Long, rough trip, so far...

Jet lag wrecked me, for once, and I got a nasty cold. Screw-ups in materials being delivered added to the mess. But worst was dealing with a part of London I did not know and, frankly, never want to return to. Minimal transportation available; one Chinese restaurant available (and I'm no fan of Chinese), outside the hotel's restaurant; no convenience or grocery stores around; construction everywhere. It was like being in the desert.

It all messed with my head, so I've gotten zero writing done; I just didn't have the focus. I had to use all my emotional strength to maintain a balance and handle the first job.

I'm now ensconced over by Paddington Station and this is the London I know and love. The feel of a neighborhood and easy access to anywhere I want to go. I'm almost completely over my cold, and last night I had the best spaghetti bolognese ever. Today, I was Mr. Tourist and loved it.

The first image is from the top of Primrose Hill, a very nice part of London with a view of the whole city. You have to walk up to the top of the thing, but it's worth it.

From there, I caught the underground to visit the National Gallery, which is truly overwhelming. The last time I was there, I was 7 years-old on a school trip. We brought a packed lunch, were given a small bottle of milk, and I remember looking at a lot of Gainsborough. Lots more to see there, now.

Next is the London Eye, where if you don't order a ticket and set a time online, you pay a 50% markup to 42GBP. Passed on it. Already had a good view of the city. Maybe after the job is over and before I head out to Heathrow...but it's still pricey and I've been on it, before.

Big Ben is close by, recently refurbished, and proud of himself. Getting a photo of him without a dozen tourists between us was a feat.

Westminster Abbey does the online thing, also, but you can set up your ticket off a code they have, to scan right there, then I paid homage to Shakespeare, Milton, Darwin...

And Newton and Hawking, who were buried very close to each other.

Now comes dinner. I'd like a nice Irish stew, but no one seems to offer that, anymore, and I've already had my required Fish & Chips. We'll see what I can find. Maybe I'll have another order of that spaghetti...

Oh, and I'm finally working on the timeline for what happens with Brendan once he's back in Derry. I finally figured out the one I had carried no resemblance to reality.