Well, today was supposed to be the outing to Paris, but Eurostar said “I don’t think so”. So, in response, we slept in. Well, not so much “slept in” as “missed the wake-up call and massively overslept”. Which was no big deal, as we didn’t have much of a plan for the day anyway.

We first headed over to Camden Market, home of clothing bargains and contact highs. Seriously. I swear, there had to be someone smoking up in every third stall. I had been looking for posters, prints, or other such wall hangings for the apartment, but found nothing I would call “acceptable”. (And, for the record, I don’t consider a flag with Bob Marley’s picture on it made completely from hemp “acceptable”.) After that, we took the tube down into Kensington, had some fish & chips (well, chips in my case. I’m not big on the seafood), and strolled around, admiring the architecture. We got nostalgic for our old digs, and took the District Line another two stops to Fulham, to visit the flat that was my home for 5 months in ’96.

What I found when I got to Fulham Broadway station amazed me. I’m still trying to register it. The last time I had been in Fulham, 7 years ago, it was pretty much like any other suburban London neighborhood. A supermarket (Safeway), a few high street shops (WH Smiths, Boots, etc), but for anything fancier than essentials, you had to go to a high street in either Kensington or Hammersmith. Hell, the nearest cinema was over a mile away in Chelsea. So imagine my shock as I exit the Tube and found a brand new shopping centre, complete with a new supermarket (Sainsbury’s), a Virgin Megastore, and an honest to god, brand new, 9-screen cinema. And what’s more, the whole area around Fulham Broadway has started to turn upscale. I noticed that a lot of the people moving from shop to shop were younger, hip, urban types, not the older, somewhat bitter people I remember from before. Fulham, it seems, is the new Chelsea.

Anyway, a quick stroll over to 29 Shorrolds Road (still painted green with a red door, and very possibly with the same curtains in the window), an even quicker nostalgia walk up North End Road, and it was back to the Tube. We headed over to Tower Hill for London Walks‘ Jack the Ripper Walk. Lead by a certified Blue Badge who has written books on the Ripper murders (and who gave Johnny Depp his education in the Ripper for his role in “From Hell”), we talked around the city and the East End, stopping at locations significant to the Ripper legacy. (The Ten Bells pub, incidentally, is still open for business.) I didn’t have much interest in this walk going in, but to hear the details from someone who really knows what he’s talking about makes all the difference in the world.

Anyway, that was pretty much the day. From there, it was Wagamama’s for some ramen, then to easyEverything so I could post this message. Now, it’s back to the hotel for sleep. Hopefully tomorrow we’ll be getting to the National Gallery (among other places) before yet another show.

While I’m thinking about it, here’s the rundown of what I’ve seen so far:
“My Fair Lady” at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
“The Talking Cure” (with Ralph Finnes) at the National Theatre
“The Breath of Life” (with Dame Judy Dench and Dame Maggie Smith) at the Haymarket
“Mnemonic” at Riverside Studios
“A Laughing Matter” at the National Theatre
and “Mrs. Warren’s Profession” (with Brenda Blethyn) at the Strand

There you go. More later…