Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Give me Liberty!

So far this week has been a bit atypical for me in that it's involved shopping. Those of you who know me well know that shopping is not my favorite activity. But this past weekend my iPad seemed to be getting a bit wonky so I made an appointment at an Apple Genius Bar. The Apple Store is in Covent Garden, so off I went.

When I first visited London in the mid-80s Covent Garden was pretty run down. It was just beginning a sort of urban renewal. Now the neighborhood is chock-full of fancy, and pricey, shops. Both before and after my appointment I browsed the wares, but didn't buy much. 

My main and enjoyable activity yesterday was a massage at a place near my flat. 

Today, however, was a landmark. I did something I've not done on any previous trip to London. I rode the bus! I'm not sure why I avoided them in the past. The Tube seemed simple by comparison, I suppose. I guess I imagined I'd fumble the fare, or miss my stop. But it turns out that my trusty Oyster card and I did just fine. Oh, and it turns out it's only 90p per ride, no matter how far you go! And riding the bus allows you to see the sights n the way to your destination.

My destination was Liberty, the department store. I wanted to look at their fabrics. Some of the prints they offer have been in production for over 100 years. The store still has many of its original Arts & Crafts details like the paneling in the lift you see in the photo above. I didn't find what I wanted, but a saleswoman discretely referred me to Berwick Street in Soho. 

After a stop for lunch at Honest Burger (hamburgers are all the rage in London right now) I walked the few blocks to Berwick Street. I still didn't find the fabric I sought, but it was a fun outing.

Steps walked today: 4,591

Vocabulary word of the day: Lift. The British call elevators lifts. And if that didn't confuse Americans enough, they number the floors differently than we do. What we call the first floor, they call the ground floor. What we call the second floor, they call the first floor, and so on.

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