The last port of call on our global tour… To be honest, we didn’t do much in the way of tourist sightseeing in London. Ana and I have both been here before on vacation, and had little motivation to reenact the Griswalds European Vacation by visiting The Bell (Big Ben) and Parliament. What we did do however, is hang out with some old friends who were gracious enough to put us up (and put up with us) for a few days. We met our friends Dave and Jenna some months back in Argentina, and it was great to be able to see them again. They had ended their extended travels a bit earlier than us… and as such we were able to get a bit of a preview of what “normal” life would be like back home for ourselves. Our two friends were in the thick of properly “domesticating” themselves… complete with a new flat, kitchenware, plates, furniture, and even a new home entertainment system. Jen had already started work, and explained to us the difficulties of getting her brain to think at business speed again. I think she might already be planning her next vacation! :o) Dave was in the process of interviewing for work and <gasp> even had to don a suit! Strange sighting indeed. It sounded as if he was trying to put off that start date for as long as possible… savoring his last vestiges of freedom while it lasted. Pretty hard to blame him. This scene left me with conflicting emotions pulling at my shirt sleeves: While I craved the sense of normalcy and stability that was home… I dreaded and feared the prospect of re-joining the workforce. Could I handle the pressures of project deadlines and large scale tasks? Would my mind be rusty from so much time off? Would I even remember how to work… or was I doomed to stare aimlessly, dreaming of my next getaway? Only time and (hopefully) some gainful employment will tell.
A couple of notes on London:
(Pics Here: http://picasaweb.google.com/richmosko/London)
- Roasts: Good Lord, why didn’t anybody tell me about these things? I mean, I’ve had them before… but they were nothing like this! Dave made a traditional Sunday pork roast for us the day that we arrived, and it was simply divine. So juicy… so succulent! With Yorkshire pudding: which is NOT a pudding but more like a little pastry cup to hold your gravy. Oh, and “crackle”… which is like the crack-cocaine part of the pig: the crisped broiled skin. Mmmmmm!
- The countryside: The English countryside is surprisingly beautiful. We did a little walk through the South Downs, which is a wetlands reserve just outside of Brighton near the coast… and it was really great: Rolling green hills and meadows, streams, migrating birds, and castles along the way with charming little town shires to stop for some tea or maybe an ale at the local pub.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment