European Adventure Part VIII - Days Three & Four

DAY THREE

It was the weekend in London! I had no actual plans over the next few days and was a little nervous about it. I like it when my time is a bit more organized. But, it’s a good thing I didn’t have plans because I was able to meet up with my friend who I try to visit when I’m in London. We met in Berlin when I was working an event for USGBC and started chatting during the cocktail hour. The next time I was in London, I was able to meet up with him, his lovely other half and some of his other friends. It’s kind of become a tradition that I’ve loved over the years.

ANOTHER LAZY MORNING & JESSICA IS LOST

I was supposed to meet up with my friend at 10:00am, and instead of getting up and running around, I decided to make it another lazy morning. It was about 55 degrees outside, and cloudy, but at least there was no rain! This would be good thing since I was going to spend nearly the whole day outside. I hung out in my flat and read, and then made my way to the London Bridge station. This is a station that I have not spent too much time in, and I wasn’t going to be on the Tube, but the Thameslink. For the life of me, I couldn’t find the right train and was wandering around the station. Which is not like me, I know where I’m going about 95% of the time, even in foreign countries, but when I get turned around, I seriously get turned around!

I finally made a decision and hopped on a train - it was the wrong one, but least it wasn’t too far from where I was supposed to be and it was easily fixed. It was so good to see my friend are nearly two years, and he showed me around his neighborhood as we walked to a nearby bakery to continue to catch up over some tea and delicious baked goods.

Top deck of the Cutty Sark

AHOY!

Next, we went to Greenwich to tour the Cutty Sark. I’d walked around the ship many times in the past, but had never been inside. This ship has such an interesting story. It’s British clipper (not be confused with the Thames Clipper, the ferry I was on the day before) that was launched in 1869. It was one of the fastest ships in its day, until steamships took over. It shipped cargo - mainly tea (almost as much as I brought home on this trip) - all around the world. I’ve toured a few masted ships and this one is definitely unique. In order to have as much space in the cargo hold as possible, the cabins for the crew were on the main deck. I have not seen that before. It was a wonderful little treat to walk through the ship.

YUMMY PIZZA

After the ship, we went on a long walk and then stopped for some pizza and drinks for dinner. I know that I’ve said in the past, but one of the things I love about being overseas, especially the UK and Europe is how meals are not rushed. You can sit in a place for hours enjoy food, drink, and friends, and there’s no expectation that you’re going to be rushed out the door as soon as you take your last bite.

After dinner, we caught up with my friend’s other half. They had just finished renovating their home, and there were so many sustainable and green elements that I was totally geeking out. I definitely miss the days of USGBC and talking about that kind of stuff for hours without being called a nerd.

Even though we’d only planned to catch up on Saturday, since I had Sunday free, we decided to hang out again the following day. It was a sublime day spent with wonderful friends.

DAY FOUR

It’s a gloomy, but still somehow lovely day spent wandering around London.

Cafe Tropea in Russell Park

BREAKFAST

Coal Drops Yard

I decided to get up early for breakfast this day and headed to Russell Square to enjoy an omelette and cuppa at Cafe Tropea. I’d been there during European Adventure Part VII in 2018 and loved it. The food was not how I remembered it and was actually kind of terrible, but the lovely view over Russell Square park made the trip worth it. I slowly enjoyed my breakfast, soaked in the morning, and journaled.

A NEW PART OF TOWN & A NICE LONG STROLL

Soon it was time to meet up once again with my friend. We went to Coal Drops Yard, a place that neither of us had been to. It’s a market/shopping area just a little North of St Pancras/Kings Cross. It reminded me of a more modern Camden Market almost. After exploring for a bit, we grabbed lunch at this delicious food stall that was serving ramen.

Once fortified with some lunch, we went on a long stroll along the canal to the Museum of the Home. The walk was delightful, even though the canal was a little crowded, there was something so peaceful about walking by the water. The weather was a little windy, but not unbearable. We talked past Word on the Water which is a bookshop in one of the canal boats. That place is so adorable!

Word on the Water

Views along the canal

The Museum of the Home was such an interesting place. I’d never even heard of it before. It’s a free museum that has exhibits on all aspects of the home. They had a fun exhibit showing a typical living room at Christmas time from the Victorian age through to now. How the rooms were typically organized, the decor, and more. There have been some really ugly times, let me tell you.

After touring the museum it was dinner time. My friend picked up dinner at this hole-in-the-wall West Indian place, and the food was so good. Why are these no frill places always the best? It almost made up for that Jamaican place being closed the day before. It was another fun meal with my friends catching up and enjoying each other’s company.

I felt so rewarded by being more flexible with my time and schedule. It was delightful to have someone else figure out the day and how to get from one place to another. It reinforced for me that sometimes a lack of structure is a good. It’s having the space to realize little gems like this that make these trips so valuable to me.

UP NEXT: Time to get to work. We’ll see how I handle working from London for two days.