Jason's Daily Notes

The sun rises late in Barcelona in January, largely due to Spain's time zone offset (it is set one hour ahead of where it should be). Thus, when we awoke and the sun was just rising, it was a surprise to discover that it was already close to 10am. Oops.

I looked out the window and saw a glorious church/cathedral on top of a mountain in the distance (it was Temple de Sagre Cor, atop Tibidabo). I decided that we would go there today. The hotel didn't offer complementary breakfast, so instead we consumed the coffee in the hotel room. We set off on the tram (were we supposed to validate our tickets?) and took the metro L1. When we changed trains at Catalunya, we bought donuts from the Dunkin Donuts in the metro station. We took a train all the way to plaza de Tibidabo, and were going to get on the bus to take us to the funicular, when we learned that the funicular was closed. Disappointed, we decided to take a bus back into the city. (I turned on the data on my phone and learned that the funicular was closed for all of January.) I could feel myself becoming upset, so my mom and I agreed that we should just take a taxi up the mountain (because when I decide to do/get something, I do/get it!). It was like a 7km drive uphill, costing us only €12, but the views were spectacular the whole way.

We were dropped off atop the entire city of Barcelona! The view was amazing, and the sun was brilliant. In fact, my eyes were straining without the protection of sunglasses. There were a few other visitors around, but not nearly as many as I imagine would be there if the funicular and the amusement park were open. We explored the temple, walked onto its large balcony and took in the spectacular view. It was simply ah-mazing!

My mom and uncle called me at 5:30am, and again at 06:30, to tell me that they were on their way to the flat. It was around 07:30 when they arrived. We had to to a bit of re-packing (I did my best to keep the noise down, so as not to awaken Mike, Roy, and Nienke downstairs) and soon we were on our way to the airport.

End of the week. Last day in London before we were to fly to Barcelona.

I spent the morning re-writing my CV and sent out 2 job applications. Around lunchtime I arranged to meet my mom and uncle in Camden Town. (They were touring the Naval museum in Greenwich and would call me when they were on their way to Camden.) They were delayed a bit, and so we didn't meet until 1:30pm. We walked a bit through Camden Market, and up and down Chalk Farm Road before settling on Vietnamese food for lunch. (Fernanda and Mari were also at Camden market, but we didn't have time to meet. Merlin and Pawn were also there, but we had no way to contact them.) However, I had to leave - I wanted to borrow a Barcelona guide book from the library and be back home to let Merlin and Pawn into the house. And so I did. Pawn and Merlin were waiting for me right when I got back.

Mike returned from work shorty (he got off early, like 4pm). Soon, Merlin had his stuff packed and said good-bye; he had a flight to catch. About an hour later, Mike left to meet his brother and his friend who were just arriving at Victoria Coach Station!

I chose to take the responsibility for making dinner. I decided to make a batch of the pumpkin bread. Pawn and I went to Tesco Express and bought some cheap dinner ingredients for what would be 5 people. Mike soon returned with Roy and Nienke (they were waiting for us at the door - Mike had forgotten his keys). We made pasta with chicken, and sides of garlic bread. The house smelled amazing.

Soon we were off to Yager Bar to celebrate Amanda's going away. The event had started at 18:00 but we didn't arrive until 21:30. Amanda was already well out of it. But there were several people there that I hadn't seen in a while - Heidi, Amanda's friend Hasim, Craig, Asia (back from Poland!), Ludo, Marie, and Sandee! They guys were glad to see me, and they demanded that I stay in London. Trust me, I'm trying! We danced a little; Pawn simply wasn't into it at all. She's a dive bar kind of girl (and I totally understand - I simply don't go dancing in LA. Like, ever.). Anyway, Amanda was worrisomely drunk but we let her be (hopefully she remembers my goodbye) and returned home. I said goodnight and goodbye to Mike, Roy, and Nienke. I wish I could stay and hang out with them over the weekend, but unfortunately Spain was calling.

Got up and met mom and uncle at LSE. They were shopping for sweatshirts and t-shirts to bring back as souvenirs. We bought some, then we walked a little bit around campus; I showed them the library and the NAB. Then, we walked to Covent Garden. We explored and looked for a place serving lunch at 11:30am. Food for Thought was still closed, and the salad bar at Neal's Yard looked empty and depressing. We ended up going to a steakhouse (Steak & Co.) that served pretty good food at a reasonable price. I had the sirloin lunch platter, in which cuts of sirloin were served on a hot stone, so that I cooked the meat myself - cool!

Then, we parted ways - I returned home to get a head start on my job applications. (The pressure to find a job is pushing on me, and it doesn't help that I have so many other things going on.) My mom and uncle went to Notting Hill. I was supposed to meet Pawn by 6pm, but I had gone out to Tesco (to buy supplies for dinner). Pawn was outside waiting for me (but luckily she had connected to the flat's wifi).

I made Swag's recipe of curry for dinner. Merlin came home (Merlin couldn't remember the flat number, and he couldn't call/text, so after 20 minutes, he just snuck in with a guy and knocked on the window!). I was still cooking, and Mike also came home and helped set up dinner.

We had our meal and then all headed out to Winter Wonderland. There, we met Kristi and started walking around, buying £12 worth of tokens for rides. They all went on the spinning barrel ride, which I did not want to do, so I sat it out. Next was Show Time, a big rotating spider/claw on a stick that swung back and forth while you spun around. It was unexpectedly intense and left us slightly spinning (but it was fun nonetheless)! Craig then met us, and a minute later, Fern and Mari arrived. We (Kristi, Mike, Craig and I) went on another ride - the Christmas Coaster (aka the Euro Coaster). Kristi and Merlin went on the more intense ride across from it.

