London on my mind...

[prosodic]

My aunt sent me an email this morning to ask about cheap hotels in London (and if there is such a thing).

Seems a friend of hers is going and doesn't mind sharing bathroom facilities, so long as the hotel location is central, clean and cheap.

And this is why keeping a journal is a good thing.

I went back through my study abroad journal of 1999 and got the name of the place where I stayed.

Googled it. Lo and behold...it still exists.

New Kent Hotel in Bayswater. Centrally located. Cheap. Clean. Huge breakfast in the morning. Friendly staff.

And now I'm remembering that night I spent there...in a triple room with 2 of my classmates. A clean and cute little room (which was also very cramped) that had a sink (facilities were down the hall). Only caveat - our window overlooked the back alley, which was filled with rubbish.

Yes, rubbish...I am talking about England, after all. I'll use British words.

And those 2 partial days spent in London. Walking, walking and walking until I thought my feet would fall off. In the rain. It was awesome. Two of us going with our friend to the bus stop to wait for her bus to Heathrow at around 5 in the morning. We were catching a later flight out of Gatwick.

It amazes me that that was 9 years ago. In so many ways, it seems like practically yesterday. In other ways, it feels like a lifetime ago.

And all this reminiscing over one hotel recommendation. Of course, the last time I was in London, Lance and I stayed at a place I felt was far too expensive, but the accommodations completely matched the price range.

Still...nothing compared to that first London hotel. My study abroad student on a budget days. Staying somewhere because it was cheap, not necessarily because it was good (but lucky for us it was good). The super friendly Australian woman who ran the hotel and cooked us an amazing breakfast in the morning and sat and chatted with us. Who put Saved By The Bell on the telly, because we were American and because we were young.

Comments

[tully-monster.livejournal.com]

I remember a wonderful few days spent on the Normandy coast in a bed and breakfast that was an old Norman tower that had been used as a grain silo. The couple who ran the place was so, so lovely. The man had a fishing boat and was running Linux on his shipboard computer, so he had to take Dr. Tully Monster, of course, down to the docks and look at it. His wife was so sweet. I would go back there, to that village and inn, in a heartbeat.

[prosodic.livejournal.com]

I love memories like that. I have fond memories of our hotel in Brugge and the owner's dog who came and greeted everyone at breakfast every morning.

I've stored away a lot of things like that.