Ffolkes,
And then I woke up…. in London, again. Today has been a series of revelations regarding aging and jet lag, as each time I left the B&B to go do something, I would get fatigued after a short while, and have to go back to lie down. I’ve had two naps today, one of 2 hours, and another hour plus later in the day.
I’ve just returned from the nearby pub, the Old Swan, where I had the most excellent bangers and mashed for dinner. However, I became very tired about half-way through the meal, and am now home, sitting again, but this time in front of the comp, to start today’s Pearl….
The wonders of technology are truly wondrous, as I spent some time this afternoon speaking, face to face, with milady Patricia, who is back in California, using Skype, computer to computer, to keep in touch. It’s truly amazing to be able to talk to someone, and see them, from half-way around the world, with almost no delay at all, just the buffering pauses by the computer’s processing chips. This is something that no other culture in history has achieved, to our knowledge, and it is a boon, indeed….
When I was able to get out and about, I went to the Saturday market on Portobello Road, which turns out to be right around the block from where I’m staying. It was a grand experience, with a huge crowd of people and a million little shops selling just about anything imaginable, mostly used or antique… all of the new stuff seemed to be crafts (leather, scarves, etc…) or tourist bric-a-bracs like magnets and posters, or cups and key chains.
I spent a moment talking with a fellow playing Charlie Chaplin, as a mime, and had my picture taken with him (see below), and got a few little things for folks back home, like a British Bobby’s helmet for my grandson, and some other little items. It was a great time, and I only stopped because my fatigue caught up to me again, so I went to take my second nap….
I have discovered that jet lag is more powerful than it seems; I don’t think I’ll feel normal until tomorrow. I’m really glad I took the extra time here in London to recover from that before I go on my cruise, as I think it would have been disastrous to try to get right on the ship after the flight over the pond. At least this way, I’ll only be tired from the hour or two train ride from London to Harwich, where the ship is waiting for me., and will be better able to enjoy the cruise….
Here are a few pictures from todays rambles…. I hope you are enjoying my little travelogue….
Here is the conservatory, where the breakfast buffet is served….
The patio, just outside the conservatory at The Abbey Court
The front of The Old Swan, my new favorite pub in London….
The sign at Portobello Road…
Inside the Good Fairy Market on Portobello Road…
A moment with Charlie….
A look down Portobello Road during the market…. with two unhappy campers….
A sign on the former residence of George Orwell, the author and essayist, also on Portobello Road….
That’s all for today, ffolkes…. For those Pearl Drops who missed the email version yesterday, please be advised it did not get sent, as Gmail apparently has a problem with me being in England, and won’t let me access the account. I’ll be NOT sending them for the rest of my trip, because the pictures would take too long to load… So, I’ll just send you the address of the blog post when I get it up on line, from my email account at Yahoo….. Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..
When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.
Which is Why….
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes
I just sits.
gigoid

