I'm back!!
I'm knackered and really appreciating the fact it's Friday tomorrow, but me and Matthew had a really good time away. 2 hotels, 1 gig, dozens of tube stops, a museum, a Bunderson catch up and a cinema trip. A busy one for sure. Now sit back, relax and read all about it!
Let's start with Friday. We travelled to London in 1st class glory all thanks to Matthew's quick thinking in booking the tickets. Well, there is a whole story about the train tickets, however I wouldn't want to embarrass him......Ok ok, he bought the wrong day on the advanced tickets and realised too late to get more advanced fares so had to pay normal price for the outward bound journey. A silly mistake, yes, but one that lead us to sitting 1st class and cosy. We even had snacks. A table. The seats were leather. There were curtains. Whetting your appetite? Well the added bonus (which we discovered later) was that we were entitled to complimentary snacks! Well as you can imagine, it was fair game at that point and Matthew made sure he stashed some snacks away for later as we got off the train at Paddington.
 |
| The first (and probably only) time I sit in 1st class |
Our first hotel was at Docklands. The plan originally was to go to the O2 on Friday evening to see Flight of the Conchords, however, the gig was cancelled after Brett went and broke his hand. Well done Brett- gosh! After we checked into the hotel, we went for wander around the area and then had dinner at the hotel as most of the places around the hotel were takeaway restaurants. Our dinner was relatively uneventful...apart from one small thing- a pizza cutter. Matthew ordered pizza and when he went to cut it with his pizza cutter, we were both left shocked as the pizza cutter proceeded to fall apart completely. Suffice to say, he found the knife and fork approach much more fruitful.
Saturday morning. The day of the Evanescence Synthesis concert. The day also, for a swift hotel transfer to Southwark. This end of London was a lot more lively so we went out for lunch and a quick exploring jaunt before going over to the Royal Festival Hall for the concert. I had bought a nice red dress for the evening thinking orchestral based concert = something a bit nicer than leggings and a top. Matthew however, had not thought in quite this way, so while we were out exploring and lunching, we made a pit stop where we looked for something Festival-Hall-fancy.
 |
| A lovely view of London from our hotel |
Our tickets for the show were VIP and we were instructed to get to the venue for 6:15pm in order to get the best VIP experience. It's also worth pointing out now that we got the less VIP ish VIP tickets. There was also super VIP on offer where you could sip champagne with Amy Lee, get a picture with the band, a seat at their sound check as well as other exclusive merchandise. We were to line up for our exclusive merchandise before awaiting our early entry before the regular folk. Well, the reality was somewhat a little on the disappointing (and smelly!) side. The reality went as follows....We got to the venue early in time to queue up for the start of our experience. Around half 6 a member of staff came over with a box full of what I could only guess was our merchandise. The handing out then began in an orderly fashion. The expectations were mixed; some cynical, some hopeful. One by one, we all got to open our bags and one by one we all knocked back by the same plastic bag stench. The smell is indescribable almost, but it is one that is unmistakable, not to mention unmissable! Once I'd got over the bag smell, I grabbed what was inside and was greeted with a feeling of deflation. A signed tour programme- fine. A VIP lanyard- ok. a set of 4 matching coasters in a cheap protective bag- not ok. What a bloody cheek! On wow, the smell again! Everyone had the exact same to say about these bags. They had the same characteristic of asbestos- the less it's touched or is visible the better! After we'd all put these bio-hazardous bags away and put on our VIP lanyards, we waited for our early entry. Well, I say early. What they actually meant was 10 minutes before the rest of the riff-raff. 10 whole minutes. Gee-bloody-whizz!
