London again

I had booked my wee car until Friday night, and had originally intended to return to London then. But because Rebekah was doing it hard I thought I would return a day earlier and spend more time with her. It turned out that she was moving flat on the Thursday and if I took the car into London I could help her move. That became the plan. In hindsight I am not sure it was a great plan, but it was the plan.

When I looked on google maps on Wednesday night it was going to take about three hours to get to where I was staying on Isle of Dogs. So I thought I had time to detour and explore. But lunchtime on Thursday that time was out to four hours and getting longer by the minute. So I stayed for midday Eucharist and lunch, and then headed off past Stonehenge once again. I am still grateful to google maps who got me back there. How did we do this navigating thing before such apps?

I arrive on the outskirts of London just after 4pm. I got to drive through London at peak hour. I got to drive down  Pall Mal, through Trafalgar Square and all sort of other streets I had up to this point just walked around. As google predicted it took over an hour to do the 11km to Isle of Dogs. I unloaded my bags, and drove to Rebekah's flat - which took an hour. When then loaded her stuff, and drove for an hour to her new flat. We then drove and hour back to the airport to drop off the car, and then another hour back into the city. 10pm we were moved, tired and very hungry, and not sure where to go for food. Dinner was not a highlight! Maybe I should have just ubered to her place and used that to move her. Maybe? the next morning i went to pay the congestion charge - and because it was a new day I had a 3poind surcharge. It was less than 12 hours since I had driven out of London - come on! How is that fair? But weirdly I enjoyed my drive in places I will never drive again - God willing.

Rebekah was working the next day, so I had a day of jobs - washing was done, beard trimmed, and buying some new lightweight trousers - which I destroyed at Moulen Rouge. I spent time with Caroline who I was staying with, and took her out to the little Korean restaurant under her apartment that night as a thank you. And then I had dinner with Rebekah at a really night place she had found. It was nice to just spend time with her.

Saturday morning I chattered with Caroline, and then after lunch set off for High Leigh. The train drivers strikes were starting up again, which made getting there more fun than it should have been. Now it was time for business.