Pip, pip and all that

A couple of weeks ago I flew to London for the weekend to meet up with Sean. Prior to my job opportunity in Geneva we had semi-planned a fall vacation to London in October. Of course, then I moved to Geneva and plans needed to change so I booked a flight on EasyJet to meet up with him for a mini-getaway. In addition to visiting with him I would be able to see some of our friends that have relocated to London.

Let me just say, I miss Sean. I miss him all the time. There are plenty of other people that I miss, too, but he's been my constant companion for nearly eleven years and this is our first time apart for an extended period of time. Needless to say, I could barely sleep the night before my flight. I was very, very, very excited.

I had never flown on EasyJet before and had heard various things about it, none especially positive. It wasn't the worst, but it wasn't anything to brag about either. Basically, it's like taking the bus except it's a plane. There are no seat assignments so when they announced the boarding everyone herded together in a big, pushy mass. I decided not to partake in the crush of people since, really, I knew I had a seat on the plane and the flight was only going to be around an hour. I really didn't care where I ended up sitting, but many people clearly did. It was equal parts amusing and frustrating. I had expected the glob of anxious travellers. What I didn't expect was that after getting everyone on the plane they would ask everyone who had checked a bag to disembark and identify their bags. Apparently there was an extra bag unaccounted for and missing a tag. The part of me concerned with safety appreciated this, but in all honesty it was one of the weirdest things I have ever seen. I didn't check a bag, so I just looked out the window as the people gathered on the tarmac. The flight back was less bizarre, but still as swarmy and pushy. It did involve some people running across the tarmac to board though (one of the charms of Luton airport, I guess).

So, London. It's a great city. It's a great BIG city. I enjoyed my brief visit, but I wish I had more time to explore and also more time to spend with Sean. Still, I'm not complaining. It's pretty exceptional and awesome to be able to pop up to London for the weekend. One thing about London though: the plumbing. Out of all the toilets that I flushed on this trip the only one that consistently worked was in our hotel room. What's up with that? Sean really loves London, but I don't think I could live there because of the toilets. Also, the rents are high and the salaries are low. That said, there is so much going on and I do love the UK. I could see myself being a frequent visitor if time and funds allowed it. Plus, they make really good breakfasts.

I will spare you the gritty details and just say that my time spent with Sean involved a lot of kissing, hugging and holding hands. Also, "the best kebab," which really was quite good. And some S&M. Shush now, I'm referring to the restaurant S&M, as in "sausage and mash." I also popped into Uniqlo for some new jeans and a skirt that I am in love with and the Rough Trade store to pick up a record. And no Brie-trip would be complete without a trip to the grocery store. I went to Tesco for some Cadbury's, Jammy Dodgers, Yorkshire Tea and Dorset Cereals.

We hung out with Ayesha and that always makes me happy! And maybe slightly strange.

As proof of his love and support for me and my librarian adventures abroad Sean brought me a few things from home: a winter coat, copies of Glamour and Bust magazines (I have subscriptions) and corn tortillas. Yes, corn tortillas. I miss them so. To celebrate, I made myself some chilaquiles when I got back to Geneva.

He's kind of the best.