Back from London, a week's vacation fun. First time I went, only one day of rain, two of warm weather and still cloudy.
structures and facilities: the hotel has several levels of scam, and it was housed in the basement the first night, not even with street view, but in a well of 4 floors. Following the express request a room change, but we got the 4th one right next to the elevators. One room still significantly better, so we grew accustomed to the hum of the machine. For cons the shower faucet with its temperature / pressure was not two in one drôle tous les jours, dur choix entre un mince filet d'eau à la bonne température ou de l'eau trop chaude à bonne pression...
The tube : pas évident de comprendre dès le début que le sens d'une ligne est indiquée par un point cardinal, par exemple "eastbound". Et le changement à Earl's court qui peut partir dans les 4 directions pour une ligne et deux supplémentaires pour une autre, nous donna dès le départ le plus dur des challenges à surmonter. Grave défaut de conception où on peut voir des efforts récents pour faire comme à Paris : les couloirs ne sont pas à sens unique et ça fout pas mal le bordel quand il faut se croiser.
De toutes ways to see the city, nothing like the double-decker bus. Not easy to understand their card system and stops without reporting significant other, hard to count if there is no voice or on a screen. But by dint we end up having the habit. Although when you know which bus he should take and how high up, you still have to search through all the streets off to find pleasing.
traffic: long straight lines turn red at the same time, the circulation is cut and there is room for cars coming from a perpendicular to join the queue, it's a simple way to manage, but that that is what se prend comme feux... Par contre le démarrage est rendu fluide par l'allumage des feux rouge et orange en même temps avant le vert. Tout le monde démarre et freine sec. Les passants se faufilent sous les klaxons.
Le premier après-midi fut assez tendu pour trouver l'hôtel et mon frère mais dans la soirée on put découvrir Oxford street (surtout des fringues, rien de bien intéressant pour moi), errer un peu dans Soho pour aboutir à Picadilly circus. Les sentiers battus quoi, comme pour le reste de la semaine. Le lendemain sous la pluie, on visita le parlement à Westminster avec Big Ben, et la grande roue appellée "The eye of London" de l'autre côté du pont où on ne trouva jamais the opportunity to climb. Then Tower Bridge and the Castle. Then other days, other places, other buildings, including major museums. A lot of walking. Photos to come ...
As emiboot noticed among many French, Pakistani, Chinese, residents and tourists, the Londoner is distinguished by the English port of the mini-skirt, whatever the season. But of all the people I stared at, only two I liked, so I would become more difficult I think, a little blonde from who knows where, I think French, and a little Asian girl, presumably resident.
Goodies: discworld map, map of Ankh-Morpork, Lancre tourist guide, a mug, and the last Oasis.
Trivia: The worst moment was not during one of many disputes that make me say that every time it's the last time I go on vacation with your family, but when my mother sympathized with a French resident in the bus explained how he had to take correspondence to arrive safely, and I was obliged to pretend to believe it when I knew full well he was wrong. Lost even walk the middle of nowhere in the rain was less frustrating.
