24 Mar 2002 13:30:16 GMT
Park International Hotel

I'm there.

It is 1 PM and I am waiting for my room (which they said will be ready by noon:-) Just had lunch at a very elegant Indian Restaurant, the Bombay Brassiere. Bombay Brassiere has a nice atmosphere, but the food is no better than the better Indian restaurants in Kansas.

The flights from KC to St. Louis and St. Louis to Gatwick were uneventful. I accidentally took the wrong train into the city from the airport. This one didn't have conductors selling tickets during the trip and I had to bull my way through the turnstile at the end. Fortunately I wasn't arrested, and received a free ride.

I was wise to get a few pounds before leaving Kansas City. The first 4 times I tried the ATMs, my debit card was declined. But the travel guides warned that phone lines make that happen "temporarily." My card just worked, so I feel much better. I was so focused on the ATM problem that I looked the wrong way and almost stepped in front of a car. It was a convertible and the passenger really chewed me out:-)

The clerk at the Park International Hotel just said my room is ready, so I will shower and change before leaving for the Lion King.

I really only went to the Lion King because it was about the only show with a Sunday matinee, but the Lion King was great! I loved the costumes and music. The people became wonderful animals, I loved them better than the cats in Cats. I sat in the first row on the edge of the pit & also watched the musicians. Close enough to read some of their music and hear the conductor when he sang along:-)

The Jack the Ripper walking tour on Sunday night was good, but it is much too popular. London Walks provided two guides, Molly & Donald. Donald is famous as a Riper expert and draws a huge crowd. I would have liked to try his group, but went with Molly because she had "only" 70 people. Donald had about 4 times that many.

I couldn't find any place for supper close to where the Jack the Ripper tour started so I walked over to and across the Tower Bridge instead. I took some good pictures of it and the Tower of London at night.

So my supper ended up being smoked herring and salt & vinegar crisps (potato chips) in my hotel room, washed down with two kinds of ginger beer: DG (light) Old Jamaica Ginger Beer was pretty good & sugar free. Idris; "Fiery" Ginger Beer, "Try it if you dare" was rather bland.

Then a shot of the Weller 101 I brought along for the convention and off to a well earned bed.

Copyright 2002-2024 by Keith Stokes my home page.