Rough day. I got up at three a.m., thinking that was plenty of time to get to Euston Station for a six o'clock train. I even prepared for it by riding the route the day before.
Lesson #1: The Underground in London is not 24/7. Before 6 a.m., you need to take the night bus. This isn't posted anywhere. You just need to know it.
Lesson #2: Trying to figure out bus schedules on the fly at 4 a.m. is very difficult. You stare at the local map, and all these individual bus stops dot the map like acne on a teenager's face. At some point in the future I will describe this in more detail, because it's actually a lot more complicated than I'm letting on.
Lesson #3: When you go to London, or anywhere in England for that matter, do be careful when you're looking at posted maps. Even when they have a "you are here" indication on them. I keep forgetting that they are never lined up with what is in front of you, as is typically the case in the US. It's a small difference, but a maddening one, when you realize you've wasted 20 minutes or more walking in the wrong direction.
Lesson #4: Remember that London doesn't have street signs per se. Usually, street signs are located on the buildings themselves. Usually. Sometimes they aren't. Of course, it gets really interesting when street names change on you. This usually only happens every few blocks, though.
So I missed my train by a half-hour. But, keep calm and carry on, I'm here now. I booked a boat tour of the Inner Hebrides, and tomorrow...Staffa Island. Hooray!
No comments:
Post a Comment