t /twelve

I'm eating a big pickle right now, AIFG.

I read a whole lot of posts and then posted a big old response, yesterday, but as soon as I hit "post message," the obnoxious internet blocking program on the Internet Cafe computer realised it was a chat site, kept me from sending it, and blocked ALL OF BUFFISTAS.ORG.

I was annoyed.

I'm in a less crappy internet cafe now. It seems to be letting me read, so far. So, summary: living in sin is fun, but I would hesitate to deal with parent horror. Paris was very pretty, I want to return with a lover or very close friend - being with my brother was interesting, but the wrong vibe. I'm in London now, and I like it a lot. Very much my speed. Seeing a show in an hour. Any good things I should be sure to do while I'm here, or in Oxford, or in Edinburgh?

LOVE me some big pickles.

Sweet or dill?

I'm in London now, and I like it a lot.

My favorite city on the planet.

It depends on your taste, Gris, but take advantage of one of the amazing free museums. British Museum, or the Victoria & Albert, or one of the Tates.

In Oxford, I'd recommend Christ Church, and you might try seeing if some of the colleges are open for tours.

Already did British Museum (COOL) and the Tate Modern is Sunday. Mostly looking for things off the beaten path - we're doing big hop-on hop-off tour bus thing that gives us the major Tourist Sites. #

We saw evensong at Westminster Abbey today. Pretty!

My favorite city on the planet.

I don't know that I'll be here long enough to make such a decision, but I definitely am loving it. It's like New York, with a consistent underlying culture! And British accents! And royalty!

teachlondon.com is looking like a better and better post-NYC possibility.

Stuff that was fun for us in Edinburgh...

On Victoria Street in Old Town has within spitting distance of each other: Maison Bleue (restaurant) Bow Bar (excellent whiskey selection, cask ales, and atmosphere) and a cheese and honey shop.

In the city center, we liked the Guilford Arms for a drink (1-5 West Register Street); and we had a nice time, good beer, decent cheap food at the Kenilworth (152-154 Rose Street.)

For a tour of the lower levels of the city (which is, imo super cool), I think this is the one we went on: [link]

We also had fun at a North African (???) restaurant, Phenecia (55 West Nicolson Street). Went for tapas at La Tasca, 9 South Charlotte Street. A friend of ours rec's King's Walk (restaurant)

I'm sure you have your hotel booked, but we were quite pleasantly surprised with our stay at Royal British Hotel (20 Princes Street). A bit shabby, but large rooms, clean, and FANTASTIC location, right in the middle of the city. relatively reasonable as well.

There are some fun shops in the Grassmarket, which is right around the corner from the Bow Bar.

The Sir John Soame Museum is a weird little collection of stuff.

Edit: There's also the Dickens museum. But you need to like Dickens.

t SUPER PORNY PANTS SWELLS WITH PRIDE

Aw guys... ::sniff sniff:: I just don't know what to say...

er, and there's museums... and castles... and stuff... in Edinburgh. I haven't done too much there on the cultural scale. We're more wanderers than go-do-stuff-ers.