London at first

Here I sit in the 24 hour internet lounge at a hostel in Piccadilly. So far? Clean and friendly. The price can't be beat. They do need to take the "cheapest beer in London" advert off their website. I was reciting to them their "list of amenities", and the very nice young lady (they are all SO young these days. harumph) regretfully said they had to shut it down. "Too many drunks". What a surprise... However, the 24 hour internet lounge is still here, and here I sit. There was some weirdness with the account I started, but it mostly seems to have sorted itself out.

How is London? I'll tell you once jet lag wears off. Old. Full of things I can't visit yet. Tiny streets. Perfectly acceptable beer. I had dinner at "The King's Arms" actually "The Devonshire Arms" - presumably one of hundreds of so-named pubs. Well, it would be if it were really called "The King's Arms". Whatever. This one is a few yards down the street from the hostel. Except for the fact that my brain was reeling; at that point the time was 6 pm UK time (which would be 10 am US time) which represented 28 hours up. I expect sleep at this point would be a good thing; I had to get back up to be able to intersect with the tech desk in Sydney. Fortunately, that turned out not to be necessary.

I walked (lurched. very tired) down Regent street which at some point turned into Portland place. Regent street is full of clearly very expensive places to shop for stuff. Portland place, on the other hand, is stuffed with excellent locations that I probably can't visit, but that I am very glad are there. Like, the BBC office (probably one of many, but whatever). And the Associated Board of the Royal Academy of Music. And more. Lots of old houses and buildings. Whatever. I did a sort of back and forth meander. I wandered as far as King's Cross, where the British Library is located. Tomorrow, I'll be awake. "Tomorrow" I believe I will wander over to a ticket office to get a travel card, and then to the Victoria and Albert.

Tomorrow.