Mind the Gap

A very quick update. Day 1 has been both exciting and stressful. Neither of us slept much on the plane, so we were just completely exhausted when we landed. Navigated Heathrow successfully, bought our Oyster Cards (transportation passes) and successfully took the Tube from the airport to the stop closest to our flat. (Loved riding the Tube!!)

Things began to come undone a little when it became clear that finding our way from the Tower Hill station to the flat at St Katharine's Docks whilst lugging 50 lbs each of luggage was far from an enjoyable experience. The flat was in the process of being serviced, and we were both sorely in need of a shower and a nap.

The flat itself is adorable and quirky. I believe that the marina area was re-developed in the 1970s, so the interiors show their age somewhat, but they are still homey. The view is fantastic! There is an adorable little balcony that looks onto the pleasure boats in the marina, and Tower Bridge looms in the distance. The couch is saggy, and the bathroom could use a new coat of paint (British toilets are strange!). There are not enough electrical outlets-- none in the bathroom at all! The cupboards in the kitchen look fairly new. There are two twin beds in the bedroom, a wardrobe and a chest of drawers. The big disappointment is that there is no clothes dryer, just a washer. So we'll have to air dry clothes on the rack provided.

There is a grocery store directly across the street- couldn't be more convenient. The chain is called Waitrose, and it seems to be the English version of Trader Joe's. We did some quick shopping while we waited for the flat to be ready.

We were going to take a bus tour around the city this afternoon, but instead we decided that, for the sake of our sanity, naps were more important than touring today. Now we've rested, and we're going to go exploring a bit. Tonight at 7:30 we go on a Jack the Ripper Walk. We'll post photos tonight while we try to unwind a bit.

~Lizzie~