I have had some people ask me for London suggestions in the last few weeks. I’ve also thrust some unsolicited advice at people. One friend from my old job said he went to my blog, but mainly it was me being homesick and he couldn’t glean any good travel tips. I told him if he wanted my experience, “Get on the number 19 bus, sit upstairs, and cry.”
It was a good joke, one I might try on stage TOMORROW NIGHT. I haven’t done stand up in ages, but am itching to be on stage solo sometime soon.
Anyway, here is my version of London.
1. Go Speeddating. Really. It gets you in a cool-ass venue and you meet 20-30 new people. Maybe you can see one of them again. Maybe not. You’ll have a good story or six.
2. Go to Camden Markets. The only place I returned to time and time again. I did all my Christmas shopping there and it is one of three places to get mexican in London. There is a fajita stand by the locks. It is the type of place I always wanted to fit in at, but never quite do. It speaks to my inner-punk that plays bass in a kick ass band.
3. Greenwich. Home of the, um, GREENWICH MEAN TIME. It is beautiful and in Zone Two of the London Underground system. You can even walk under the Thames river there. Pretty fucking cool. Lots of touristy shops and pubs. A great museum about time and you can stand in yesterday and tomorrow. Or something like that.
4. A Football Match. I was lucky enough to see Chelsea play, but there are a lot of teams in and around London. Get a ticket and go. Just know that a game is called a fixture. Otherwise, you’ll never find a source for tickets.
5. Go to Belfast. Okay, this isn’t in London, but I had my best time in Belfast. It helps to have a dear friend as a host, but it is a bite size city with the friendliest people around. Yeah, sometimes there are bombs–but worth the risk.
6. Get a day pass and ride the tube and buses all around Zone 1 and 2. Try and find the biggest gaps between the train and the platform and then mind it.
7. Go fake ice skating. It doesn’t get cold enough for an outdoor ice skating rink in London, but you can wear almost real skates and move around on a big sheet of plastic. If it is foggy or snowing, you can have a very romantic moment while you sort of ice skate.
How’s that for a start? There is more to London than misery.
Comments