We’re on our way to York, after a rather eventful day yesterday. But first…
Speaker’s Corner. Remember my goal? To give a speech. Here I am giving Hannah a speech on proper Speaker’s Corner etiquette. She was not happy, but who cares? I met another goal. Afterwards we headed east, back toward the boat, but on the way decided to hop into Spitalfield’s Market.
We mostly spent Sunday walking around, taking buses, and relaxing.
Yesterday was THE BIG DAY! The royal baby was coming. Was I called to deliver the baby? Here’s the thing. Today, Monday, we had planned to go to York, and considering this was her first baby, the labour could have lasted more than a day. Because we made reservations, and paid a deposit, and all that other stuff, I told Kate I wouldn’t be able to make it. Sorry Kate and Will, but I knew you were in good hands. Failed Goal.
We did look for the muffin man, but didn't see him.
Yesterday was more of riding trains and buses. We paid a visit to the post office, which is a 20 minute walk, or a five minute bus ride. I just had way too much stuff in my bags, and had to mail some of it home. After I got to the post office I realized that I didn’t bring it all with me. The clerk casually asked if I had anything more to ship and he explained I could save quite a bit of money if I returned to the boat to get those things, and then back to the post office, then if I just shipped them off on a different day.
The thing is we walked in a huge circle, just to get back to the dock, where we were to catch the bus. There is a tube station right near the post office, and I figured we could just take that somewhere, but I learned it goes in the opposite direction of anything I wanted to see. We took a bus instead, heading to a particular tube station, but we missed it. We got off and found a different station, the marquee said our train was next, it arrived, we got on, and I soon learned it was the wrong train. We got off at the next station, got on the right train, and continued on our way.
This was kind of how our whole day went, but it wasn’t a wasted day, because I found this really cool, No Disco Dancing sign. At least that’s what I think it means, with that cool 70’s-style suit.
This morning, around 1:00 I woke up when someone started tapping on the window of the boat, then more and more tapping, faster and faster, as I slowly woke from my foggy sleep, and realized it was the promised rain, accompanied by the promised thunder and lightning. It suddenly went from a hard drizzle to a downpour and I had to quickly close all the windows. “All the windows” being six windows, but BUT those six windows are in different places and I had to hop over wires, and climb over a sleeping girl, and limbo under the web of the resident spider, who lives in the kitchen, so don’t be so quick to think I’m making too big a deal out of it.
We woke up around six, finished packing, and headed to The Kitchen, where we discovered that Andrew, the friendly waiter, is from York and he gave us some places to visit including Clifford’s Tower, site of the largest massacre in the UK, and Whitby, where the fictional Count Dracula landed once he arrived in the UK. Sound like my kind of places. Poor Hannah.
Now we are on the train to York, and Hannah has enlisted a brother and sister to play card games with her. They remind me of Jacob and Hannah because of the age difference. The little girl was reluctant when Hannah asked if she wanted to play Madlibs, but like most kids, didn’t take too long to warm up.
Once safely in York we started walking toward the house. I had the directions on my phone, but I had memorized the first few steps. Once we had completed those I looked at my phone and... THE DIRECTIONS WERE GONE!!! I had printed them, but before we left the boat I looked and couldn't find them. We stopped on the side of the road, I emptied the contents of my suitcase, and found them, but don't think I wasn't completely panicking.
We met our host, the roommate, and settled in. We are exhausted.
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