140.August 14

London Flight,

Happy Belated Birthday! I’ve woken on a plane, rested not half bad, nearly comfortable still after 8 hours of airborne oblivouty. We are flying over the British Isles, now somewhere above Glastonbury, birthplace of the King Arthur legend, legend has it. Seat 24C. I traded with a couple that wanted to sit together, and it turned out to be a very good choice, partially because the view was that of mostly clouds this morning. Twenty minutes until touchdown.

This morning, I’ll meet Malcolm, probably in Acton Town. He’s giving me his keys so that I can stay at ‘his’ tonight and perhaps tomorrow before I head off to Norway. I’m going to try to leave my luggage at the airport until Monday and just carry with me enough clothing to enjoy London peacefully light.

My neck is somewhat worse for wear, and I am a bit congested, which hopefully won’t kill me on the landing.

We had the worst turbulence at night I’ve ever experienced. I didn’t feel too sick, but was already getting a sinus headache, so it was worse.

KING’s HEAD PUBLIC HOUSE, Acton Town.

I used the Gatwick Express to make my way to Victoria Station, where I called Malcolm. His home number is dead, which wil make reaching my friends hard to manage. The District and Circle lines don’t go West from Victoria this weekend, but I took a cab, which I hailed just away from the taxi queue at Victoria (which had grown immense), to South Kensington, a lovely Victorian age station with wrought iron everywhere. The taxi cost 7 quid. I gave him 8 quid cause he was nice and because I was desperate and had never taken a cab before in London.

So at the King’s Head Pub, where I remember Malcolm, Sam, and I having a lovely conversation once on the way back from the Tube Stop, I had a pint of a cheap Fuller’s Ale. But though only 1.90 pounds, I almost couldn’t afford it, because she didn’t accept my 5 pound note, as it was too old, and I guess or she said, was too easily forged.

RED LION and PINEAPPLE, Acton Town

I’m still on my way to the Acton Tube Station, where I’ll go to London central to see a play tonight. Got to get tickets still, mind you.

But here, I have a Dragonslayer’s and must have left my pen on the table when I left.

I’m now going to finish those thoughts from the perspective of past midnight on Malcolm’s floor.

So the Dragonslayer’s was alright, a guest ale there, so I expected a bit more umphh from it.

My fish and chips, minty peas (I made the mushy peas minty myself with some mint sauce)and bitter make a good paring. Threesome?

At Acton Town tube station, I purchased a 2 day Tube pass, just for the weekend for 7 quid. I took the Piccadilly Line to Leicester Square. It looked like there were a few great shows there, Democracy perhaps was the biggest hit. I walked past the half price tickets, still undecided. I believe I just took to wandering, which eventually led me to the Savoy buildings Coal Hole pub for a pint of a bitter I don’t recall. Then Across the bank through Victoria embankment over the river to the National Theatre.

During the lost hours of the previous page, I meandered through the National Gallery, almost purchasing the complete collection on DC Rom for 65 pounds. But really that’s well over a hundred dollars, and I’m not even an artist. I called my mother from there, and put her mind at ease. It costs about a penny per second to call.

Then, as I stated, National Theatre, where I decided not to go to a show, because the things that weren’t playing today were more interesting than those that were, though “Funny Thing” would have been fun. They had “His Dark Materials” on sale, tickets for it, and the books. It has been staged as a play. I bought the script for a Xmas reading, maybe. I’m reading his books. I received one of them for my birthday. It is good so far, not great literature yet.

I sat on a bench to the east and watched people for a while. Fun people. All beautiful or strange.

Covent Garden, London

Looking for a bathroom or a pint or both. Couldn’t find any so I looked for dinner and tickets.

I saw some Indian Restaurants, so I started looking harder for plays, because it was nearing 19:00. There was a musical, Beautiful and Damned that was closing tonight. So that game me the encouragement to choose it. I was so glad to have binoculars, though I didn’t choose the cheapest seats. I did Upper Circle for 35 pounds, quite expensive, I think. But it was amazing dancing, music and costumes. Set in the Roaring 20’s of F. Scott Fitzgerald and all about Zelda and Scott’s Relationship. I’ll write more later Horrible songs, but beautiful everything else.

I took the Tube home from Piccadilly, and I’m sitting here on Malcolm’s floor writing. It is 00:30. Time to sleep. Perhaps a little more Pullman first. Goodnight.

2004