London, 28th July 06:30pm @ the hotel

In general, when traveling, one wishes for a safe trip, no delays, no problems of any sort - just everything going smoothly. Normal, sane people call for good weather and no complications. If one writes a travelblog however, it makes the whole thing a bit different. If everything goes just fine, then what do I write about? Well, if there really are no big things going on it is inevitable to summon the God of Small Things.

One thing I might write about is that I traveled with British Airways, which was good - but also bad. As always, good things first: One of BA's main advantages is their crew. If SWISS do 'friendliness', then BA do cheerfulness and affability. When I boarded the plane I was greeted by two giggling Scotswomen, one of which was giving me a newspaper while the other one was giving me a somewhat queer look. They were called Nadia and Susie. The Head Purser, a middle-aged man with a bit of a belly, Jon, was slightly smelling of stale smoke, perfume and, oddly enough, alcohol. The last of the crew was Jamie (I would bet my rucksack that he was gay). They were all more than friendly and not "friendly cuz it is their job" but genuinely friendly.
The great downturn about British Airways of course is the food. What happened to BA?! You used to get cucumber sandwiches and tomato juice and what do you get now? CocaCola and an impertinently solid chocolate biscuit called 'ROCK' (clue's in the name!). I'm thinking about writing a letter of complaint... ;)

I checked in at my hotel and got quickly out again to go to Piccadilly Circus. There I took the obvious holiday snaps (Eros, billboard adverts, Underground sign) and went to Waterstone's. Now Waterstone's, that microcosm in the centre of London, is just a pretty amazing experience. Not only is it the biggest bookstore in Europe but it's also probably the only public place where you can see old men in armchairs snoring. By snoring I mean giving off sounds that are usually heard from a lawnmower or a chainsaw. That is what really made it worth it! I also went to SportsDirect on Oxford Street. A little help for people who have never been there: Imagine all the sports clothing and equipment in the world and put it all in one single shop. Thousands of items, 16 checkouts and 2 - in words TWO - changing rooms: That is the world of SportsDirect on The Ox!

Tomorrow I'm going to check out St Pancras to see how I get to Dover. I'll be writing again as soon as I get the time to (and as soon as I get an internet connection!).

Keep walking...

johnniewalker