At my gate in Osaka ready to board

Flight 3006 to Tokyo
Then Flight 58 to SFO
On JAL

Weirdly I leave at 5:20pm on 2/3 and arrive on the morning of 2/3.

Super extra long Monday

Safe travels David.

Safe travels David

Thanks! I’m at my gate in Tokyo. Only a ten hour flight coming home.

I left a small bag of souvenirs at security by mistake but I’m hoping Japanese efficiency can round it up.

Travel safely, David. It's just too late for me to suggest, since you've had owls and otters that next you should seek out octopi?

It's been fun catching up with everybody. I share the heart-clenchy dread at each day's news, which I'm studiously avoiding. My reaction reminds me of the Deep Impact movie, "NOW what?" And my opinion on a certain gentleman named after a melon is that he isn't elected, he isn't even a citizen, he's got no right nor business running his pudgy sticky fingers through our financial and other business. He has no plans to emigrate permanently, he's an undesirable immigrant and should be deported. To where? I can think of a few dot-sized uninhabited islands completely out of satellite phone range that would do very well.

As punishment for my uncharitable thoughts, I fell down my back stairs last week, landed on my tailbone, and have been hobbling and complaining and unhappy ever since. My advice? Don't do that.

Made it to London more or less successfully and I’m settled in after a good nights sleep.

Despite not actually drinking very much in the much-maligned (by me) but very nice United club, I still managed to leave my bag of chargers behind. Just a handful of chargers, and maybe a pen or two, nothing of value, but I quite like the bag that it was in so I’m hoping they’ll still have it on my return. I was able to borrow an adapter from the front desk at the hotel so all good on that front. (Also, the club was giving apology truffles from Vosges and premium drink upgrade coupons. So I’m guessing they must hear about it from people who are actually rather than fake upset.)

Got a few hours of sleep on the plane and headed into the city via two trains and an Uber boat water taxi that let me out right at the Globe and a block and a half from my hotel. It was sunny out and the boat ride was so nice that I wasn’t paying attention and missed my stop and had to get off and take it back the other way. Not sorry about it and I might do that again today if the sun comes out.

The hotel is down a couple of those little narrow alleys and surrounded by buildings on all sides but it’s clean and modern. Despite being on the top floor, the window in my room looked out on a building about 10 yards away and was quite cave-like. I asked very nicely if there might be something a little more open since I’m here for a full week. Once I clarified that my concern was more the light than the view (see above re alleys) the manager came back with a list of five rooms he had yet to assign since it was right before official check in time and walked me around to each one so I could pick. So now happily ensconced in a second floor room with windows on two sides and much more natural light.

By the time all this was settled, I wanted nothing more than to crash and take a nap, but I made myself get up and go out and wander around the neighborhood. I found the Borough Market which has apparently been an established food and vending market since the 1200s and was quite delightful and also entirely overwhelming given my jet-lagged state. So I ended up not actually getting any of the hundreds of marvelous food options. It’s closed today, but I may swing back over again later in the week.

I finally did stop and get dinner in a pub, taking advantage of it being Sunday night to get the traditional roast beef dinner with Yorkshire pudding. Reminded me of Sunday dinners at my Nana’s house growing up.

By that point my the world was kind of swimming - I was right by the wharf, but I am genuinely not sure if I was picking up on motion or if it was just pure exhaustion - and I felt like I’d been walking for hours, so back to the hotel where I read some more of Cymbeline and crashed out.

[Checks phone: 16000 steps. Yeah ok.]

Today I need to get some work done and then may venture out to Harrods and then some sightseeing. And a pedicure if I can track one down.

ETA: Cymbeline is shaping up to be quite delightful. Plots upon plots. And the *shade* people are throwing at one another. I’m expecting it to be flat-out hilarious in production.

It’s also quite brief. I’m midway through the second act and debating whether I want to read the third or let it unfold at the theater. I will probably finish it just to catch the dialogue though.

tldr: I’m here! Fed, rested, and looking forward to some sightseeing and theater. Also, go boat taxi, choose boat taxi.

Sounds fabulous, Brenda! Uber water taxi! Love that.

Buffistas around the world!

Brenda when was the say time you were in London? Sounds like you’re having a blast!