When it rains, it pours...
Especially in London.
E and I dropped off the kids Friday night at the MILs house and got up early Saturday morning to take the ferry from Calais to Dover. We opted for this route because both the Eurostar and plane fares were outrageously expensive. We got the ferry for 1/8 of what we would have paid for both of us to go by train or plane. Anyway, our plan was to leave our car in a safe place in London, meet my parents at the hotel they so kindly put us up in and then hang out with them the rest of the day before heading to the concert together that night.
Saturday was fine, splendid, great. We got into London around noon, went to the hotel (yours truly drove into the center of London on the other side of the road- it's not that hard) near Trafalgar sq., saw that there was parking right in front of the hotel but that it was definitely not free and that it wasn't even free on Sundays, so time to move the car. After we checked in, we headed across the Westminster bridge to a place we had scoped out upon coming into London, about a 15 min. walk from the hotel, and parking was free from 1 pm and all day Sunday. We parked around 12:30 pm and since we didn't have any change in pounds and didn't really think that we would get a ticket for the half an hour that remained before it was free for the rest of the weekend, we left the car with a peace of mind. Sidenote: Something ALWAYS happens to us when we go to another country like this- Our car gets broken into while we are in it and then the tires are slashed and we are left with nothing and stranded in Barcelona, or our car just gets stolen. Period. But, this time we were really careful, we were in a safe place and we felt good about our choice. So, we met my parents for lunch and then all headed back to the hotel. Another sidenote, Etienne and I were really appreciative of my parents' generosity with the hotel. We were saying to ourselves that as teachers we could probably never afford a hotel like that and that it was a very nice treat for us. So, instead of exploring London, we enjoyed our afternoon sans kids and E slept in a very comfortable bed while I talked with my mom. She wanted to grab a nap before the concert, so I went back to the room, knit a little bit and then decided to take a walk, by myself, in the center of one of the most fabulous (albeit expensive) cities in the world.
I had already been to London several times and I have a love/hate relationship with the city. I love it because it's inaccessible. Whereas we can still get by in Paris on two teachers' salaries, we could never fathom being able to afford London life. An apartment half the size of ours is 2500 dollars a month! But, there's a sort of envy there- an envy of the possibility of living in a place that's so out of reach. I also love that it reminds me so much of my own culture, so un Latin like. For having such a bad rep when it comes to food, there sure is a choice in London and on every corner you have something different and there is a real culture for eating out, similar to the US, whereas in France, there is less of a choice for 'quick' and cheap lunches or dinners. I also like the 'coffee to go' culture. Everyone has a coffee in their hands and it goes hand in hand (no pun intended) with this sort of US mindset of doing things on the go, whereas in France, you take your time for everything. What I hate about London is its lack of social diversity but maybe on the other hand, that's why I am so attracted to this city, because I know I don't belong there. Take baby strollers for example. You can tell a lot about someone because of their buggy. In the streets of Paris, you see them all, from the cheap, run down kind, to the expensive Quinny. Even in the 16th, one of the chicest quarters in Paris, you see all different types of strollers. In London, everything is so posh. Babies are driven in the top of the line Bugaboos and Quinnys and they all wear designer clothes, like their parents. As if the parents want to make the statement that they are rich enough to afford living in London, even with a kid. Finally, I hate that London is so expensive in general. The Tube is 6 dollars one way (in Paris, it's 1,50). It's almost like a forbidden city that if you are privileged enough to live there, well, the visitors should be privileged enough too, so it's not for everyone. Still, I left this time as I always do, wanting more from the city and wanting to return. So, these were my thoughts as I walked around the dreary, rainy London, secretly wondering what it would be like to own an art gallery or be a star and have an apartment there or coming from a wealthy British family in the House of the Lords and having a weekend apartment in the center of London. Then, I got back to reality, I probably would get used to that life like I have my own and then be envious of my own life now. I returned to the hotel a more humbled person, but it was heavenly to have that half an hour of solitude. I don't know the last time I walked around a big city by myself with no obligations, nowhere to go. In Paris, I am always "going" somewhere and rarely take the time to just walk.
We got ready for the concert, which was fabulous. It was the best of the three years we've been attending and was a perfect senior concert for my brother and sister, who will be graduating in June. Headed out to eat at Prezzo (fabulous restaurant and I had a little one too many glasses of white wine, sorry for those around me if I didn't make any sense!) and then said our goodbyes to my parents and brother and sister as they had to leave at 6 the next morning. It was short but sweet.
E and I enjoyed sleeping in the next morning and went all out during the breakfast buffet, which was divine. Then, we gathered our belongings and headed to the car. Our plan was to visit the Tate after we dropped off our stuff. We had gone twice before but never actually went in. The first time, my parents wanted to see Kensington palace. The second time Gab threw such a huge fit that we couldn't go in. But, as we were walking back to our car that time, it was being towed- so, actually, it was good that Gab threw his fit! Kidless this time, we were determined to get into the Tate. Only, fate had other plans. When we got to our car, it was gone! After much scrambling around, we found out that it was towed. Yep, they came 5 min. before the free parking started and originally put a clamp on it. When we didn't claim the car that night, they towed it the next day, for 500 dollars! Yep, in the end, we could have paid for our hotel or the Eurostar or a plane. I think we are going to stop going to foreign countries.
With the rain pouring outside and a chill in the air, I sat at Waterloo station while E went to get the car in a far off suburb. His journey took 3 hours, while I sipped a latte at Starbucks. Paradoxially, the 3 pound large latte was the best deal of our trip and for once, we found Starbucks to be reasonable. When E got back, we were both depressed and just wanted to get the hell out of dodge.
And, as all is well that ends well, the ferry ride home was absolutely atrocious and took a half an hour longer because of the weather- a half an hour longer for me to throw up because I was seasick the whole time.
The next time, it's gonna be the train, no matter what price we have to pay!
