How quaint.

8/13/09

Today we visited Hampsted to visit the home of the famous modern architect, Goldfinger. Yes, the Goldfinger the James Bond movie was named after. Ian Fleming lived down the street, and named the crazy egotistical character after the architect. Why? Because the real Goldfinger was batshit crazy. Hampsted was adorable, nice little shops and cafes and restaurants with quaint houses and shrubbery. It was a suburban town, and very reminiscent of home, except a cop didn’t tell me to move along when I decided to take a breather.

“I’m going to need you to walk a straight line and count backwards for me.”

“Sir, with all do respect, it’s the middle of the day and we’re having a picnic.”

“ON THE GROUND NOW.”

*Desperately searches for marijuana, and upon finding none decides to hit up the emo kids outside of Starbucks. End scene*

8/17/09

I'm already beginning to become nostalgic and I still have another two weeks left to go. Like for instance, the maids. I'm really going to miss having a maid. From Tuesday to Sunday it looks like a bomb went off in our flat, but on Mondays the entire place is spotless. If only I could bring back one as a souvenir, but I think that would go over my fifty-five pound weight limit. Then again, they are the waif thin, in a Russian Oliver Twist sort of way. I’m officially going to hell.

I'm also really going to miss the area, it's beyond beautiful and I realize I’ve been taking it for granted. As I was lugging my suitcase full of laundry to wash (yes, laundry is two blocks and twelve flights of stairs there and back. Believe me, I’ve counted.) I thought back to when I first got here and was shocked by how low all the buildings were and how sparkling white and clean everything is. Now I get nervous if the window boxes to the town houses aren’t coordinated. Good thing I’m pretty sure my mother turned our entire damn yard into a garden. All I’ll really need is to import some of the locals chugging pounders as they walk home to their flats from work. I don’t think the Leibowitz’s will be up for it.

In other entirely useless news, twas a lovely day. I ended up having lunch in the Whole Foods café which which overlooks most of High Street Kensington. It also allows me to check out the hipsters as they enter Urban Outfitters. I resisted the urge to scream out the window “it’s half price in America, you fools” but I just sat back in peace and ate my potato salad.