We then went to the attraction I was most looking forward to - the carousel bar! I had a mulled wine because they were out of dunkel beer. We had a few drinks, danced around the carousel, then sat down at a table. The place closed, and the lights turned off in the park - it was sad. I picked up a tiny finger mitten/christmas stocking. We then walked to The Back Room, just behind the Hard Rock Cafe, for one last drink. I spilled a beer all over my iPhone and Pawn's jeans. But it was ok, I think!

Woke up; Mike and Mel had gone to work. My mom and uncle came over (taking the Victoria line because they didn't realize that they could also have taken the Northern!), and we booked tickets to go to Spain! I couldn't actually believe that we were going.

Then, Merlin joined us as we went to the Museum of London. They went on ahead, and I met up with Fern and Mari who were also there. We walked around. Fern, Mari, and I took our time, while Merlin went straight through quickly. It was interesting, but all stuff I had seen before. I lost my mom. Merlin, Fern, and Mari went off to do more sightseeing - the British Museum, and the oldest pub in London (The Mitre).

My mom, my uncle, and I walked to St. Pauls and took the tube home. I had to be back at 4pm, for Pawn was just arriving from Heathrow. She arrived 10 minutes after we did! We rested (Pawn napped in my bed).

I rushed (walked/jogged!) to the post office to mail some cards before 5pm. The queue there was insane.

I put some pizzas in the oven, and Pawn joined my family for dinner. She took the salami off her slices. Mike had his tuna/chicken/mushroom pizza.

In the evening, we went to the Big Chill, near Kings Cross. Because there was little time left to see Amanda. There was Fern, Mari, Craig, and (slightly later) Amanda. It was good to see them all. We had a couple rounds of drinks then they closed down. Pawn and I got some late night food from a nearby chicken take-away and we all took the tube home.

After having my 8am drink to celebrate Californian new year, I returned to bed and slept until around 1pm.
It was a sunny day outside. A perfect opportunity to enjoy the outdoors of London. And although I wasn't retching from a painful hangover, I was still really tired. So I stayed inside all day.

In the evening, I went to Greenwich to meet my mom and uncle. They had spent the day exploring Greenwich park, the Royal Observatory, and parts of the Naval Museum. (But there was a fire alarm that forced them to evacuate.) We had dinner at the Wetherspoons by the station. I had a gourmet burger which was alright, but not as mind-blowing as some other burgers I have had (such as in Wales, or even in Long Beach).

I returned home. Mike and Merlin had stayed in the whole day, and they had ordered two large pizzas for themselves. Hung out, then slept again.

NEW YEARS EVE.
It's also Mel's birthday.
I met Mel and Fernanda and Mari for lunch at My Old Dutch. I was a little late coming there. They did not have the £5 special. We stayed for lunch for a while. Midnight had struck in Australia, Japan, and China. Then we walked to the British Museum area for Mari to exchange cash (but she didn't there). We split; Mel and I walked to Primark then SportsDirect to buy umbrellas.

Returned home around 16:15. Mike said that he, Merlin, and I should leave by 16:45. We had to buy drinks and snacks before getting dinner and then heading to Westminster Bridge to view the fireworks! So we stopped by the Kennington Tesco, then we took another bus to Lambeth North, where we walked to Duke Thai (at the exact time we had dinner there 1 year ago!). It was midnight in India - we all greeted Swag. There was a group of Germans there who thought I also spoke German (they must have vaguely heard Mike and Merlin talking). Hahah.

We got to the bridge around 6:45-7pm. It was already filling up - there were no more spaces available at the railing itself. We chose a spot behind some relatively short Chinese people :P We ate our food (which was difficult for me because my food came in two boxes, and I didn't want to let anything touch the wet and dirty ground). We continued snacking, drinking a little bit from the ginger beer/vodka mix (but not too much - we really wanted to avoid having to pee).

I met my mom and uncle at Green Park station at 11:15am. We went to the Changing of the Guard, because my uncle really wanted to go. It was crowded (we had arrived too late to get a good spot). We let my uncle stand closer. But we couldn't really see anything at all. It was disappointed.

Then, we returned to the tube station and traveled to Abbey Road. There were a lot of tourists there, and naturally we couldn't get many good photos. But fuck it, I just jumped in the middle of the road and started taking picturs as my uncle and mom walked back and forth. We also took pictures at the other zebra crossing down the street.

Then, we were tired but also hungry so we went to Baker Street (via bus) and had some pretty high quality Sunday roast at The Volunteer. The queue to the Sherlock Holmes Museum was really long. We then returned home and rested for a bit. For dinner, we went to London Bridge and had some Indian food at City Tandoori. The service was pushy.

My mom and uncle left back to their hotel in Greenwich; I went to meet Mike and Merlin at the Walkabout Temple. We watched some of the World Championships of Darts (which is apparently really big in the UK and the Netherlands). Then, we stayed to finish watching the NFL game that was on (Vikings vs Packers). There was a group of loud Americans there. Mike and I were laughing so much at them!

Retuning back home was also a bit of an adventure. We just missed the last 59 bus (because we both agreed that the last bus had already gone).