Smidge a London Life

Day 7

Despite wearing my wonder'ous Frankie4s, my touring feet are swelling and complaining. Today, with a big day ahead, I got serious and switched to my Asics runners. Big, clumpy runners may not be as pretty, but they were a welcome relief.

I rose before much of London today, well, at least before others who were also using transport above ground. Somehow, I managed to attract the attention of a horny Italian man in his 60’s. Sniffs sleeve.

I must still carry the scent of Rome on me.

The not-so-welcome encounter started in passing on the footpath near my accommodation. The older Italian man passed me with a deliberate, jolly good eyeballing—up and down, up and down. This was followed by some mumbled Italian words which I didn’t know but understood.

As I put some distance between us, I cursed, realising my stop was in the opposite direction. I wasn’t worried as the Italian stallion would be facing the opposite direction now and wouldn’t notice me walking so far behind him.

Wrong!

A delightedly flustered Luigi looked back, stopped in his tracks, and turned to engage.

Humph - fair dinkum.

Luigi changed tact after realising I was a tourist. He made it his morning mission to help me find my bus stop despite my attempts to shake him off. This involved Luigi flagging down a bus while ignoring my pleas not to. The bus driver went out of his way to cross over lanes and pulled up to my stop. Luigi bid me farewell and crossed over to a café. The bus driver pulled open the double doors, and I explained that my “friend” had been mistaken and, unfortunately, I didn’t have a ticket for this particular bus company.

With a stroke of luck, the red double-decker (my bus) pulled up behind, and I darted onto it. Once again, I headed up to the top deck and got settled into my seat, enjoying the good weather while I popped in my headphones and my London history lesson began. Aaaaah!

Next thing, tap tap on my shoulder. I look up and pull out an earphone and a tall American man is leaning in, saying, “Excuse me, mam. Can you please look at your friend down there? He’s been yelling out to us to get your attention.”

Omg, I cringed. Yep! Luigi had run out of a coffee shop, pastry in hand, while the other hand enthusiastically waved me off. Christ! These people probably all think this is my clingy husband, I realised. I politely waved to Luigi because who am I to be rude? Then I sink low into my seat, taking solace that no one here knows me, nor will they ever see me again. Thanks, God!

Due to the early start, I had about 4 hours before the roads and footpaths became a bottleneck. I managed to make my way all over the city and squeezed in a Thames river cruise as well. London is such a pretty city, and I loved the experience, with the exception of Luigi, maybe.

Signing off with the British I learned today:

Hells Bells London’s surprising, then, in it?

Cherah seeya later – I’m off.

Seeya in a bit now looves.

Note the red bus