European Vacation - Jet Lag & The London Beat

 

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(Big gap between entries – deep in the heart of Italy, throwing my brain back to finish out the UK entries!!!!)

The London Beat… wraps up, NOW:

The night before I had set my alarm clock early – 7.30ish, assuming I would get a good night’s rest and go for a run in the nearby Regent’s Park. However, despite avoiding the red-eye flight, my internal clock was still on New York time, and I didn’t fall asleep until long after I went to bed.

Mind over matter! I knew I had gotten a good night’s sleep the night before and that if I could push through with my run and coffee, I could make it through the day. I suspected my mum was suffering from the lagging jet as well, but figured I’d focus on waking myself first. It was our only day in London to accomplish so many of the things that my friend had written out for us in his itinerary and there was no way that was going to happen if we slept until noon.

On went the running gear, and off I went. It was a foggy, drizzly London November morning – it was also a Monday morning, and the citizens of the city were up and about, on their way to school, work, what have you.

I love running in a new city/neighborhood – it’s a great way to explore and see unexpected sights. This run would be no different. I first ran along the duck pond before veering off and finding myself along a nearly deserted canal. It was spooky running along that fog-shrouded path and difficult to not conjure up thoughts of Jack the Ripper or envision some other serial killer haunting the canal banks. I did encounter a few friendly, chipper homeless men camped out under a bridge, which reminded me how rare a sight this is in European cities. A huge contrast to NYC and most American cities, big and small. I won’t get into the politics of homelessness in this post, as I’m no expert, but if we really want to solve this problem in the US it couldn’t hurt to see what’s being done overseas.

As I ran along the deserted canal, I eventually came across some simple, lengthy houseboats, reminiscent of those featured in the novel, The Golden Compass. Beautiful homes, anchored to the shore – an enviable way to live.

I was then forced back through the park and passed hundreds of “commuters” strolling to work, dogs walking their owners, and mothers & nannies pushing strollers. I completed my loop of the park and upon returned home where I found my jetlagged mother slowing getting herself ready. I could tell that 1) accomplishing much on our itinerary would be a stretch and 2) getting mom out of the AirBnB would be a chore!

We polished off two cups of coffee each, I bought us London Pass’s online, and I shoved mum out the door in the direction of the tube. Before going underground, we stopped off at a pharmacy to pick up some sleep aids for the evening – I didn’t want to risk trying to sleep through another night of jetlag.

Our first stop was St Paul’s Cathedral – the monstrous dome of which is visible throughout London and is considered by some the heart of the city. The structure is so large it took time just to find the entrance – and upon arrival I suddenly realized that I hadn’t activated the London Pass’s I just bought. With a grumble I had mom wait as I went to the nearest coffee shop to borrow their Wi-Fi to get online.

When I finally figured out how to download the proper application, I was prompted to enter an order number AND a confirmation number. The order number was clearly labeled as such on my receipt, but there was no reference anywhere to a confirmation number. Nor was there any reference to it on their site. Annoyed, I reactivated my cell phone service and called the London Pass’s customer service. Of course, the person reached had never heard of a “confirmation number” being required for activation. He put me on “hold for a few minutes to consult with a supervisor.” On a whim, I tried entering my email address into the confirmation number field – and sure enough it worked! (As someone who works in technology, especially with an eye towards user experience, crap design like this drives me insane! And London Pass is a huge part of the local tourist economy here – how have they not fixed this?!?!)

A half hour after arriving, we finally entered the church and were lucky enough to be taken on a free hour-long tour by one of the cathedral’s volunteer tour guides. The elderly gentleman enthusiastically showed us around the ground level of the cathedral and regaled us with ancient stories about the cathedral’s significance, how it was built, etc. The church was full of tour groups, including several for children, all decked out in their finest school uniforms. (I’m sure the kids resent having to wear them, but they sure look sharp!) Afterwards, we toured the tombs below, but mom refused to climb to the top of the dome.

Once complete, I introduced her to her first Wagamama – a unique, “fast food” sit-down Asian restaurant that is quite popular in the UK. We needed the food to provide us the fuel necessary for the remainder of the day (and I was hoping that by working in more sit-down breaks mum would have less physical pain by days end).

Back to the tube, zippity-boppity-boo, we were at Tower Hill, and spent the rest of the afternoon touring the elaborate Tower of London. We took a walking tour with a yeoman who shared a few nuggets of history, with a special focus on beheadings, torture, and the moats prior use as for sewage. We then explored the tower walls, castle buildings, and gandered at the Crown Jewels. I had forgotten how extensive the Tower is, and by the time we were done the sun had nearly set already.

I suspected I might be pushing my luck, but I really wanted to show mum the Tate Modern, just down the river - an old power plant that had been restored and reconfigured to serve as a massive modern art museum. Using the London Pass, we took a quick jaunt down the Thames to the museum and got in a half hour of contemporary art before closing.

We made our way across the Millennium Bridge towards the tube, first stopping at a historic pub to have a sit and a drink before heading home. After our drink we headed back to Baker Street, giving ourselves a moment to get changed, freshened up and relaxed for a moment. Per a recommendation from our AirBnB host we tried out Fischer’s, this fantastic Austrian restaurant a short walk from home. We had a fantastic meal and then returned home to turn in for the night.

Thanks to our sleeping aids, we turned in early that night and had a fantastic sleep. We were scheduled to leave London out of Kings Cross on a 11.45 train – plenty of time for a morning run and a tour of the miniscule The Sherlock Holmes Museum. London decided to see us out with a brisk rain, so I kept my run short and stuck to the same course as the prior day. We were first in line at the museum, and while it was fun being in an old Victorian era flat, the tour was so brief it was not the most rewarding of excursions. Still, we left with some cute gifts and souvenirs, so the trip was not a complete loss.

We then quickly returned to our flat, said farewell to our first short-term home, then I expertly guided two rolling suitcases through our final trip on the tube to Kings Cross where we boarded our train for our next destination, York!