Day 30: I forgot that 5 o’clock exists as a time in the day.
- Marlena Skrabak
- Jul 8, 2019
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 21, 2019
Getting up this morning was quite the feat. My body was yelling at me: "NOOO STOPPP, SLEEP MOREEEE!"
But I had plans and things to do.
The first check on my list was Abbey Road. I mean, if I am going to be in London, it is imperative that I make it to the nondescript crosswalk that is more famous than I will ever be.
Suffice it to say, eventually I completed my task at this location for a special someone. No more can be said on this subject.
I can say that I do not believe I have ever done anything as touristic as walking across those white stripes on the ground.
Next up was the Design Museum which we passed by the other day and wanted to return to as it looked quite interesting.
Free entry was all we needed to say yes.
It had me thinking about design through a broader lens as those who make what we use are always thinking about how we are going to use them and how they want us to be using them.
Designers, makers, users, the circle is never ending.
They explained the process of creating the type for brands such as Sainsbury’s which felt rather apropos as I bought an enormous amount of Cadbury chocolate from the store just the day before.
Unfortunately the Stanley Kubrick exposition was sold out for the day, and I could not see the details relating to Clockwork Orange and The Shining. Really all this means is that I need to return to London at some point. I mean, there has to be some stuff left over so that there is always a reason to come back.
After the museum, the lack of coffee in my system was becoming more and more apparent. So, we felt it was time to head to Camden Town to get our fish and chips, a necessary refueling, and some coffee for survival in this cold and dreary world.
The bus ride was long but comfortable as it almost succeeded in lulling me back to sleep. The outside was grey and a little chilly but inside this red double-decker it was warm and welcoming.
Seeing parts of London in the morning as opposed to the previous bus rides at night helped to illustrate my understanding of the city. Much was seen in a rather short amount of time, yet the city still feels confusing to me.
Arriving in Camden Town, we found the fish and chips place, called Hook, where I died and went to sauce heaven.
Anna and I decided to share the rather large filet of fresh panko covered fried fish along with wedge chips. Not being able to decide on a sauce, we got all six. With almost 100% certainty, I can say that this was the best decision I have made in a long time: tartar, chipotle mayo, garlic truffle, Tom Yum, chipotle ketchup, and creamy miso.
In addition, to balance the fried and the creamy spicy sauces, we ordered cucumber pickles and wakame which put us tumbling over the edge of ecstasy. My gosh each bite was something else.
It is safe to say that I would return to Hook in a heartbeat. Dare I say…I’m hooked…ba da tshhh…
Still needing some coffee so that I wouldn’t pass out, we headed to The Coffee Jar where the creamy flat white brought me back to life. The extra chocolate-y brownie was for later, but I knew I had to buy it too.
Taking a little walk around the area with my warm coffee fighting against the day’s chill, I was instantly transported to autumn in Prague. The black wood and steam emanating from the outdoor market paired with the cool grey day played with my senses. I was suddenly 12 and the Charles River should be on my right.
We were turned down from entering the rave store Cyberdog because of the drinks in our hands. In this case, our delicious coffee was more precious than the prospect of entering this outrageous store. Next time…
Traversing the streets for long enough, seeing an array of knockoff clothing brands and a rather underwhelming Urban Outfitters (we entered to see the branding in this area…), it was time to head back to get our bags.
This is where I confess that I completely forgot how time works. My brain said I needed to get to the train station at 4pm because I had a train leaving at 6:30pm which would mean that I would be an hour and a half early…WRONG. I forgot that 5pm was also a time that existed in the day which really means that I was a solid two and a half hours early.
Despite this fact, I was not complaining since it felt amazing to take a seat and just wait a bit. I needed to slow down and breathe. I also needed to eat that brownie from earlier.
Fact: Eurostar in London is 10 times more efficient than Eurostar in Paris. I got through all the security checks in no time at all which gave me enough time to grab a coffee so I would not knock out on this train ride that I was about to take alone.
As previously explained in a past post, Eurostar crapped out on me and I had to grab a different train home than Anna. The ride was pleasant and beautiful as the rolling hills were dotted with golden light from the fading sun as we sped towards night (literally as London is an hour behind Paris).
The first thing I did when I was back in the apartment was take a shower; my body needed to wipe off the soot from the past few days. I was reborn into a human once again.
Promising Anna I’d meet her at the train station as her train arrived later than mine, I made my way back after I had cleaned myself off.
The metro in the evening gets interesting. I saw a lady change in the metro station and then ask me if she could use my phone. And I saw an area full of commotion when getting off line 4 close to Gare du Nord. Lots of cars honking, lots of people yelling. I still am not sure what was going on.
Picking up Anna and heading back, I can safely say that I have never ever been that tired in my life. My body simply did not want to function anymore. I had was destroyed.
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