Days 2-3 were really were the exploration of London town began in earnest, as this time I had slept enough to actually take in a lot of what was going on. I have been reliably informed that I was asleep "in three breaths" on the first night, so it appears that after not sleeping for 2 days I may have needed some sleep. Who would have thought?
After a late breakfast on Monday we headed out to Camden Town market, which also had the Camden Town Lock. Locks are pretty neat and are basically away of enabling boats to sail uphill and downhill safely. This one is more of a museum piece than an actual commercial use lock but it was pretty nifty. Nonetheless. The market itself was full of those odd tiny specialty shops, and was housed in an old stable. In it I found two important things. The first was a bowler hat which I am now the happy owner of, a style of hat that is sadly not seen much these days (Thompson and Thomson from Tintin wore them). The second was salt and pepper chicken and noodles.
On our way back to the station we had a cup of hot apple and cinnamon, which tasted almost exactly like drinking jam.
From there we headed down to the British Science museum. We only had about 20 minutes there before it shut, but managed to check out an exhibit on regency period inventions (King George III era), which were from a time when ornateness still had a place in design rather than pure functionality (nobody would think of putting figurines on a microscope today, for example.)
Then we walked home and got merrily lost on the way.
Day 3 started early with a walking tour to watch the changing of the Buckingham Palace guard, which was both interesting and served as a reminder that I was well and truly not in Melbourne anymore, Toto.
We have nothing that compares to the changing of the guard in Melbourne, nothing steeped in 300 years of history, or indeed ever have to say to ourselves "Now I must get to work before the changing of the guard, or the street will be closed and I'll be late." Trying to get to work before the grandfinal parade doesn't come close, sorry.
Then we hopped on a double decker bus (!) and had a merry tour around London, seeing the disturbingly huge Hyde Park, and the hustle and bustle of Oxford St, which made me very glad I was in a bus and not wading through it Then we got off the bus and again got merrily lost before we tracked down a pub that Lexi was quite fond of and had cider and pub sandwiches for lunch. (Bloody Mary tomato sauce is amazing, as is mustard and ham)
The evening was a comedy of errors of sorts as Lexi went off to find some internet friends at a Starbucks at Kings Cross Station, while I went back to the hostel to do a bit of writing and then head out to meet her. Our plans were largely hampered by the fact that there isn't a Starbucks at King's Cross. So Lexi wandered around trying to find it before giving up and heading back to the Hostel. Meanwhile I left and went to King's Cross, wandered around trying to find Lexi, before giving up and heading back home as well. This may have gone better if either of us had remembered to charge our phones.
Off to dinner now, Angus Steak and Stilton pie for dinner, followed by syrup pastry pudding. It's a hard life.
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