Thursday june 2nd 2005.

Main impression:
London.

Odor:
The smell of my first cask ale on british soil, a Bombardier.

Color:
I don't know if it's just a question chance but it seem to me that usage of bras are a bit less strict here... There seemed to have lots of forms moving freely following the rythm imposed by high heels beating the cadence on the paving stones, also lots of niples trying to pierce the clothes covering them.

Flavor:
The curry I took for lunch.

Sound:
The British accent, everywhere!

Texture/sentation:
The sidewalk are made of paving stones here also but flat... Easyer for my knee.

Day summary:
The train was leaving from Brussels-midi and not from Brussels-central. I was early enough so I got all the time I needed.

I tested my new passeport given by the ambassy before boarding, even if it's a train we have to pass the same formalities as in an airplane. In the train I had my first bad coffe since i'm in Europe... Promising!

Strange, even if the train is the Eurostar and that it promise to link the two capitals as fast as an airplane (less than 2:30 hours), we where stopped in Lille (France) for... speeding! (That's what the train supervisor annonced). We had to park on a service track and wait for about twenty minutes. I take the trip time to put my travel journal up to date, I am more than a week late.

Arriving in London, I take "The Tube" to get to the hotel. I understoud than why a british group wrote the song "Shakin' all over"... It's far from being a "Smooth" ride. I also realise where the expression "Mind the gap" come from, they make subway stations in a curve... so for the front and back of a wagon to not rub the border of the platform, the doors in the center may be at more than a foot from the platform... Don't read your newspaper while getting of the train! Just thinking of a system like that here or in USA and I imagine the lawers rubbing their hands anticipating the fortunes they wood win from the multitude of lawsuits...

After registering at the hotel I go walking around to find a place to eat. I finally choose restaurant "Aladin", recommanded by the London "Guide du routard", even prince Charles come here to taste their Tandori from time to times. Very good Indian cuisine, a bit on the expensive side from my point of view but I didn't finish to find it expensive.

After the meal I go in a pub "The Vibe" who have internet access to check my eMails. They don't have real ales so I take a Guiness on tap to see if it's better than in Montreal but it's seems to be the same. The bar targets a young students client base so "House" music is playing. It's not my prefered music style but it's easy listening and not agressive to the ears. I finish my beer while writing my travel journal.

I then go in a more traditionnal pub, "The ten bells" where I take my firsts british cask ales, "Bonbardier", a snowmobile with that? It's not the best real ale but it will do for today. Again I write my journal. Considering what I wrote in the Eurostar, at "Vibe" and here, I caught back a week of delayed writing.

It's surprising to see all kind of peoples mixing in a pub: a 3 pieces suit talking to a tattoued guy in jeans and spikes in his hair, ect... Also, another strange custom, when the pub get full people simply drink on the sidewalk.

After few beers I begin to feel an empty stomac and start to look for a place to eat. After a while I chose an italian restaurant, very ordinairy for the price.