January 13, 2023

You probably think I’m a little strange. What do I mean by “stuck?”

Shouldn’t I have been happy to spend time in England’s greatest city?

I’ll back up a little to explain.

My last journey to Europe started on August 29th, and my first stop was England. I spent most of my time in Northeastern England and the Lakes District, which were fantastic. Then, I enjoyed a couple of days in London before heading to my next destination.

At the end of my trip, in mid-December, I had plans to visit York, England, for some Christmas shopping before heading back to the States.

Due to downed powerlines, my train, and many others, were canceled. It would only be a short trip (two nights), so staying in London was my only viable option. Therefore, I felt stuck.

I wasn’t enthusiastic about the idea for a couple of reasons: I’m generally not a big-city person, and London is expensive.

After the initial disappointment of the canceled train, I weighed my options. I remembered that I had a free night with Hilton. One phone call later, I was booked at the Waldorf for the night. Pretty cool!

I also got lucky and was able to cancel the hotel in York without penalty.

Things got better from there.

That evening, I was chatting with a couple at the hotel, and they gave me some ideas for my unexpected stay in London. They helped me locate a reasonably priced hotel for the next two nights and helped me organize an itinerary.

The next day had some magical moments.

I revisited the British Museum and enjoyed the luxury of seeing just the Greek and Roman rooms. It was also much less crowded than it had been in September.

I moved to my new hotel and had the good luck to catch a classic double-decker. There was even an older English gentleman on board who said, “These are the buses of my youth!”

He and I enjoyed delightful conversation until his stop.

I checked in with the concierge at the new hotel and shared my two-day plan with him. He gave his full approval and helped me book a ticket for a show on my final night.

The other highlight of the day was visiting Borough Market. It is one of the most incredible markets I’ve ever visited. I found out later that it is usually closed on Mondays, so I had the pleasure of visiting when it wasn’t crowded. I also picked up some great Christmas gifts and gluten-free goodies!

Lunch at the market was Chaat. Lots of interesting ingredients and gluten-free.

I found dinner on the cheap at a pub round the corner. Yes, it is possible to be on a budget in London. The two meals were around ten pounds each.

On my last day, I toured The Globe Theater and revisited Borough Market and the surrounding shops.

Once again, I found a good, inexpensive lunch by spotting a place called Farmer J. Lots of healthy and gluten-free options!

I then visited Leadenhall Market since it was on my way back to the hotel.

I decided to take an afternoon rest since I had a big night ahead. A little afternoon prosecco (compliments of the hotel) and a nap!

My final night splurge included dinner at Indigo, an all-gluten-free restaurant, and Tina! The dinner and the show were spectacular; I felt good about my bargain-priced last-minute seat, too.

So, in reality, I wasn’t stuck at all. It ended up being a better-than-expected end to my trip. And it wasn’t a big hit on my budget.

One month later, I truly am stuck. The weather has been so cold that one can’t stay outside for long, and I am dog-sitting. There’s nothing like playing chase around the kitchen island!

Just keeping it all in perspective.