London

I started my journey flying into Heathrow Airport in London. I immediately got introduced with European public transportation, which for the most part, puts American municipal transport to shame. I found my way close to my friend Mikey's neighborhood. Mikey is a friend of my good friend Molly, and she was kind enough to host me for my time in London (including my originally planned return) which was so nice of her, considering lodging and just about everything in London is very expensive. Her and her husband Peter have a cute one bedroom apartment not far from the main downtown area of London, I forget the area's name right now, something that ends in a 'worth I think. They made my first night abroad a memorable one.

We met up with Peter's sister Hanka (they are both Norwegian, I think.....), we went and got some food and proceded to finish a couple bottles of delish wine. We wasted little time and went out to hit the town. We ended up on Brick Lane, which is an Indian or Middle Eastern neighborhood with a lot of cool shops and bars. In introduced Hanka and Mikey to getting 'Iced' (all you old people reading this, google it). We proceded to different club where one of Mikey's friend was hosting a fashion show. Someone not raised in San Francisco would have likely found this show a bit shocking, but being having seen a few pride parades, and foslcom street fairs, I'm well versed in leather and latex. The rest of the night continued in about the same nature it started, suffice to say it was not a short night, and Peter didn't make it to work the next day.

The next day was spent mostly recovering on the couch and adjusting to the time difference. I did manage to get up later to meet my Mom's colleague and someone I consider a freind now, Vic. She is probably my Mom's 'hippest' friend, and is always a blast to hang out with although this was much more of tame night than we have had in the past. I met her closer to her house, in the area of Wapping Wall. We ate dinner at a water treatment plant, which doesn't sound great to begin with but this an old one that had been remolded and turned into a restaurant and art gallery. It was one of the most amazing interior designs of a restaurant I have seen. The food, Vic said, was not quite up to its usual standards but was still quite good and free so that's always a plus. We both decided to take it easy that night and I headed back home on London's amazing train shead tystem. The next day, Peter and Mikey both headed to work early and I headed off to London City Airport to head to Amsterdam.