London, England
April 15-17See photos below
London went by in a flash. We were only in the city for two nights, but still tried to make the most of our time. The first night we stayed at Ashleys’ cousins in a rooftop flat with sweeping views of the city, including the Arsenal football stadium (COYG). We walked part of the city for a few hours, starting at Finsbury Park where we stumbled into a Tough Mudder event that was taking place. There was a certain part of the race where contestants had to army crawl in mud under a string of electric shocks. It was hilarious watching them grunt and scream expletives while the hanging tazers shocked their legs and butts - we stayed there for about 15 minutes hysterically laughing watching people momentarily suffer. Apparently locals were upset about the damage the event had on the environment/landscape in the park, but it was still nice to see people enjoying themselves in the park on a sunny day.
After walking the length of the park, we looked for a place to grab a pint. On the journey there, in the middle of a sidewalk, I gazed down and made direct eye contact with a small fox. It was truly a bizarre experience, and brought about uneasy thoughts of urban expansion and the impact humans have on the natural world. Seeing the lost creature in a place so different than where it belongs made me feel guilty about the life that we as a society lead as well as the state of the environment. After a few minutes of staring, however, we continued on in search of a thirst quencher. While we drank our IPAs, we enjoyed a game of cribbage in a classic pub, soaking up our time in the city. Later that night, we joined Ashleys’ cousin and her friends/bandmates to grab a drink and watch some live music at the edge of the park. The next morning we were surprised with a classic English breakfast, some tea, and then we were off to the next.
Our accommodation for the second night was with a close friend of my mom, Mitch, from her college days; just another example of being welcomed with open arms into someones home. After arriving and catching up with Mitch, we dropped our bags and walked to the store to grab sandwich materials for the park, which turned out to be a staple lunch for the next few weeks. After food prep, we walked to Regent’s Park and enjoyed our sandos on a bench while people watching and taking in the scenery. After strolling around for the better part of the day, we walked back to the flat and were treated to a nice Italian dinner at a favorite local spot that is known for their two liter Aperol Spritz(!) and fresh homestyle cooking. After a filling and delicious meal, we walked back to the flat for some much needed rest. The next day, we were off to Scotland.
