London will rock you

My travel schedule right now is very bizarre. I don't have time to let things sink in, or to write about them, before I'm in another new city. I was in London for a couple days, then Granada, now Barcelona. London is special for a lot of reasons but I can't think of anything to say about it because my brain only has so much space and it's now full of things I want to say about Granada.

Here's a few things I do remember about London:

The first day I did nothing but lay about and buy shoes and eat (an almost proper English breakfast for lunch and curry for dinner)

The next day we went out to the airport to meet a friend who was coming in from Seattle. We started out on the train, doing great, never having to wait for connecting trains, but then when we got to Paddington Station all the trains out of there were cancelled because of a fatality on tracks. We ended up sharing a cab to the airport with three random people which was fun as it was my first time in one of the famous London black cabs. I'd heard the story about "the knowledge", how London cab drivers have to study for two years and pass a rigorous test to prove they know the city inside and out and know all the best routes, but I didn't know that they have specially made taxis as well. Apparently the black cab is made with an especially tight turning radius so they can pull U-turns anytime, anywhere.

The following day was filled with typical tourist behavior. We saw Downing Street, the Houses of Parliament, and Westminster Abby. We rode up the London Eye. We took tea at Fortnum and Mason. We saw a show. We ate fish and chips. The show was actually the highlight for me. It was We Will Rock You and it was so much fun I almost couldn't believe it. I kind of want to see it again when I'm back there later this week, but will probably see Mousetrap instead and/or something Shakespeare.

Of course, I had a few occasions to ride on the famed London Underground as well. That was less fun. The London Underground is really far underground, so far that your ears pop on the escalator going down to it. I don't like trains in general. I get motion sick on vehicles of any kind and it's particularly bad on trains. I think the fact that the London Underground is so deep makes it worse because it messes with my equilibrium. It's not so bad when the trains aren't very full but when they are it gets really hot and the ventilation is bad and I don't enjoy it. Having said that the London Underground is kind of amazing in scope and it, like most mass transit systems, is the best way to get around the city.

I'll be back in London on Tuesday...well really on Friday night because I'm only back late on Tuesday night and then leaving again on Wednesday for Dublin. In any event I'll be back there and hopefully be able to say more about it. In the mean time, Spain.