More Comfort...

Mmmmm, meat pie...  gooooooood...

Why the meat pie didn't cross the Pond along with the Pilgrims I'll never know!! 

But, I think it's exactly what the American culture needs... more calories!!!

Home Sweet...

Home???

Moving day came and went - and continues to haunt us!!  Our possessions arrived, unscathed, from Seattle via the Panama Canal a week earlier and were delivered right on time.  Everything fit except our sofa - it was too long and couldn't fit through the front door.  We had to give it a charity.  I forget at which point of the day I broke down and began to sob... I'm not sure if I have yet to stop!!   In fact, I might continue to cry myself to sleep on a nightly basis.  JD keeps reminding me that this is an "adventure!"  I'm totally on board, however, I do miss this:  http://vicaso.com/14555

We moved into a one bedroon flat near St. Pual's Cathedral:

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It's a pretty central location and we figure it'll be a good place to call "home base" as we explore what London has to offer.  Mind you though, it's a small one bedroom flat that we pay £1560 a month for ($2520 USD).  Now, keep in mind, JD was paying a $2200 mortgage for a 4 bedroom, three bath, townhome with a garage!!!!  As my dearly departed Jewish ancestors used to say - OY!!

On a Random Walk...

A few things I saw...

One day I needed to get out and take a break from job searching.  I decided a quick jaunt around the River Thames would be a good idea.  The first tow pics are obviously Big Ben.  The next few are of St. Paul's Cathedral.  The rest are just random pictures of cool buildings.

Look Left...

Or get killed...

It's been a month and a half and I think we've finally mastered this whole looking left thing.  It was a bit of a transition:  the first few weeks we instinctively looked the wrong way - despite the helpful signage pictured above. 

Then we moved into the "Yeah, I looked the right way.  See, I know what I'm doing.  Oops, no I don't" phase.  Here you have a false sense of confidence that almost always gets you killed. 

Then there is the "wait and see what everyone else is doing" stage.  This seemed to help except when you need to cross the road and no one else is there to follow.

Then, my favorite... you focus so hard on which way to look that you forget exactly what you're supposed to be looking for so you inevitably walk when you shouldn't.  This stage makes you feel like an idiot more so than any other stage.

Finally, you realize that there really are no rules or fast laws here - people cross when they want whether there's a car coming or not.  Pedestrians don't care, cars don't care, buses don't care, it's a free for all and whoever gets across the street alive considers it a good day!!   

A Familiar Face...

Mickey!!!

Walking along the River Thames one day, I ran into an old friend.  I thought about asking him over for a pint or two, but, he already looked somewhat inebriated so I just took this picture...  It was nice to see a familiar face none the less!! 

The Queen's Flat...

Buckingham Palace...

I actually felt sort of weird being there.  I didn't know which was stranger:  1) A bunch of people taking pictures of a families house.  I mean, they're just people in a big house who really have no power or authority anymore; or, 2) I wondered what it would be like to have people outside your house ALL THE TIME taking pictures of it.  At some point you must feel like an animal trapped in your cage.  I don't know, it just seemed odd at the time.

Anyway, apparently the palace was originally known as Buckingham House.  The building which forms the palace was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703 on a site which had been in private ownership for at least 150 years. It was subsequently acquired by George III in 1761 as a private residence for Queen Charlotte, and known as "The Queen's House".  Buckingham Palace did not became the official royal palace of the British monarch until the accession of Queen Victoria (picutred above) in 1837.

Interesing thing happened today...

I was walking down a typical street in the center of London, minding my own business, thinking of things one thinks about when one strolls along with no particular destination in mind.  When all of a sudden, out from behind me comes running a small red fox.  It was so weird!  I know he (or she) was real and not some twisted figment of my imagination, as was my first thought, because others were obviously just as surprised as I was.  The poor little thing was hopping about, dashing and darting around, attempting to avoid car wheels and people.  The little guy (or girl) was so quick and nimble I didn't have the opportunity to take a picture.  Apparently, according to one source, there is a community of at least 10,000 red foxes within the city limits!!  Perhaps one will follow me home someday and I'll have that pet fox I've always wanted!!  Perhaps my higher calling in life brought me here, to London, to save the urban red fox!!  Anyone who wants to donate to my cause, make checks payable to Jason Katz - and please trust the money will be well spent!!!

Highgate Cemetery...

My favorite place so far...

Highgate Cemetary is an old Victorian cemetery that dates back to 1836ish.  It was the best day to go as it was raining and cold - very macabre!  I loved it although we were worried we'd catch our death!  It's one of those places you could just walk around for days.  Of course there are a lot of famous writers, poets, actors, and such buried there.  The most famous I'm sure is Karl Marx - whose memorial is pictured above.  They still bury people there today - although the volunteer said it was very hard to get a plot!!