magnificent venue you ever saw. Plus, she covered the White Stripes. How yum was that?

Saturday we spent traipsing around, shopping and meeting up with the beloved (though ever so sleepy) Lucykins on Portabello Road, chattering to local designers about how great their stuff was, and having the yummiest possible feasts at a little sit-down place on Portabello and a Morrocan place in Camden. We had a brief crash in the middle of the day; London is just so BIG, and it is so sticky and generally grimey, that it can be rather exhausting. Christina was watching tennis but joined back up at the end of the day. We caught Ren?e and Gabs as well, which was a good thing.

Sunday we went to Camden markets, which the main part of was a bit yicky and Hampton beachy, but the other bits were just lovely, quite Porter-Square-esque and charming. I think next time we go, I would like to stay in that area. Not swanked out like Notting Hill, but similarly cute in a more university-esque kind of way. In the afternoon we made our way to the Tate Modern (which had a display of those wretched fluorescent lights) which I rather liked the look of. Then we were off!

Steve left this morning for a last-possible-minute trip to Ghana of all places, all of which was organized between 11 am on Friday and when we left for London at 12:30. Visas, yellow fever certificates, and so on. Can you imagine? My impressedness only grew. Plus he maintained a good happy frame of mind.

Soon to come on this blog o'mine will be a discussion of a recent purchase, that being a 1980 VW CamperVan. One cannot imagine the hilarity. At this point, however, I really need to actually do some work.