London - Day 10 - the last

I'm all packed and showered and ready to head to breakfast just as soon as the restaurant opens. I'm not really sure that my suitcase is going to close, but I'll deal with that in a bit. My cab comes at 9:00 and I'll be back with my beamish boy by 8:00 this evening. I cannot wait. I'm not looking forward to the blast of heat I'll face in Detroit. I know that, at least in my head, I've complained bitterly about London weather, but the idea of wearing a dress, tights, and boots in July really appeals to me. I know how to pack for next time. And there will be a next time!

So how did I keep myself occupied on my final full day in London? I woke up feeling highly unmotivated. I wanted to sit in my room and read all day. But, I can do that anywhere. I decided to see if I could manage to get to South London all on my own, without getting lost. Not surprising, I found myself in Greenwich in no time. There, I visited the National Maritime Museum and walked up the hill to the Royal Observatory. I did not pay to stand on the Prime Meridian line because I needed what little cash I had left for dinner and a walking tour in the evening. The view was spectacular and the sun was even shining for my visit. The museum didn't quite catch my fancy, but I think that I am suffering tourist burn-out, so I won't really state an opinion. There is a dizzying array of maritime artifacts in the museum, some of them quite old.

I spent my evening on a "walk." Well, it would have been a walk if not for the torrential rains that poured down upon us. The walk was to be The Literary London Pub Walk. But the rain was so awful that we quickly landed in a pub where our tour guide delivered all sorts of delicious literary gossip. There were two other American teachers on the tour and we drank wine and complained bitterly about the attacks we are currently enduring. One was from Wisconsin and one was from NYC. I rode the Tube for a bit with a French teacher from Carcassonne. Even there, teachers are treated poorly, with the government trying to increase class size.

That's it. My whole trip. I shall never forget this experience. I truly can't believe I came here on my own. I even lost weight! How perfect is that?