The Spoonykipper Story

Well it's been over a month since I last did an update, guess it's time for another massOupdate.

First off we have Doodles coming over to vist in May.

Doodles vist day one:

Doodles was staying in London for a week, going to Ireland for the weekend and then back in London for 2-3 days before going back to Orlando. We'd met each other on an FFXI (Final Fantasy 11) forum and had chatted now and then. Since she was coming to the UK she said it'd be a great to meet up and have some fun around London and also to have someone that knew their way around....little did she know my skills of going round London were zero.

Leading up to the meeting Doodles at Waterloo station I'd had a little look at the underground online and knew where I had to go etc (it was really easy as there is one tube from Euston to Waterloo). When the day came I left early due to traffic as one of the roads near where I live was closed, got to the station and got a day travel card and went off to Euston station. Now for the fun....I got to Euston, went down the steps to the underground (knowing where I needed to go) and then stood there stuck! I know I needed the southbond Northenline but the one path that said Northenline didn't say if it was going north or south and so I stood there for awhile wondering if I should just go down and look? Not really sure what to do. After awhile I walked down one of the paths to a tub station and on going down there a little bit lead to a split in the path showing the different directions that the tube line went and which platform for which. It was kind of a duh/oh I get it moment and then the underground "clicked" in my head and I got how the whole thing worked! It might sound pretty silly but for all other trips I've been to London I've always followed someone and never really looked at how to get places on my own.

I got to Waterloo around and hour early (didn't take as long as I thought it would even with traffic), so I gave Doodles a call...or at least tried to. I'd never called her mobile before and the last time she'd called me (complaining that our beer etc is too bitter), so when I tried to call and it came up blocked I kinda didn't know what to do. I could still text her so I sent one saying I was at the sation early and to call as my phone wouldn't let me and then waited. While I was waiting I was trying to get online on my phone to find 02's number to tell them to unblock international calls, not that it would of been as she was in the UK. Just before I'd managed to find an 02 number Doodles called and said to head to the Waterloo train station exit (I was at the underground) and wait there. So I went down and round to the station exit and sat there waiting for her.

As I sat and waited I wondered where Doodles would be coming in from, so I sat and looked around thinking if she'd notice me or would I notice her. While sitting there my phone rang and it was her wondering where I was so I told her where about as I was sitting and looked up to see her on her phone and she said yeah I see you now. I got up and walked over to say hi and hugged her and we both walked off to her hotel and I asked her how she was finding London so far etc as we walked. She and her parents were staying in the Marriott City Hall hotel right next to the London Eye, it's very verrrryy posh! We walked through the hotel to the one of the lounges (it has more then one), we sat there drinking tea for a bit while talking and were joined by her parents a little later. We then had breakfast together which was kind of funny as with the US/UK name change for things and them asking for stuff that just confused the waitress.

After breakfast we talked about where/what to do next and decided to go to the London Dungeon! When we got there it was pretty empty as it was a Monday which was a plus, so we paid and went in and had our photo taken at the start with the axe and stocks (I was the one getting my head cut off). Most of it was the same as a when I went a few years back but they had added some new bits and while on the way round Doodles got picked on and put in a cage, I got questions right about torture devices and later I got burnt at the stake BUT right at the end now they have this hanging ride where they take you up and drop you in the dark...we didn't get the photo from that which I'm kind of glad as my face just show'd me going FFFFFUUU! But it was a good laugh going round the Dungeons.

We headed off to the Tower of London next, I can't ever remeber going to see it before but apparently I had been there as a kid. We walled around and saw the changing of the guards, the Ravens (Legend has it that failing to keep ravens at the Tower of London will mean the great White Tower will crumble and a terrible disaster shall befall England), the crown jewels and other armor bits. After that we we're both hungry and I'd spotted a Wetherspoons pub just over from the Tower when we got there so we went there for lunch. While we were eatting I managed to find a drink that Doodles loved after all the bitter drinks she'd tasted at the weekend (was a VK cherry) and she then wanted to know how to get them shipped to the US. We then headed back to the hotel after lunch and went to the lounge again to chat, have a drink and her parents stopped by for a bit again. When it started to get dark she walked me to the train station and said goodbye and I went on my merry way back home.