 |
| That smelly bag (background) with our exclusive merchandise. |
Soon the concert was starting with an introduction to the orchestra and already it was shaping up to be a brilliant concert. Evanescence came on afterwards and pleased the crowd with orchestral versions of their best hits including Bring Me to Life, My Immortal and My Heart is Broken. With Synthesis the band aimed to create a unique sound by bringing together their greatest hits and adding a orchestral twist on them. This ambition was more than realised on Saturday with the band and Amy Lee coming together to create a synthesis of sound that added a fantastic atmospheric tone to their best loved songs. The highlights for me were My Heart is Broken and My Immortal. These were already my favourite Evanescence songs, but the orchestra synthesis added depth and brought out parts of the song that I didn't notice as much in the original version.
 |
| A standing ovation |
After 2 hours of fantastic synthesis sound, it was time to make our way back to the hotel. We did take out the bio-hazardous bags again but immediately regretted it and put them away deep, deep inside Matthew's cavernous bag.
Easter Sunday was soon upon us and as it was a Bank Holiday, not much was open for us to do, and if they were open, the open hours were minimal. We decided to go and see the Museum of London. Mum had told me about this museum and said it included interesting exhibits about London's key moments in history such as the Great Fire and the Plague. The Mulie verdict was that this museum is interesting in the modern London section. This section also included a mock Victorian town complete with shops that you can explore and get a taste of what London may have looked like way back when. Whenever I look around museums that explore historical events, I find myself wondering what people from then would think of us now and what if we could go back in time and tell them what is about to happen so all the pain and suffering could be avoided. Would they think we've made progress? Ok, so obviously to a caveman or a Tudor, Wifi and mobile phones are a significant improvement in the face of it, but in the bigger picture, or even as a society have we really progressed? An existential question for us all to ponder prehaps?
 |
| The Museum of London |
After the museum, we wandered around the area wondering what to do next. By this time, it was 3pm and everything was shut or shutting for the day. We went to have some lunch at Leon and then decided to head back and give into the subdued nature of Easter Sunday. We also shared a Maltesers Easter egg after our dinner that evening. What? You really thought we would go to London for a Mulie weekend away at Easter and not take an Easter egg? It was very yummy obviously. We watched some Sunday night movies on the TV and then went to sleep before our final day in the Capital.
Monday. Our last full day in London. Again, as this was a Bank Holiday, activities were in short supply. We decided to head over to Leicester Square to the Picture house cinema to watch the new Wes Anderson film, Isle of Dogs. I'd not watched any Wes Anderson films before, but judging by this film, his directorial style is very...unique. This stop motion story was about a place called Megasaki City who were by governmental decree, exiling all dogs to Trash Island among an outbreak of snout rot. One boy and a young protester then fight against the government corruption in an attempt to contest the exiling and bringing the dogs home to the city. The style was unlike anything I've ever watched before and while I wasn't blown away, I found myself warming to it a little.
Once we'd finished in the cinema we went to Shake Shack for lunch. We'd never been in a Shake Shack before but had heard good things. The food was nice but nothing mind blowing. After lunch we went to explore the bustling streets of Leicester Square before stopping off at Cafe Concerto for an amazing cream tea. Matthew got a mille- feuille he'd had his eye on all day, and I got a scone, jam and cream with a delicious hot chocolate. Jade came to meet us here and we had a lovely catch up while walking around London. After briefly wandering Oxford Street, me and Matthew parted with Jade and made our way back to the hotel to get packed for our journey home the next day.
 |
| Our delicious cream tea |
Finally, after almost a week away, it was time to say goodbye to London- for now at least! The train home was nothing short of loud and uncomfortable. Forget the child kicking the back of your chair scenario- try having two children opposite you sprawled across the chair kicking you in the legs. Meand Matthew both battled this battering as well as the overly-loud laughter from the group of peoplebehind us. After Bicester Village where nearly everyone got off, the journey was fine and our legs slowly recovered but we certainly were glad to be back in Oxford.
Our trip was lovely even if the weather wasn't and while for now, we've had our fill of London, we will be back in June for more bargain ribs at the Hard Rock Cafe, museums, gigs and more hotels than you can shake a smelly bag at! Seriously, that bag.....I can still smell it now and it's not even here!!
Until next week folks, bye for now!
Share your thoughts :