Let’s meet in London
Today was not nearly as exciting as the day before, thankfully!
For once we had to set alarms and by eight we were eating pastries and by nine we were standing in line at Ryan Air. By 10am we were on our way to London and by 10am (one hour time difference and a 50 minute flight) we were on the ground at Stansted airport, outside London.
Because we were one of the first flights to arrive at Stansted, the airport was mostly empty and we navigated our way to the bus and by noon we were at the doorstep of the Turner‘s who we are visiting for a week in London.
Meanwhile Sue had been having the opposite flight experience on her trip from Barcelona to London. The lines were mammoth, the heat oppressive, and the Ryan Air insanity was frustrating. By the time she got to Stansted, the airport was packed and she nearly missed her bus. Somehow she managed to jump lines, run through airports, and find her way to the Turner’s as well.
Sue arrived around three and after setting her bags down and washing her face we all joined the turners in walking to Hamstead Heath. A ‘heath’ is what we in the US would call a park . The difference is in Britain a park is an opens space that is manicured while a heath is an open space meant to be natural. Natural with paths in it of course.
As the adults chatted, the kids climbed the trees, kicked the soccer balls, rode sticks as broom sticks, and generally had a fantastic time. From the heath we strolled to a lovely, large, and exceptionally slow pub for a delightful meal kids at one table and adults at another.
Around 730 we made our way back home. Around 9 o’clock everyone was asleep. Sue, being sleep deprived from a week in Barcelona, fell asleep almost immediately and didn’t wake up for more than 12 hours.
Welcome to comfortably cool London.
