Now that I’m back in the United States, a few more observations from a week in London and the surrounding area:
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The British have a lot of words for restrooms:
- toilet
- water closet/WC
- loo
- ladies/gents
- lavatory
I saw them all.
It’s a lot of names for restrooms that aren’t all that great.
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Restaurants do not like to adjust menu items in any way. Often, they refuse. When they don’t, they agree to the change with a pained expression, almost akin to:
“Yes, I’ll remove the tomato and sauce from your burger, but it will cause the chef great discomfort.”
It’s annoying.
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The crosswalks are far less defined than in the US but are often equipped with a message on the road that warns to “Look left” or Look right” in the direction of oncoming traffic, which is helpful. The roads are, in many places, a winding patchwork that seems to have just happened, which makes sense given how old everything is, so these warnings to look before you leap are useful.
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Parking on the streets is done in either direction on either side of the road, meaning you can walk down a street and see a patchwork of cars facing toward and away from each other. It’s bizarre, but probably only because I’m accustomed to cars facing the same way on each side. I suspect that London drivers are some of the best in the world given the impossible patchwork of streets and their exceedingly narrow dimensions.
London cab drivers are extraordinary, both in skill and verbal skills. They are efficient, entertaining, and fun.
London cabs are fantastic.
We switched from Uber to Gett, the app for London cabs, and will never go back when in London.
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The grocery stores, as far as I can tell, are small, understocked, and disappointing. No wonder so many Europeans who visited the United States for the World Cup were astounded by the size and inventory of places like Costco, Target, and our grocery stores.
The British people suffer from cramped, ill-equipped stores that never seem to have what we need.
We visited many bookstores, too. The best of them were two bookshops in the Cotswolds and Waterstones in London.
These were some of the best bookshops I’ve ever visited.
The others were fine, but they all amounted to tiny shops with little elbow room and, oftentimes, no discernible system of organization. Some might call them quaint, full of personality, or unique, but I found them cramped, stifling, and deliberately confusing.
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The British refer to bacon as “streaky bacon,” which doesn’t make it sound appetizing.
“Mushy peas” is also a less-than-ideal name for a not-so-great food.
Lemonade is 7-UP or Sprite, so if you want lemonade in the American sense of the word, you can ask for:
- Cloudy lemonade
- Traditional lemonade
- Still lemonade
- Freshly squeezed lemonade
It’s quite confusing.
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The subway and train system is vast and impressive. Other than the occasional thief stealing my wallet, I found riding the tube and the train to the Cotswolds and the airport fantastic. Lots of small, clever systems are in place to make the rides seamless and simple.
I wish the United States had a train system like these.
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The lack of air conditioning strikes me as barbaric, but we spent a week in London when the temperatures were 70-80 degrees every day, and it didn’t rain once. Maybe I’d feel differently if I were not in the midst of this warm spell.
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Soda and water bottles in the UK have lids that remain affixed to the bottle to facilitate recycling. I thought it was annoying but adjusted in a day and found the system simple and brilliant.
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I didn’t witness the British reputation for being cold or standoffish at all. From hotel employees to London cab drivers to tour guides to restaurant servers, everyone struck me as kind, helpful, and warm.
I loved the people who I met while in London.
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When we arrived in London on the first night. we opened the door to discover a gift waiting for us in our room. One of my clients and (I like to think burgeoning friend) somehow managed to acquire my itinerary, locate our hotel, and have a gift awaiting us when we opened the door.
It’s perfect, too. A digital camera that prints out photos on the spot. A Polaroid of sorts but better, and perfect for a week in London.
The gift was lovely.
The gesture was unbelievable.
But the surprise was everything.
You never forget a great surprise.
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Elysha and I both watched “Notting Hill” on the plane ride home. After spending four days in Notting Hill, shopping on Portobello Street, visiting the famous blue door, and seeing the colorful homes of Lancaster Road, it was the perfect way to spend the flight home.
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The British love the word “journey.” They use it all the time.
It’s never a trip or a commute or travel.
It’s always a journey.
I like this quite a bit.
I’m going to start using it.
Elysha and I look forward to another journey to the UK soon. I will be here again in October on business, and maybe at the end of the year, too, so I may see and visit a few more things then, but a journey to see castles, the seaside, and more of London would be a fantastic way to spend another week or two abroad with my kids and my love.
