Day 2

I have no idea what time I got up in the morning. I think I was able to sleep in until 8am. I bathed in the bathtub, packed my backpack, and then came downstairs. Mrs. F had set the table and put out a variety of cereals out, milk in a pitcher and a silver teapot full of ....get this..tea. She keeps fabric napkins rolled up in ...get this...a napkin ring. I place the napkin on my lap and we discuss my first full day in London. I am kinda not looking forward to it, but I am because I am going to meet up with my friend Jen. I get on the train and arrive in Marylebone. It had been 2 years since I had been there.

 It was much smaller than I had remembered. Pretending I was confident I went into the tube and went to Charring Cross. I lost all confidence once I got off that train. I was looking for an O2 shop and couldn't find one. I walked around trying to find any phone store and ended up asking a police officer for help. Good to shop around a police station. He directed me to a vodaphone store. I walk in expecting to buy a sim card for my iPhone. Turns out I was supposed to do some special procedure with my phone and ended up buying a cheap phone. The cheap phones are not really that bad. If I was stuck with one forever it would be okay. I however REALLY missed having the Internet. I thought I would able to access maps from my phone...um....no maps on a cheap phone.

I decided that since it was not raining yet that I would eat my picnic lunch in Trafalgar Square. I first felt like it would be awkward to eat a lunch outside, but heck everyone was doing it. There was a festival going on that looked far more interesting, but again I was trying to save money but bringing my own. I watched people for about 30 minutes. I am wondering what people are doing they walk around. What careers they have, if they are tourists and there were about 4 sets of school children on a field trip. I am sure they were bored out of their skulls..... a 4yr old thinking...its freaking London big deal. I then decide to go up the steps to the National Gallery Museum.

This was not my absolute favorite Museum, but enjoyed the content. Many of the art pieces I had seen at other museums.  I then went to the Portrait Museum. I was a bit hungry and decided to get something to eat at the cafe. I first had to go buy a book before I went in. I mean I can't be seen eating alone without a book. My cellphone was totally useless so I couldn't even fake my anxiety. So, I get a book on the Kings and Queens of England. I bought a scone with cream,  a little tiny jar of jam and a latte. I sat down and looked at the pictures going back to some kings that I wanted to catch up on.
Good thing I got the book because the first set of pictures were paintings of the royal monarchy. I walked though the rest  and I recognized a lot of the portraits.

It was wet....

When I was finished with the Portrait Museum it was time for me to visit Buckingham Palace. Except, it was raining...and I didn't feel like walking to the mall in the rain. I don't give a crap if its London and that is the way it is...I had no umbrella and my rain parka was not cutting it. So I took the tube to Victoria Station. I walked in the rain to Buckingham Palace and looked at it. You know, it wasn't that interesting in the light. It was a huge grey building with impressive gates. I am sure it's fabulous on the inside, but why grey concrete ? It's a palace ! The House of Parliament is more impressive ! So I walked over to the statue of Victoria and asked some people from Germany to take my picture...I asked them in German. I can't remember my exact wording, but I am pretty sure I asked them to take a painting of me ...something along those lines. They were very nice and told them that I was going to Germany tomorrow.

I then called Jen and she told me to go to some train station and she would meet me there. I get to the train station and she isn't there. I am standing in cold rain and call her and she has no idea what direction I should be in. So, after 5 minutes of talking she has convinced me to meet her halfway to her hotel. She tells me its  a 10 minute walk . THIS IS WHAT I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT ENGLISH PEOPLE....when they say its a 10 minute walk...expect 20 minutes. So, I start walking in the rain to her hotel. I am passing shops and passing people that were intelligent enough to bring umbrellas. I walk and walk and then ask some decent looking man the location at the hotel. What does he say ....IT'S A TEN MINUTE WALK. Good to know however that the hotel is located on the side of the street. I see the hotel, call Jen and she meets me in the lobby. We go up to her room and I charge my phones and eat an apple or something and then wait for her friend Vez to arrive.

I had actually met Vez in LA many years ago. So, it was nice seeing her again. They are HUGE Sci Fi fans. They were there for a sci fi convention and I knew at least two of the shows they were talking about. Costumes I was clueless....even after seeing their Facebook photos I still had no idea who these characters are. We went for Indian food and then took at Taxi back to Marylebone and went home. Mrs. F was was watching the TV and I stood for a while and told her about my adventures. I went upstairs to pack and get ready for Germany. Back to my warm soft cozy bed...she must lined that bed with crack because I loved being in it !!