London Lessons (aka Note to Self)

I loved our two weeks in London!  So it is perhaps picky of me to imagine that I might have improved this holiday in any way.  But upon reflection, I realize that there are a few things that I might have done better.  Next time I promise that I will:

1. Do more homework. It is shameful that as a librarian I didn't do a teeny bit more research about the places we were visiting.  There are fabulous websites for every museum, gallery and park in London and I didn't really appreciate them until I was back in Guelph reminding myself of where had been and what we had done.  I have the time and skills to do more research, so in the future I promise to embrace the "getting ready is half the fun" attitude.


2. Read reviews, but better yet, talk to someone who has actually been to a theatre event before I shell out big bucks (or big pounds in our case) for tickets.  On the strength of a Tony nomination in NY, we went to a matinee performance of Mathilda, the musical based on Roald Dahl's children's book.

The staging for Mathilda was very impressive.

I think it was quite good.  But I couldn't really understand half of the dialogue or most of the music. If only someone had warned us about the accents.  All that singing.  All those children.  All those British children singing complicated songs. It was wasted on my aging North American ears.  I would have been better off going to see Helen Mirren in The Audience.    

3.  Check a British calendar for Bank Holidays and plan to sit tight on those days.  Travelling in England in 1964, I was thrown for a loop by this mysterious (to me) day-off.  A Bank what?  Is that why I can't find a place to sit on the train?  Darn!  I forgive my non-swearing, 20-year old self for ignorance about this British weekend-extender.  Back in the Dark Ages, how could I have possibly known?  But in 2013 when Google tells all, we should have been prepared.  We could have avoided playing sardines on the train to the Lake District.  Or shopped for dinner before Waitrose's 4:00 pm Bank Holiday closing. Not that our pub meal wasn't delicious...

4.  Do not place any faith in the 14-day forecast.  If the Weather Network offers a range of London temperatures from 12 to 16 degrees C along with the possibility of rain, accept that most of the days will be cool ones and that rain is pretty much guaranteed. Pack an extra sweater, and a hat, gloves and scarf!  Stop being so optimistic.

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I wonder if any of this advice applies to our two-week-long September hiking trip in Spain?   I wish I could have a word with myself 5 weeks from now. I'd love to know what I would include in  Spanish Lessons:  Note to Self.