On The Road, Day Five - Catchup
May. 11th, 2012 08:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
f4f3So I did make the 6 o'clock flight (I only stayed up talking to Bill till about 12.30, so I had at least 3 hours of sleep). I got into Central London about 8, and then had a day of glorious synchronicity.
It started when the hotel actually had a room for me at 8 - and then upgraded it to an eighth floor room overlooking Hyde Park. I thought about having a nap, but there was too much London out there, so I had a bath instead, and headed off through Hyde Park to the Green Park. Walking the city is a big deal for me, and those few miles brought London back to me. As well as the park, I took in my old offices in Stratton Street, the hotel where I spent most of a year, and many, many pubs and restaurants I headed down through Green Park to do my old infinite loop walk around St James' Park, and bumped into the Queen. Well, not quite, but not far short. I'd forgotten that she was opening Parliament yesterday, and I joined the sparse crowds along Birdcage Walk, and caught the parade heading back. Lots to see - cantering Horse Guards, hundreds of Bear Skins, Queenie in her state coach and, later, the chilling sound of booted feet marching along behind her. There's something about the percussion of boot heel on concrete that dispels all pageantry, and reminds you that behind the screen there are always, always, the men with guns.
Around then I got a call from Keith, telling me that he couldn't make it for lunch. I strolled down through Whitehall, peeked along The Street of Shame (Downing Street) and then up to Trafalgar Square and lunch in the National Portrait Gallery. They have two restaurants, one on the ground floor and one up top, with views across the Square and back down to Parliament. I ate upstairs, at the bar, and had some good food and some better people watching.
While I was having lunch another friend got in touch, and I ended up travelling over to Old Street, to meet up with him and someone I'd never met before for some chat. That someone turned out to be an SF writer, and we swapped lots of names and even more tropes over coffee. It was one of those chats that leaves you feeling invigorated, so thank you Lloyd for the Random Tweet.
From there I went straight to Oxford Circus to meet Jen (note: when told to meet at the M&S in Oxford Circus, don't expect there to be an M&S in Oxford Circus). We had snacks, and cocktails, and lots and lots of chat, which was interrupted far too soon by her getting a bus home at 9.
I'll try and catch up on yesterday's adventures later today,but I don't want to spend too much time in my hotel when the skies are blue outside...
It started when the hotel actually had a room for me at 8 - and then upgraded it to an eighth floor room overlooking Hyde Park. I thought about having a nap, but there was too much London out there, so I had a bath instead, and headed off through Hyde Park to the Green Park. Walking the city is a big deal for me, and those few miles brought London back to me. As well as the park, I took in my old offices in Stratton Street, the hotel where I spent most of a year, and many, many pubs and restaurants I headed down through Green Park to do my old infinite loop walk around St James' Park, and bumped into the Queen. Well, not quite, but not far short. I'd forgotten that she was opening Parliament yesterday, and I joined the sparse crowds along Birdcage Walk, and caught the parade heading back. Lots to see - cantering Horse Guards, hundreds of Bear Skins, Queenie in her state coach and, later, the chilling sound of booted feet marching along behind her. There's something about the percussion of boot heel on concrete that dispels all pageantry, and reminds you that behind the screen there are always, always, the men with guns.
Around then I got a call from Keith, telling me that he couldn't make it for lunch. I strolled down through Whitehall, peeked along The Street of Shame (Downing Street) and then up to Trafalgar Square and lunch in the National Portrait Gallery. They have two restaurants, one on the ground floor and one up top, with views across the Square and back down to Parliament. I ate upstairs, at the bar, and had some good food and some better people watching.
While I was having lunch another friend got in touch, and I ended up travelling over to Old Street, to meet up with him and someone I'd never met before for some chat. That someone turned out to be an SF writer, and we swapped lots of names and even more tropes over coffee. It was one of those chats that leaves you feeling invigorated, so thank you Lloyd for the Random Tweet.
From there I went straight to Oxford Circus to meet Jen (note: when told to meet at the M&S in Oxford Circus, don't expect there to be an M&S in Oxford Circus). We had snacks, and cocktails, and lots and lots of chat, which was interrupted far too soon by her getting a bus home at 9.
I'll try and catch up on yesterday's adventures later today,but I don't want to spend too much time in my hotel when the skies are blue outside...
