Saying goodbye to London
Trip Start
May 24, 2005
1
25
Trip End
Ongoing
London,
United Kingdom
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Having delayed our departure due to inevitable prevarications, Tuesday saw us wake early to put the finishing touches to our packing. A rare bout of celestial turbulence having played havoc with Newton`s thus far flawless theory, our packs weighed at least ten kilos more than they had twelve hours previously. Some ruthless 6a.m. purging still left us with dead weights we could hardly hump down the stairs of the flat.
Example of items purged; purged and later rescued; included as essentials; added in last minute decision...
Purged: Spray-on Scab: 2 pairs surgical gloves; "Snore no more"; Swim-ear
Purged and Rescued: Jellyfish repellent; poncho-which-later-turned-out-to-be-a-rucksack-cover
Essential: travel towels; ipod; imodium; trangia; washkit; tent; clothes
Added at last minute: star wars trilogy; 6 books each; books on c.d
'snore no more'...
.With a wistful look at the kitchen sink, we shut the door on number 6 and waddled keenly over to the bus stop, from whence the number 8 bus, lurching from side to side, carried us -and those fortunate commuters who managed to fight their way in - to Victoria via Bishopsgate, Threadneedle Street, Newgate, Holborn, New Oxford St, Berkely Square, Picadilly, and Green Park.
A wonderful, blustery morning, with the trees shaking off the night-time chill and managing to bid us a brisk adieu. From our seats we watched people begin emerging, bleary-eyed, from the cave-like undeground: An endless stream of train-crumpled jackets, tired, sol-tanned faces, and copies of the free Metro mag being thrown one after the other into black bins.
Fleeting images: Someone's legs, waiting under the half-opened shutters of a jewellers on Oxford St; a security guard yawning away last night`s football; thousands of bodies moving in pre-defined directions, housing wandering minds.
Ahead of us, twelve hours of national expressing to Dublin, eased by Star Wars and sandwiches.
