An Escape From the Ordinary

The grey and dreary early winter has a way of wearing you down.  A couple of weeks ago, Mr. U looked at me and said, “How about Skyfall in London?”  Who was I to say no?

Our day started at 3AM Moscow time as our British Airways flight was scheduled to depart at 6:30 AM.  As there are no metros or trains running at that ridiculous hour, we ordered a car to pick us up and take us to the airport.  The ride was smooth and uneventful because it was the middle of the night and nobody in their right mind was on the road!  Thankfully, the airport КОФИИ МАНИА was open for business.  The Barista on shift took his job very seriously.  I’m glad he did because not only was it beautifully presented but it was also the most delicious latté I’ve had in months.  Mr. U had a double espresso.

Our day was looking like it was off to a great start.  Then the delay struck.  The delay always strikes.  Why does the delay always strike?!  Truthfully, it wasn’t really all that bad.  The 30 minute delay that was posted was actually only a 30 minute delay.  Due to a lack of air traffic, we were able to take off immediately and we were able to land without any delay.  We were at the gate at Heathrow terminal 5 within 10 minutes of touching down.  Our gate was really close to passport control and as we had no checked luggage, we popped down to the Tube and were in central London in no time flat.  Since we embarked on the Tube at the point of origin, we had no trouble finding a seat.  By the time we exited the train at Picadilly Circus it standing room only and we were so jammed in there that the car felt more like an overstuffed sausage bursting at the seams.  Most people were reading some form of daily news and it was refreshing to be able to read over their shoulders and actually understand what was going on in the world (despite it being rather rude).

The last time I was in London for a weekend was in early September 1997 and it was during Princess Diana’s funeral weekend.  Things sure are different here in 2012.  This time I’m staying at a (more than proper) hotel instead of a hostel, I can afford to eat at a restaurant of my choice and I am able to take advantage of the many wonderful offerings of this grand city.  I’m also traveling for pleasure and not for work.  I also have Mr. U as my travel buddy.

Today’s activities included a rather expensive visit to Truefitt & Hill for Mr. U (*ahem* Merry Christmas, Mr. U), a walk down Picadilly to Leicester Square, lunch at a steak house (we were craving red meat and a proper beer), a nap for Mr. U and a walk about the area for me and finally the 5PM show of Skyfall at the Leicester Square Odeon.  As an aside, the movie was worth every pence of the 22£ tickets (yes, 22£ EACH).

 

If you squint and try really hard, you'll see Buckingham Palace in the background.

 the evening's entertainment

Picadilly Circus

 

I can’t wait to explore some of the local pubs and tour more of the city.  Thankfully I have 2 fully charged camera batteries as well as 2 8GB memory cards.