from the Empire of Pret

[starlady]

I'm in London for the first of three mini-jaunts for various things from now until 28 August. unjapanologist and I have been having a good time so far! Yesterday afternoon after I got off the Tube from Heathrow we went to St. Paul's and saw the poppies at the Tower (I'm not sure if you've heard about this, world, but this year is the centennial of the start of WW1) and crossed the Millennium Bridge (me: "It's the bridge the Death Eaters wreck in HP6!" Her: "Let's go!"), observed the flocks of bankers in their natural habitat, i.e. out on the street outside anywhere labeled "pub," "bar," or "tavern" from 17:00, ate a late lunch in a graveyard, and found dinner in the City, which is more work than one might think. I've never spent so much time in the east part of central London before (and the last time I was in London proper it was 14 years ago), and it's quite different from the western part, i.e. full of banks and business-type places. There are a lot more healthful chain food places and a lot more bicyclists than when I was last here, for sure. And some of the healthful food chain places have FLAT WHITES.

Still the same: the tear-jerking dollars/pounds exchange rate, though it's apparently actually slightly improved relative to when I was here in August 2000. Well, that's a nice change.

Comments

[littlebutfierce]

omggggggg, insert rant about how Shoreditch is not really "east London" proper, I live in east London & Walthamstow, tho gentrifying (not in my bit so much tho!) is worlds away from that, ahahaha. XD Hackney is prolly roughly equivalent to Williamsburg in Brooklyn tho.

[starlady]

Sorry! I guess I should just say "the City"?

[littlebutfierce]

Ahhhh I was trying to edit my comment but you beat me to it by replying. XD I meant to say, you didn't say Shoreditch but that's my usual reaction when ppl talk about gross rich stuff in 'east London,' haha. Tho Shoreditch is more, idk, new media types?

I guess okay it is... east London in terms of... central London? I just have a reflex reaction lolol.

[starlady]

Further evidence that I am Not From Around Here. :D

[littlebutfierce]

Heh, & that's ok! (I mean, I'm expecting someone who's lived in London longer than me to come & correct me/chide me for my sort of vague knee-jerky classifications above, tbh -- heh -- I mean I know the City & Shoreditch are not the same ^^;;;)

Were the poppies impressive? I'm so wary of WWI commemoration, a lot of it here seems to be pretty nostalgically jingoistic, tho I bet artistically the poppies were striking at least!

[starlady]

Well, I think on the "nostalgic jingoism" scale, this one probably rates pretty low, since it's just a silent display and there are poppies for each of the Allied war dead. The actual exhibit(s) inside the Tower about it may rate differently.

It was impressive, and sobering even in the late afternoon, though my understanding is that there will be even more poppies added up until 11 November. Definitely worth strolling by if you're in the area, I'd say, though I like things that are time-limited in general.

[littlebutfierce]

Thanks -- I will keep it in mind if I'm nearby (tho I'm not usually, but if I am, I could see myself being possibly at a loss for things to do in the area, so that would be good!).

[kerrypolka]

bankers in their natural habitat, i.e. out on the street outside anywhere labeled "pub," "bar," or "tavern" from 17:00

Ha! From 12:05, more like - although many of them I'm sure take it in shifts...

[seekingferret]

I'm getting in this coming Wednesday!