Running on Empty

On Sunday morning we made our way on the Underground to our West End hotel.  They were not quite prepared for our arrival so we stowed our luggage walked down the block to The British Museum.   

Of all the times we’ve been to London we haven’t seen too many museums.  Luckily The British Museum was four blocks away.  Along the way we stopped for coffee at Pret a Manger that was only two doors down - now that’s London to me. 

 We saw the Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles.  There were many other exhibits I wanted to see, or at least read about, but Matt was running on less than fumes and wandering aimlessly around the museum.  So we had to go back to our hotel.  

Thankfully our room was ready.  When we walked into our room we could hear water above us.  No big deal, someone is taking a shower upstairs.  After my shower it was still going on.  Man, that person must be dirty.  Matt was in full pass-out mode by the time I was freshened up.  He asked for me to wake him up in two hours so he could still go to sleep tonight.  

  

I knew if I sat down next to him we would not see the light of day until tomorrow (it was only 1:00 PM).  It is Sunday and many places close by 5:00, so I wanted to make the best of what was left of the day.  We’ve never stayed in West End before, and I had no bearings about anything.  I grabbed my trusty map and book to start walking.  

Temple Bar Memorial @ entrance to City of Westminster

I stuck to the main streets and kept track of when I turned so I could find my way back home.  Well my strategy didn’t work out so great because the street names in London seem to change on a whim.  That does not really help a girl in a city that is not on a grid.  I stopped into a Pret a Manger to ask the girl if she could give me a clue about our location on the map.  I was shocked that she had NO clue.  I had the wherewithal to ask for the nearest Underground station.  That was helpful.

On the way I got a little nervous since several of the streets were minimally populated and some even had signs warning of thieves.  Great.  I hugged my bag a little tighter and walked just a bit faster.  I eventually made it back within the two hours to wake Matt up.  Let's call today's walk a primer for tomorrow's marathon.