The Rest of the Trip - part II

So we woke up on the 23rd and the plan was for Kim, Denise and Tony to go see the Changing of the Guard. It was a rainy day but they headed out anyways since they didn’t want to waste the day. So they headed out and Meredith and I had a nice lazy morning and just drank tea and hung out for a while. Then I decided to get ready for the day then Kim, Denise and Tony came back and they were soaked. Turns out they didn’t even see the changing of the guard because it was rained out but they went on a walking tour and saw some other neat stuff instead. Then they got ready and we all went to Church. I think Meredith and I had more fun than they did but Church is definitely an experience. After Church we were going to go to Camden market but it was rainy so we took the tube down to Leicester Square then found a Chinese buffet and ate some delicious cheap food. Then we tried to go to Ronnie Scott’s but there was a relatively long queue so we decided to go back up to Camden and went to a few pubs. We went to Dublin Castle (where many bands got their start – especially Madness). We hung out there for a bit then we went to the Hawley Arms. The Hawley Arms just might be my favorite pub in London. It has a cool terrace, 2 floors and Dyson hand dryers. We hung out there for a while and just had a good time. Then after that we took the bus home and just took it easy for the rest of the night.

Monday morning I woke up and got ready for work and Kim and my mom met up at my work and they had a fun touristy day together. I worked then I met up with my mom and Kim at MTH after work then we headed to Royal Albert Hall. We met up with Meredith and the four of us went to see The Swell Season (which is the guy and girl from the film Once with a backing band). We got there and everyone was excited because it’s Royal Albert Hall and all of the history and the people that have played there (such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin just to name a few). We picked up the tickets then went in. Meredith and I got a drink but my mom and Kim didn’t so they went to their seats while we finished our drinks. Then we went up and an usher had to unlock the door to let us into our seats (they were box seats – I felt pretty posh). We got in and hung up our jackets and sat down. There was a cellist opening up, he was good but not something I would like to sit and listen to. Then soon after Glen Hansard came out and did a solo acoustic song that was great. Then the rest of the band came on and they preformed. I only knew a few songs but it was really a really great show. After we took the tube home and just took it easy for the rest of the night.

On Tuesday the 24th I worked a half day then met up with my mom and Kim. We headed to Selfridges and went to Yo! Sushi. Kim and my mom both enjoyed it since they both love sushi and I think everyone loves food on a conveyor belt. After sushi we got gelato then walked around Selfridges a bit then walked down Oxford Street and down Regent Street. We popped into Hamley’s and went on every floor and played with some toys and had fun. Then we walked down to Leicester Square and went to O’Neils again and got a drink to get off of our feet and warm up. Then after that Kim and I split with my mom and we went to get Meredith to go ice skating at the Somerset House (it’s the rink that’s shown at the beginning of Love Actually). We showed up at the Somerset House and there was a guy there selling some extra tickets he had so we each saved a few quid. We got a drink then checked our bags and got our skates and hit the ice. It was tricky getting on the ice since I hadn’t skated in many years but luckily none of us fell. We had a lot of fun and took a lot of pictures. Also we had a fun little dance party in the middle of the rink. After the hour of skating the three of us went to La Tasca for dinner. We did it up and had lots of food and wine and dessert. It was absolutely delicious and lots of fun. After we just went back to MTH and called it a day.

On Wednesday the 26th I had the day off and was Kim’s last day in London so we went all over. We started out and went to the Science Museum and played with the interactive stuff. Then we went next door to the Natural History Museum and saw the dinosaurs. After that we got a Christmas sandwich at Prêt (Kim loved it) then we went to the Saatchi Gallery. It was still the contemporary Chinese art exhibit and Kim thought it was really cool, as did I of course. Then after the Saatchi we tubed it up to Camden and hung out and shopped. I ended up getting a really cool pair of Van’s that I fell in love with. After that we dropped our stuff off at MTH then we went to O’Neill’s once again and got dinner there. Then we hung out a bit there then went to MTH and called it a night because Kim had an early flight the next morning.

On Thursday the 27th Kim and I were out the door by 5:45am. We took the bus to Paddington then I got Kim on the Heathrow express and I went back home and went to bed for a while. Then I got up and went to work. After work I went to her friend Jeri’s in Notting Hill for Thanksgiving Dinner. It was really nice, it was Jeri’s family, some family friends and my mom and I. There was lots of food, lots of wine and it was a lot of fun. Then after a lovely dinner I headed to MTH and dropped off my things and then went to the ISHbar to meet up with everyone. It was a fun night and a good way to end off the day.

The Swell Season MySpacehttp://www.myspace.com/theswellseason