London calling....

Yay! I've made it! I'm updating from London (Barnet, London, to be precise, in the Finchley Central neighborhood).
Friday was my last day at RSC. I'll miss it! They were all such good sports and so talented. I'm looking forward to getting back to my work at the Huntington, but walking down Mass. Ave in the morning doesn't compare to saying hello to the ducks along the Avon Canal!

I spent this past weekend saying goodbye to Stratford and visiting Birmingham on what was by far the worst day weather-wise since I arrived. I'm sure Birmingham is very nice on a sunny day but in hurricane-force winds, cold air, and a constant misty rain, it was actually kind of miserable. I did visit a really cool shopping centre to take in some British fashion (ugh I wanted to buy EVERYTHING. They have the cutest clothes here!) and I treked over to the museum, only to find it was closing. Another hour spent wandering in the rain was enough, thanks. It was back to Stratford, where amazingly it was no longer rainy and turned out to be a nice evening. I spent it in bed watching TV, trying to warm up again!!

Today I took a 4pm train out of Stratford, which was re-routed to London Paddington instead of London Marlyebone due to track work, which meant I had to switch trains. Snafu #1. Then I got into Paddington with my GINORMOUS suitcase and lugged up a ramp only to realize the Tube line I wanted was back in the opposite direction, so I doubled back, fighting crowds to get to a staircase that I lugged my bag up and stared in vain at the walls, searching for a way to buy a Tube travelcard. I finally asked someone who said I had to go to the gate, tell them I wanted to go through to buy a ticket (WTF, put some on the other side!) and then go back through and downstairs. Did that and back tracked to my platform, down some stairs, only to realize the line I wanted was closed. UGH! Back upstairs, back through the gate (to the bemused stare of the attendant- you couldn't miss me) and through a very bustling Paddington Station, following signs to the opposite side of the place where I could catch a District and Circle Line train. Went up an elevator, down some stairs (CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK...BANG...here's where the side handle of the suitcase snapped off...shit. Thank goodness it wasn't a more important handle, like the pull one or the one on top!), down two escalators, and onto the platform (FINALLY). Crowded on there with a million other suitcase-laden folks and got off at King's Cross-St. Pancreas station (OMG HARRY POTTER STATION) and had a go at my fourth transfer attempt of the day. Up some more stairs (oof, I packed WAY too much heavy stuff!), down a bunch more stairs (ugh, what's with all these damn stairs) and through a series of tunnels to finally find the Northern Line out to Finchley! AMEN. Thank goodness Christine was there to meet me and help drag me the last mile back to her place (really, like a mile. She's as far from the Tube as my house in Stratford was from RSC...I'm a WALKING MACHINE! WHOOO!)

Luckily, Christine will be working mostly evenings, so tomorrow morning/early afternoon we're going to South Bank area and possibly downtown for a bit of shopping. Yay!

More to come. Pictures of a very rainy Birmingham will be on Facebook soon.

Love,
Nat