Check, Check, Ummm...Next Time?

Dublin welcomed me back from London with some rain. I wonder why I expected anything different.

I don't know what else to say except that London was good, and I need to go back. But before I get carried away with all this longing, here's the usual Ingrina lists:

FRIDAY
1) Departure at 16:30, but got to the airport super super early, so just chilled out for a while
2) Arrived in London at about 18:00, but did not arrive at our hotel until about 20:00. But we successfully checked into our 4-star hotel. It was so nice, complete with an iMac and everything. So yes, I do admit I could have update over the weekend, but I did not care to.
3) Ate a super late dinner at around 21:30 (decided for a very very long time about where to eat, as nothing was open around us)
4) Sleep!

SATURDAY
1) Woke up at 7:30 to go for a run along the Thames. Nice nice, though I think my stomach was not happy with me...
2) Went towards Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guards ceremony, but without breakfast. =( I know, sad, right? We couldn't find anywhere to eat
3) Got tickets for the 14:30 'Billy Elliott' show.
4) Buckingham Palace = mass chaos
5) Lunch - hoarding a long-awaited panini and chocolate cake
6) Buckingham Palace again for better pictures
7) Strolling around St. James Park taking pictures of birds and flowers. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY
8) Billy Elliott!
9) Central London, which was dead, little did we know. And we walked around for a very long time starving... (why were we always starving?! Finding food is obviously not our forte)
10) Bumped into Josh, Jimmy and Danny at Ye Olde Chershire Cheese and they took us to Pizza Express. YUM.
11) Met up with the guys again at The George for a pint of ale - also fetched Jin some time.
12) Picadilly Circus = Times Square of London! Not sure if I was too impressed, though. I guess comparing it to the real Times Square really makes it sort of...bleh.

SUNDAY
1) Breakfast at our hotel. Yummy fruits. =)
2) Westminster during the day for pictures of the buildings, Big Ben, etc etc
3) Trafalgar Square, National Gallery
4) Airport


So there was my weekend. I really enjoyed it, despite not having seen a bunch of things. It was a good pace, albeit sometimes a bit too slow. All in all, it was a good weekend for taking in the atmosphere of London. Next time I go I'll do more, I think, but over a longer period of time.

Anyway, another Ingrina-blunder: I couldn't find my pajamas, so I slept in my jeans both nights. VERY uncomfortable, I'll tell you that much. Then this morning, I was awake early and just doing some thinking, and I realized that I DID pack my pajamas. I just didn't look hard enough. So as soon as I got the chance, I dug through my backpack and found my pajamas. Sad story, I know.

I am glad I lost a bit of sleep on Saturday morning to run along the Thames. There's something about water that just calms me and relaxes me. I've since made a goal to run along as many bodies of water as I can...provided that I don't have to run on sand. But who knows, if I get all fit and tough, maybe I just will! So I've got the Charles and the Thames. I'll try the Seine when I'm back there in April, and then maybe along some canal in Venice. =)

This weekend in London made me wonder more if I should have done the London program instead. I love the English accents, the British humour, and of course, the British writers.

BUT. I always like a bit of change here and there, and Dublin was that change. I get to learn about Irish literature, and experience a culture with which I am not as familiar. I've learned quite a bit, and I can't synthesize all my feelings into words just yet, but I have learned. I think that in itself makes the trip.

That still doesn't change the fact that I'm going back to that wonderful city. =)