Adrienne in...London?

British Food - maybe I'll pack a lunch...
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Well, after a careful debate over where to train it to during my stay in Paris, I picked the tried and true - London!

I purchased a round trip same day ticket (Paris Gare Nord - London Waterloo) for less than $140CAD.  I get to London at 8am, and leave at about 8pm on Wed Oct 3.  I will make the most of that 12 hours.

One thing I've always had difficulty with is crossing the street...

Eurostar leaving London...byeeee!
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There is a time difference of 1 hour, so I will need to pay attention to that when arriving at the train station(s).  I gain an hour going to London, I lose one coming back.

The only negative about the trip is having to do another currency changeover.  And the pound sterling is very, very strong.  When I went to Europe pre-euro, changing money every few days was normal...now it's just a big pain.  This trip will not be about making purchases, that's for sure.  And London is not well known for its cuisine...I am positive they do not sell crepes with nutella on them at roadside stands, anyway.

The London Eye
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The Eurostar train goes trough the Chunnel to get to London - 2.5 hours at speeds up to 300 km/hour. Once you get off in London's Waterloo station, there are many things within walking distance, such as the London Eye, Big Ben, and the parliament buildings.

In previous visits, I've done all the touristy-type things in London - from the London Tower to Buckingham Palace, from wax museums to the Sherlock Holmes museum.  No need to repeat any of that.

The Apollo Victoria Theatre
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One thing I've always had difficulty with is crossing the street.  As they drive on the left there, it's sometimes difficult to know where to look.  My strategy has always been to mingle into a large group of people who look like they know what they're doing, and follow them.  You may laugh at this, but many tourists die in London each year because they don't know how to cross the street properly!

My two favourite things to do in London is watch all of the businessmen scurry around in their tweed coats - always in grey, always wearing a bowler hat, and always carrying an umbrella - and go to the theatre.

WICKED!
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London is arguably the theatre capital of the world, with New York and Toronto filling out the top 3 theatre cities.  You can find almost any show you want in London, and order online very easily from a number of websites.

After a brief search, and battling with ticketmaster UK for the best seats, I have secured a very precious ticket to Wicked - only 24 pounds, but the seat is in the nosebleed section for sure!  It's playing at the Apollo Victoria theatre, and I've actually been here twice to see the Starlight Express (once in 1999, then again in 2000).  Wicked is a spin off from the Wizard of Oz - a classic story of how the two witches came to be good and bad.  This show has been extremely popular since its London opening in September 2006.

Address:

Apollo Victoria Theatre

17 Wilton Road

SW1V 1LL

Tube: Victoria Station

So, when I arrive in London, I may check out the London eye, try to catch the changing of the guard, head to the west end theatre district, see the show, have traditional fish and chips for dinner...and then tube it back to the Waterloo station for 8pm when I'll be whisked back to Paris - I'll be bhack in my parisian apartment by midnight.

This will be during week 4 of my stay in Paris - it will be very good to hear people speaking English again. Since London is one of my favourite cities in the world, this day will definitely be one of the highlights of my trip!

Cheerio, lads!