Welcome to London...

Ok.. so the funniest thing ever would have to be me trying to lug all my bags by myself around Heathrow and Paddington! WOW.. hysterical!

Thank goodness before I left, my friend Suzie popped over and suggested I bring a bungy cord with me to strap one large bag on top of the other. THANK YOU SUZIE!

So, let me backtrack a little first. After i sneak my two backpacks, my purse and my sleeping bag on board i casually take my seat and try to chat on the phone while the flight attendant is glaring at me with the most stern look. I politely get off the phone and the engines start and i of course immediately fall asleep.

Unbenounced to me, we are delayed 2hrs. I wake up as we are taking off in complete surprise and the guy next me says "Wow, you sure can sleep!" i agreed and fell back asleep.

Now, since we are delayed the 2 hours i have now missed my connection to Gatwick so they put me onto Heathrow, instead, which actually is closer to town than Gatwick, so that was a blessing in disguise. Anyway, i ended up doing customs through Dublin, which was great! So when i landed in Heathrow, all i had to do was pick up my bags which was great... until i remembered how many i had!

So, first thing first. I grab all my bags and stack my one rather large rolling backpack on my big suitcase. It puts up a really big fight with me then settles in when i bungy it down. then i balance my other backpack on my rolling duffle and throw my huge travel backpack on me and drag these bags down to the train station.. onto the train then through Paddington station to the cab line. All the while having to stop every 10-15 steps of so to re-grip, re-balance, retrieve a fallen item or just plain old rest! And I thought London would be the land of generosity.. NOPE! not ONE... can i help you.. or Are you OK... NADA! so i struggle to the front to the cab line when the cabbie finally gets out and helps me.

Then i jump in the cabbie and give him the directions to Notting Hill.. of course i was a little confused, because i thought his apt. building was the name of the street.. Thornbury court... .. nope, they just name their buildings.. :-)

anyway.. as we get out of the cab, i grab my back packs and he grabs the rest and i give him the 10 GBP for the ride which was 9.80 and he gives me the change.. and as i reach in my purse to pull out a 1 or 2 gbp to give him as a tip he starts going off on me for not tipping him - in the land of no tipping!! so i calmly told him that is what i was doing but i had to look at each coin b/c i didn't know what was what yet and i didn't want to only give him 20p or something... then he went off again. So, then i say Fine! then you won't get a tip!! WOW oh WOW!

so.. i again struggle to grab all my bags inside.. and just then, my friend Tom appears to help. So great! We pop inside his flat to be greeted by the lovely lady he is dating, Josie who promptly asked me if i wanted a cup of Tea! so funny... i of course said yes.. and sat down and told them my cabbie story and she was surprised because the black cab cabbie pride themselves on hospitality... and she thinks he was so rude because i was american.

Anywhooooooo.... after much needed shower, Tom, Josie and myself headed out for diner... FRENCH!

Then Tom and I headed off to a pub to catch up as Josie went on to meet some friends.

Welcome to London baby... Welcome to London...