Tag Archives: travel

london getaway 2019 | day 1

13 Monday May 2019

Posted by in friends, getaways, london, travel, trips

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This is Nicola’s @shedlikesfood lovely apartment, located on the top floor of The House of Many Stairs in Clapton. There are even stairs inside the apartment (!!) as it is on two levels, with the bedroom and bathroom upstairs. To say I am no longer used to climbing stairs is a bit of an understatement, but the only really difficult times were lugging my massive suitcase up and down them (I do not travel light). But as you can see it’s a charming light-filled space.

I arrived at the house around 2.30 pm and got unpacked and settled in. Then it was time to take a walk and get to know the neighbourhood, and hopefully find somewhere for a late lunch. Unfortunately most of the places Nicola had recommended were closed (Monday!) so, after a quick beer in a dodgy pub, I bought a few supplies for the week at the supermarket, picked up pizza, and headed home.

By this time it was already 7-ish and I was exhausted, having accomplished close to 14,000 steps on only one early morning croissant and the aforementioned beer. So I put my feet up, opened the wine I’d purchased at the supermarket, and enjoyed an early dinner of wood-oven baked pizza. And well, there was no way I was going out again. In fact, I ended up in bed by 9.00 and caught a lovely sunset from the bedroom window before hitting the hay and sleeping a full 8 hours (something almost unheard of for me – clearly I needed it).

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prepping for london

02 Thursday May 2019

Posted by in london

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So I not only get NERVOUS about travelling, I also get a bit panicky about GETTING EVERYTHING DONE… to wit, got my hair cut! Though as you can see by this selfie taken in the lift at my house yesterday, still have to touch up those grey roots. Also need a pedicure, have to sort out wardrobe (thinking it won’t be so warm there) and organise all the work stuff re: tours, etc. I’ll be taking my little travel pc notebook with me, but hope to have the most important things taken care of before I leave.

I’ve been almost at the point of cancelling the whole thing a few times, thinking I’d only lose the airfare, then could focus on work, since I’m not really financially in a good place for a week abroad. Of course staying at Nicola’s is what makes this even remotely possible, but London is an expensive city and blah-blah-blah…

But the REAL reason I’m hesitating is that I’m afraid of being afraid… remembering that day in Trafalgar Square a few years ago when I was hit out of the blue with a full-blown panic attack. The first I’d had since CANCER. Because frankly, when you have cancer, panic attacks can go fuck themselves. So it not only took me by surprise, but it also took over a bit. I got scared about going out, in case it happened again, that vicious circle that almost guarantees it WILL happen again.

So far I’m still going. Updates as they happen…

bus therapy

29 Friday Mar 2019

Posted by in friends, holidays, london

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When I go to London in May I will be staying in a new (for me) part of town – Clapton. At first glance it looked a bit further out than the “usual” place in Wapping, but in fact it is very accessible and I have three main bus routes that should take me pretty much everywhere I will want to go – including the event at the Spanish Embassy. And there is also a night bus that takes me straight home.

Because I was waylaid by panic attacks when I was there in 2015 I was already getting nervous about meeting friends, even though I’m not going until mid-May. But upon discovering these bus routes I feel much more reassured, and it means I shouldn’t have to take the tube (bonus!).