Man, today was busy. Saw quite a lot, met and talked to quite a few nice people.
To start off, I got ready to leave and left Anna a note (she had her flight at 19.30 or something and I didn't think I would see her anymore, so in the note I thanked her for the two meals and such).
On my way to the station I stopped at a news agent to get a bottle of water and some chewing gum (juicy fruit, very nice!).
I got on the Distric Line, got off at Bow Road and had to walk to Bow Church station to get to the DLR Line. Unlike most stations, I had to 'touch out' with my Oyster card, leave the station, walk quite a bit, 'touch in' at this other station and wait for the train.
Another funny thing about this DLR Line, is that it doesn't have a driver. It's quite strange and also seems a bit futuristic.
In Greenwich I started looking for the Royal Observatory, because Tom and Amanda had recommended it. I got somewhere and bought a ticket for it, but to be honest, I can't tell you for sure that I've seen it...? I went into the Flamsteed house, I believe it is called. Well, it's the house where the first Royal Astronomer lived and worked. Loads of clocks.
Also I went into the Maritime something and the Astronomy something. Both quite interesting.
After that I headed back into Greenwich and visited the market. There I stopped a little corner of the market, which I believe was called 'Artist's corner'. I saw some work that I really liked, by Mark Lupo. I also had a little talk with the master himself and he explained a bit about one particular piece that I liked. Unfortunately, I can't find it on the website, so I'm unable to show you.
Also, there was this stall where a man sold apple cidre and I intended on buying some for Helen. Very unfortunately for my big sis', you can't drink or buy alcohol here unless you're 18+. I did have a talk with guy and he was very nice. To be honest, he looked quite young, but he is 30.
He did say that if I came back when it was legal to buy alcohol he would give me as much as I wanted.
I left Greenwich (which is by the way pronounced as "grenitsh", nobody will understand you if you just say it the way it's written) and took off to Camden Town.
I don't know exactly what I had expected, but it was really quite amazing! Camden Market is soooo huge! Everywhere there were market stalls selling nice things or food or whatever. And around every corner, there's just a whole new part of the market that you haven't been to before! I just loved the buzz the place had.
When I just came out of the subway station, I saw this boy, who looked really a lot like Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley). So for a moment I was really in doubt whether it was him or not. I thought he looked a bit too young, but still. So kept lingering, so I could eavesdrop a little to hear what his accent was like. It turned out it wasn't Rupe at all, as this boy was a foreigner!
At this stall I had been standing at, I saw a little something that I thought would be nice for my lil' sis', Martine. Well, it was 8 pounds, and since I already had something else as well, I didn't want to buy it.
But these tradesmen are really persistant when it comes to selling their stuff! They just keep lowering and lowering the price until at a certain point (which is a pound more than what you were actually willing to pay) and say 'this is the best I can do for you'. Well, I decided I don't mind that! It's more wallet-friendly.
After getting this for Martine, I walked around for a bit and spotted a really nice dress. One with little owls on it. I actually only wanted to pay ten pounds, but at the first stall where I saw it and asked about the price, it was fifteen and the man didn't sound like he wanted to lower the price at all.
Thankfully, there was another stall. To my surprise, there the dress was originally twenty pounds! Well, that was way over budget, but the man asked me what I wanted to pay and I said twelve (I figured I'd be able to miss those extra two pounds). Well, at first he started giving me offers of 18, 17, 16 and 15. But eventually he gave way and offered me the dress for 13 pounds, which was 'the best I can do for you'. Alright, alright, alright! So I bought it.
Then I walked and walked and walked and had to look at so many things at once! And also the scents of all those different kinds of food were really nice. It really got me hungry.
I decided to get a margeritha pizza slice (the man put one pineapples especially for me and warmed it up with pineapples on it, that was really nice!) which was quite good.
After some more strolling around and having no idea where I was, I bumped into this little shop that sold films (and films only). You had to get upstairs for the shop, so that's what I did. There I was greeted by this man and his little, lovely dog.
The man was very friendly and also very passionate about the films he sold, which were mainly less known by the bigger crowd and also older than the films that are sold by HMV and such shops. Well, because this man was so friendly and passionate, I felt I couldn't leave without buying anything, so I stayed as long as I needed to find a film that I thought I might like.
I can't recall the name and I'm too lazy to get up, but I think it might have a little bit of the same atmosphere as Little Miss Sunshine.
Then I decided it was about time go back to the underground, as I had said to Charissa I'd be at The Zetter (where she has her work experience) at five. I don't know how I managed, to find my way back, but I did!
At Farringdon station, I really was confused about where I had to go to find the hotel. I asked a couple of people and they sent me into vague directions, so I walked up and down the road for quite a while. Eventually I decided to go one way, even though I still wasn't sure.
Luckily, a man on a bicycle came past (you know, such a bicycle on which people can be toured around), so I asked him if he knew where it was. He didn't, but he was friendly enough to offer to look it up on his phone for me. So he did and told me which I direction I needed to walk in.
I thanked him and started walking again. After about a max. of 200 metres, I'd reached the hotel. Yes, I know, that's quite pathetic. Especially 'cause it turned out I'd been able to see the hotel from where I was standing when I was talking with the cycle-man :')
At the hotel, Charissa showed me around for a bit and after that I got to sit at the bar (Charissa had to wait tables) and I was offered a non-alcoholic cocktail. Who'd say no to that?
So this guy, Steve I think he's called, whipped up a cocktail by experimenting and it was really good.
Later, Chris, another bartender/cocktail-master came along and thought that he could do better, so he made me a 'Better-than-Steve's-cocktail'-cocktail. Also very nice! (and both for free ^^)
Eventually I went back (with Charissa, who was told she could go home an hour early) to the station. We wanted to do something, but we didn't really know what as it was Sunday-evening, so we decided to part and each head home.
And now I'm here. Oh and as to where 'here' is: I've moved from the 'green room' to the 'purple room', which has an ensuite bathroom! I couldn't stay in this room last week, because they wanted Anna to stay in it.
Pfoeh, quite a long, but very fun(!) day! (:
I'll keep you posted,
Ghehehehe Steve...:)
BeantwoordenVerwijderen