London Trip!

[furtech]

I just returned from a trip to London, England on Sunday. Ostensibly the reason for the trip was an invite by RBW, but I split the savings with kvogel and added a few days for shopping and seeing shows. We'd both already been to London (ages ago, but we'd seen the usual sights), so this trip would focus on books, West End Theatre and museums.



Flying has gotten SO much nicer with iPods, LCD screens and multiple channels of video and direct flights. The flight out was about nine and a half hours and the time passed quickly. I had thought London would be miserable and freezing, but the weather was surprisingly like Seattle's: drizzly and cool, but surprisingly warm (in the high fifties during the day and only into the high forties during the night). I didn't need an umbrella until the last day! Loved it!

This trip report will be separated into activities, instead of chronologically. This part is all about London highlights.



First of all London is *beautiful* at Christmas time! I'd never been there in the winter and they put decorations up everywhere! And not just plastic Santas, as seen in the above picture.

The hotel (The National Royal) was minimal, but cheap and close to a good Tube station (London's subway). The escalators in some of the stations reminded me of that scene from "An American Werewolf in London"! The subway system here is amazing: clean and the trains arrive every two minutes or so! Most trips only took about 10 minutes, from leaving the hotel to arriving at the destination station!

One way to kill the time in the two whole minutes between trains is to watch the rat olympics. At certain stations, these guys were all over the track beds. Is this a rat or a mouse? If a rat, then it's a tiny rat (those pipes are just over an inch in diameter). Steve embarrassed me by loudly exclaiming (in a happy, excited voice) about all the rats down there (you're a tourist in someone else's land! Be polite!).

I loved the atmosphere in London this time of year: very festive. One night we encountered a large group of carolers singing bawdy versions of the usual songs. I also liked being surprised by random dragons all over town!

Speaking of which, can someone identify what the different (obverse?) images are on the backs of the pound coin?

Here are more pics (for this part of the trip report).

Finally threw off my cold yesterday (my other souvenir)! Still waking up at 3am, but I get so much done at that hour that I'm not fighting it that much.

Comments

[graafen]

All the information you need regarding the pound coin designs is right here. :)

And there are some wonderful pictures there. Thanks for those! :D

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Cool! A couple of those we never even saw.

Thanks!

[fatkraken.livejournal.com]

glad you had fun and got back safely

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_coin_One_Pound for the pound coins. In general, the different symbols correspond to the countried of the UK; so Wales is represented by the /dragon, the Leek and the Menai suspension bridge (which is about 2 miles from my house). Apparently the tails' come in sets of 4, on for each country, so there are four "plant and crown", four heraldic animals, four bridges/landmarks....

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Neat-- I think my two favorite designs are the Welsh dragon and N.Ireland's Celtic Cross & Pimpernel. I think Wales has the coolest (dragon) and lamest (an onion with a crown?!?) coin backs of the different countries!

[mognetcentral.livejournal.com]

I love Christmastime in London... This is the first year in 5 that I haven't visited the UK in the winter. I must live vicariously through you! More photos, please!!

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Maybe I had your trips to the UK in the back of my head when I was over there: London was just beautiful! If one doesn't mind wet and cold, that's certainly the best time to visit. I'd guess that Jan/Feb would be the worst, as that would be winter wet with none of the holiday spirit!

[diadexxus.livejournal.com]

The middle Pound coin is from Wales :)

-J

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Figured you'd know that one!

[sakurae.livejournal.com]

Hi Lance, this is Annie - hope you don't mind me adding you on LJ ^^

God I wish I could go back to England. It's been years since I've been there and I miss it, right down to the sooty air. Great photos! ^^

[furtech.livejournal.com]

This is the first time I've been back in ages and as noted in a subsequent post, I was surprised at how comfortable I felt there. December is a wonderful time to visit (and the airfares and hotels are cheaper, as it's the "off-season", exchange rates notwithstanding).

[sakurae.livejournal.com]

I felt that way on my second trip there! I wasn't in time for Christmas but I was there for New Year's Eve and I love how Londoners know how to have a good time during the holiday events ^_^ I've also been in the Spring and that's lovely too with the fields full of flowers as you ride past on the BritRail lines. I'm just wary of the exchange rates as you've mentioned even if I can find a decently priced B&B. I'm actually debating if I can try for it in March since I haven't been there in about four or five years now :)

[waynekaa.livejournal.com]

EWWWW brit sars.

[furtech.livejournal.com]

I fought valiantly! Sharing a tiny room with a sickly boombox of a snorer knowing germs were being lobbed my way-- it was like St. Petersburg during WWII. At least I fought it off until the plane flight. Not sure if it's foreign or domestic germs, tho'.

[waynekaa.livejournal.com]

At least it wasn't brit scabies.

[iisaw.livejournal.com]

Carol and I went over for Christmas about three(?) years ago. It was charming and comfortable... even up in Scotland.

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Ooo, Scotland during Christmas! Oatcakes and haggis and single-malts to make you forget the oatcakes and haggis!

[iisaw.livejournal.com]

Hey, haggis is great!

[coyoty.livejournal.com]

I really want to go back now. It's been ten years.

[albrecht-fur.livejournal.com]

Glad you had a good time over here and got back safely, was very nice to talk to you at RBW :)

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Had a great time there-- con report to come!

[kyyanno.livejournal.com]

Thats twice now I've met you in one year, and I thought I would only ever see your work from afar :P Was good to see you again, glad you had a good time. See you at EF14 maybe?

[furtech.livejournal.com]

I have to say that EF and RBW were the most fun I've had at a con in years!