Saturday, January 17, 2015<\/p>\n
\nAbbey Road, London:<\/p>\n
\n I am back! Yes, I am here again! Exactly 16 months after I departed, this, my favorite city in the world, I have returned like the proverbial bad penny in the late and very dark hours while a chill draped the city like a shroud. I am older, hopefully a bit wiser, and a lot fonder of this capital than I ought to be.<\/p>\n
\n Apart from my baggage, I came towing the last vestiges of a full-blown cold (thanks to Bombay’s air pollution) and the remnants of a heightened temperature. Drugged on paracetamol, I stood the journey quite stoically and marveled that my lowered energy levels had climbed enough to enable me to haul baggage about like a pro. A wintry welcome could not dampen my enthusiasm as I strode gamely out of Terminal 5 and followed signs to WH Smith<\/em> to claim my free Lebara SIM card. Only while every second ad on the British Airways In-Flight Entertainment channel had urged me to pick up my FREE SIM card from the bookstore in the Terminal before leaving, it did not inform me that I needed to request the cabin crew to hand me a free voucher that I would then hand over to the sales clerk to claim my free card. So irritating! Still, I paid the princely sum of 99p for my card, then loaded it with 10 pounds worth of calling time and off I went in search of the Underground. I wasn’t going to allow this little annoyance to tamper with my elation even if the weather was reportedly pretty damp outside. <\/p>\n \n I need not have worried about hauling heavy baggage through the Terminal and on to the Underground train. What an easy connection they have created from Terminal 5 to public transport that whizzes you downtown–sorry, but I’m speaking American from force of habit–I meant to the City Center (or is that Euro-speak?). Anyway, I re-loaded my Oyster card with unlimited rides in Zones 1 and 2 for the next one week and I was off and away. The Piccadilly Line Tube was empty, but for airport passengers till about Hammersmith when the Saturday night hordes thronged the cars. \n London is cold but I was happy to be out in the fresh air after 9 plus hours in a steel tube 38,000 feet about mean sea level. Although, mind you, I spent the time without feeling the slightest bit sleepy and watched four great films in-flight: My Old Lady<\/em> (with Maggie Smith, Kristin-Scott Thomas and Kevin Kine, set in Paris–how can you go wrong?), The Rewrite<\/em> (with Hugh Grant and Marissa Tomei–a chicflic that is redeemed only by the very watchable Grant and the always delightful Tomei), The Riot Club<\/em> (set in Oxford, another favorite city in the world, and based on the play Posh<\/em>). It was powerful, chilling and deeply disturbing and a true must-see. And finally, I watched A Most Wanted Man<\/em> with Phillip Seymour Hoffman–didn’t get to the end as it was time to alight, but it was riveting.<\/p>\n \n My friends Raquel and Chris and their darling son Jonas gave me a warm welcome and over hot lemony tea, we caught up briefly. Adrenaline kept doing its thing–and I remained awake and alert although I thought I would be in Zombie Land as it was 2.00 am back in India. I kept thinking how fortunate I was to have found a home again in this grand and very gorgeous Victorian apartment with its spacious rooms and very English detailing. Located at the most famous crosswalk in the world on Abbey Road, I had spent part of a summer here once expecting to see John, Paul, George and Ringo stride across every time I popped onto the balcony that overlooks this spot right across historic Abbey Studios.<\/p>\n \n I got connected with wifi, informed folks around the world that I had arrived safely and prepared for the morrow. Despite falling asleep at 10.00 pm and having, as I mentioned no sleep en route<\/em>, I was wide awake at 2. 30 am (8.00 am in Bombay from where I have travelled). Adrenaline is a powerful thing!<\/p>\n \n Until Tomorrow which promises to be fun-filled and eventful… cheerio All and thanks for following my Blog once again! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Saturday, January 17, 2015 Abbey Road, London: I am back! Yes, I am here again! Exactly 16 months after I departed, this, my favorite city in the world, I have returned like the proverbial bad penny in the late and very dark hours while a chill draped the city like a shroud. I am… <\/p>\n
\n I alighted at Green Park, found an elevator that sped me to the Jubilee Line connection. One long tunnel to cross (not such a tough task) and I was in another elevator and ready to board the train for another three stops to St. John’s Wood from where I hopped into a taxi that practically pulled up as I emerged from the station and dropped me at my doorstep. It couldn’t have been an easier journey.<\/p>\n