A festive first day

Thanks to a rather unusual takeoff, I for once basically forgot all about the Magee poem quote and instead focused on keeping a suspicious liquid from dripping down and back on my head and seat for the entire ascent. Thankfully, I was seated by a nice passenger from Wales who volunteered her plastic emergency information card to help shield the woman in front of me while I got to use my Virgin airlines issue plastic-wrapped blanket to keep the drips off. The plus side of the whole incident was that it prompted the people in the row in front of us to move, meaning that no one reclined back in those seats for the entire eight hour flight. :) We also got extra pillows and blankets to use since our originals were destroyed by the "condensation." Still, it set the tone for an interesting trip abroad, which did not abate once we finally arrived at Gatwick (after losing a fifteen minute headstart from Orlando and tacking on an extra twenty before landing). From lengthy waits in passport lines to cell phone issues, it was a festive first day to say the least...

Actually, the unusual and/or unexpected kept happening so often that festive really became a word of the day in general. Nonetheless, we arrived safely, still managed to meet up with the FSU coach (bus) despite our delays, and endeed up walking around a good bit of Bloomsbury and even into Camden. The city is vastly huger than I ever imagined, but interesting, although I could see how people can get lost easily. The flat I'm staying in has two bathrooms (always a plus for three people) and oddly enough, three refridgerators, only one of which works (the one in the kitchen), while the other two provide unique if non-functional decor in the TV/common room. Since the flat is a fourth floor walk-up (no lift), I'm also guaranteed some exercise along the way, but one of the tradeoffs for fifty-nine winding, narrowing stairs is that our room has a view of sorts and a big window. :) It's different, but good, and now that the phone problems are finally fixed, it's enjoyable too. I'm looking forward to seeing more of the city in the coming days, but first we start tomorrow with some informational meetings and a walking tour. :)

Peep tries to relax only to discover he packed the wrong slippers

Hanging out in the flat by the big window in our room (note the view) :)