The Thames Path

Putney Bridge from Thames Path

Check out this article from the Londonist from today about walking the Thames path.

Walk London: The Thames Path | Londonist.

The Thames Path is an incredible asset to have in England.  I really appreciate when cities make an effort to make the water fronts in the cities accessible for all people.  That’s the Daniel Burnham coming out of me I guess.   It’s not always the case, so to have 180 miles of the Thames pretty much wholly available to walk along from source to sea is outstanding.  tLast Saturday I did my best to walk a good portion of the path from Bishops Park in Fulham to just past Chelsea Bridge!   I finally gave up and got on the first Barclay’s Cycle Hire bike I found.  I continued to bike down the river, crossing over it at London Bridge and ending at my favorite pub, the Royal Oak with the BEST and friendliest bartenders in London.  It was a fantastic day to be walking and cycling in London.  Looking forward to many more days like that very very soon.

Lovely benches along the Thames in Chelsea

King’s Cross: Dog Bites Dog Via Cyclist, As Told Through Notes | Londonist

Fantastic little story taking place on the lamp posts of London.

King’s Cross: Dog Bites Dog Via Cyclist, As Told Through Notes | Londonist.

Merry Christmas

It’s Christmas afternoon here in London.  And I’m hungry.  The kitchen is closed at the hostel right now as the staff prepares a Christmas feast.   I’m surprised at how many people are orphaned in a hostel in London at Christmas.  There are a lot of Chinese people here too, which I will presume to mostly not be celebrating Christmas.  Any ways, the Christmas meal starts at 2.  I hear it’s all you can eat and drink. That’s the best Christmas gift you could ever give someone traveling on their own at Christmas.  It should be fun as everyone at the hostel has been friendly and in fine spirits the last two days.

My favorite part of my time in London has been the girl at the hostel who asked if the water from the tap was potable.  I told her I think it was alright as I was pretty sure there hadn’t been a Cholera outbreak since the end of the 19th century.  She seemed satisfied with that.  She was from Wisconsin.  I will hope that her opinions and views do not reflect that of the entirety of Wisconsin.

Ok that bit about the girl form Wisconsin wasn’t really my favorite bit in the last 48 hours.  There has been some really good times.  Like when I found 5 pounds on the floor at the Royal Oak.  Or going out for drinks with Louise at a sweet new pub I had not yet been to.  Or the midnight bike ride around Knightsbridge/Chelsea/Kensington.   Or my new drinking partners at Churchill who are really excited to meet my mom.  All those were really good.  Today I’m expecting nothing less in the way of fun.  That’s the wonderful thing about coming to London for me.  I never seem to have a bad time.  Everything always works out, I meet new people and have a fantastic time.

Tomorrow my mom gets into London.  Plans include going to Dover, Greenwich and to a couple top notch pubs.  Nothing is definite so we’ll have a lot of time to make plans on the fly.

Ok, I’m off for the day.  I’ll hope to get another update in before I go.  Either way, a very happy Christmas and happy new year to everyone!

My life at the precipice

My problem in life is living outside of London.  For some reason anything I do outside these borders, just doesn’t add up to what I do inside it all.  Tonight was so good hanging out with Tera and Ben at my favorite pub, Royal Oak.   I think Tera really liked it as she was snapping a lot of pictures.  Being at that pub with two of my favorite people in the world….well yeah….I loved it.  Nothing in my life seems to compare to  whate  I feel in London.  And that’s alright.  It’s not a bad thing.  It just fuels my desire to live here ever more.  And maybe I move back and it’s not all it was cracked up to be.  At least I lived out the dream I’ ve had.  That’s it.   We all need to be living out our dreams.  If we aren’t, what’s the point of it all?  Why settle for less?  That’s what it is for me.  Why settle for something you aren’t happy with in life?  I wouldn’t want to do anything else.  My tattoo doesn’t just represent my committment to live in the LDN.  It’s a committment to f0llow through with my dreams and goals.  And in the next year and a half I’ll be making true a goal I’ve had for the last 10+ years.  Pretty sweet.  I wonder at this point what is next?  What will I want to do next and where will I want to live?

I just want love and I’m going to do my best to keep on loving and getting love.  Peace everyone. 

Still awake?

Somehow I’m still functioning at 10:15 BST.  It’s been a long 36 hours!  So surprise (to a lot of you)!  I’m in London town for a few days.  Tera and I got in this afternoon after a wonderful journey from LAX (I hate that place).  Ben met us at the airport.  We promptly boarded the tube and went to a pub for pints and food at Green Park tube stop area.  Good stuff.  Gorillaz played when we got to our second pub.  It put me in the mood to see Gorillaz tomorrow night at the Roundhouse. Also spotted a Maybach on the street.  All in a days work in London town really.

I was supposed to meet up for some pub quiz tonight at Mucky Pup, but ended up getting way behind schedule then lost in North London.  Again, I thought I knew where I was headed but instead went the totally wrong direction.  I wasn’t fussed though as the trees and shrubs are in full spring bloom here and it was 70 degrees out.  I could feel the humidity too, which I’m not used to.

I just got back to my hostel, Palmers Lodge by Swiss Cottage station.  I probably put in a good 4 or 5 miles this evening including a nice stroll through Regents Park.  I might go hang out in Regents Park again tomorrow as I haven’t ever spent much time there.  It’s beautiful!  Maybe some Hampstead Heath too before I go meet up with Kenzo and Bam at the flat they are staying.  We’ll see what I feel like and what time I rise.   Zombie mode is close at hand for me now that I’ve stopped moving and going full speed.  I hope I fully recover for tomorrow.

I will let you all know how the concert is tomorrow.  I’m expecting nothing short of perfection.  Cheers everyone from London!  I’ll drink a brew for you all. 

Maddening!

Oh London, why must you drive me insane with the overwhelming urge to live inside your borders?  It makes no sense.

Plan For 2012 London Olympic Tower Is Unveiled – ArtsBeat Blog – NYTimes.com

What’s everyone think of this Tower to be built for the Olympics in London?  I think it’s a really nice nod to the Tatlin’s Tower from the Russsian Constructivist Movement. It’s forward thinking, eye catching and big.  Any huge public art like this is always controversial.  Even when I don’t necessarily like a piece of art, I still have to appreciate it for the thought and process which made it.  Someone somewhere obviously liked it.  Maybe even a couple people in order to have gotten it built.  I for one will be going up it and have a look around.

Plan For 2012 London Olympic Tower Is Unveiled – ArtsBeat Blog – NYTimes.com.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Digital cloud plan for city skies

 

BBC NEWS | Technology | Digital cloud plan for city skies.

 

via BBC NEWS | Technology | Digital cloud plan for city skies.

 

How about a could to walk around in the sky for the 2012 Olympics?  This seems pretty cool.  I know I’d venture a walk up the stairs to have an interesting view of the city.   Let’s see if they can raise the money now.

Move in date.

How’s your schedule look around August 2011?  I’m available.

Another plan

I have a variation of a previous plan to get to you.  Really I just need to woman up and decide on something.  If I can get this current plan approved, I’m going for it.  Time to do it.  No more pussy footing around kids.

Bee in Foxglove in Hyde Park