I just got back from London a few days ago. It was my first time travelling to England. I had an amazing time. The city, like my home has an energy all its own. I did all the tourist things and took loads of pictures. I enjoyed the surreal aspect of being in an entire different city. Many times I would catch myself and think-right now in New York people are going about their lives very much like Londoners are doing right now. It made me realize how small the world could really be. Of course my writing took a hit because I was in London with my family which meant quality time which was special. We went wandering all around the city and the kids loved it.

I noticed that the people in London were friendly, as in hello good morning  and smile at you friendly. That took a little getting used to being from New York. We don’t usually do friendly as a default in my city, but New Yorkers can be and are friendly. The weather on the day I arrived was fantastic. Clear sky sunny and warm. Little did I know that was not going to be the norm. As I roamed the city I noticed EVERYONE carried an umbrella. It struck me as odd. Why would you carry an umbrella when there isn’t a cloud in the sky?  For the next week or so I found out the reason, it rains nearly everyday and sometimes twice a day.

This is what the day can look like in the space of thirty minutes from sunny to impending rain.

Despite the very wet weather, London was fantastic. It has a vibrancy and energy all its own, but what I took away from it  that really impacted me was its sense of history. In many regards London is old. Its old in ways New York cant be, not for at least another 500 years. I kept going back to my own studies of Europe and what happened hundreds if not thousands of years ago. My thoughts would also constantly go back to WW2 and the bombings and I would wonder how was it to walk in this city with threat of bombs falling?

It was this juxtaposition of the old and the modern that drew me in. One moment you are walking down what appears to be a busy metropolitan street and then turn a corner and find yourself in a plaza that was around 300 years ago. It felt like stepping back in time. That was a feeling I have never experienced in New York, even among its oldest areas, we just don’t have that kind of history in my city.

I really enjoyed my stay there to the extent that one of my upcoming books will definitely have London as one of the settings. If you ever get a chance to visit, go and visit. Take warm clothing since summer there is cool for us from this side of the pond and don’t forget to pack an umbrella. Some more pics below.