Easter Monday, April 13, 2009
London

Llew’s last day in London sped swiftly by. We awoke to the discovery that my wrist watch had stopped during the night. This means that I shall have to find a store that sells replacement batteries and I have not a clue where to go. What is the equivalent of Radio Shack in the UK?? Hmmm, I guess I will soon find out.

We had our last breakfast together and while Llew packed his few things away, I took a hold of his larger suitcase and filled it with my winter clothes that I will no longer need. Despite the fact that the English think they had a particularly brutal winter, I did not wear the fur coat I had carried along (it was always a bit too warm for that). I also sent off the thick down coat that I had found on sale at Gap in Westport, Connecticut, in December (which did serve me rather well on those freaky snow holidays!). Packing away all my woolen worsted jackets, I realize that I have no more than three classes to teach before the semester (and the academic year!) ends. Unbelievable!!!

I sent off most of my cashmere cardigans, holding on to just four of them in neutral colors. I also sent off the vintage weighing scale with the bell weights that I had bought from the antiques shop in Rochester, Kent. With much of my winter wardrobe already on its way to the States, I realize that, in a way, I have already begun my return ‘home’ and I have to admit that it broke my heart. The gesture brought to my mind, in one swift instant, the sight of my Dad (then so much younger) huddling behind the refrigerator in the kitchen and sobbing his heart out while I, at 21 years, was oblivious to his heartbreak, as I sent off the first of many suitcases of clothing to my marital home as I prepared for my wedding, so many years ago. It is one of the most poignant moments in my life and, when it does come back to haunt me, it never fails to stir in me the most powerful feelings of love for my beloved Dad.

Then, we were walking in a slight drizzle on a dreadfully dull day to the Sainsburys at Holborn as Llew wanted to buy some last-minute packets of Roses chocolates (to which he is rather partial). When we had picked those up, we returned home. I had bought some tiramisu with the idea of getting him to try some of it (a favorite dessert) and then as he continued to make space in his suitcases for his 11th hour buys, I fixed us some sandwiches for our lunch.

By 12 .15 pm, we left my flat together and walked down to Holborn from where we took the Piccadilly Tube to Heathrow airport. Within no time at all, Llew had checked in and after we found a quiet spot to eat our sandwich lunch together, I bid him goodbye to allow him to enter Security. It had been an amazing two weeks and when I look back on them, I am pleased at how much we packed into them together:

1. Highlights Tour at the V&A including the Booker Prize Exhibit and the Raphael Rooms
2. Cornelia Parker’s work at the V&A and the Tate Modern
3. A Day trip to Rye with Stephanie
4. Tea with my friends Rosa and Matt Fradley
5. Dinner at Ours with neighbors Tim and Barbara, my friend Rosemary and Llew’s friend Bande Hasan.
6. A Papal Audience in Rome
7. An Opportunity to attend a Papal Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome
8. Visiting the Vatican Museum
9. Taking in the incredible attractions of Istanbul
10. Seeing a play by an award-winning playwright at the National Theater.
11. Dinner at the Rixhons’ at Willesden Green
13. Dinner at the Ullals’ at Harrow
13. A Chance to see how the NHS works during my Orthotics Fitting
14. A Day out in Windsor
15. A chance to watch me at work during my interview with the Holleys in Windsor
16. Attending Holy Week services together at St. Paul’s Cathedral
17. Taking one of Frommer’s Walks together in Covent Garden
18. Attending Easter Sung High Latin Mass at the Brompton Oratory
19. A Royal Sighting (of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent) and their daughter, Gabriella
20. Visiting Dennis Sever’s House
21. Memorable Easter dinner at Rules
22. Dinner with Bande Hasan at Zizzi.

Indeed, it had been a packed two weeks and, most of all, it had been such a joy to have Llew with me. I thought about all the things we did together in London, Rome and Istanbul. It was Llew who had remarked to me as our bus passed over Waterloo Bridge on our return from the play at the National Theater that he could not believe that in just 8 days he had seen three of the world’s greatest cities–London, Rome and Istanbul. People wait a whole lifetime, he said, to see just one! It was then that I reminded him that, having started his travels in New York, he had, in fact, seen four! It must be something of a record even for us, intrepid travelers though we are!

Then, I was home, and for the next hour and a half, I ‘straightened’ up my flat. I first sorted out my fridge and my freezer as I had done a bit of cooking and needed to put away the food I had cooked as I am leaving for Belgium on Wednesday and don’t want anything going bad. Next, I tided up the living room, the bathroom and the kitchen. I moved into the bedroom next to put away/throw away the stack of papers that had accumulated during our travels and to generally tidy up. I realize what an anal neat freak I am and how important it is for me to have everything in its place, close at hand, organized. When all this was accomplished and my flat returned as it were, to normal, I went in for a relaxing shower. Then, I brewed myself a nice pot of Darjeeling and settled down to enjoy it with chocolate biscuits as I returned to my PC and began catching up on my email, my travel writing and my blog.

Before I knew it, it was 9. 30 pm and I decided to stop and have some dinner–leftover Italian dinner that I had frozen a couple of weeks ago and then thawed, salad and fresh strawberries and apricots for dessert–while watching Rhodes Cross the Caribbean and Market Kitchen. My London life suddenly felt as it if had returned to normal again! At this point, I heard Tim and Barbara at their door and realized that they had returned from their long Easter weekend out. It was time for me to call it a day and, using my cell phone as a watch, I made my way to bed.