Any excitement or relief felt as the plane landed that afternoon in London was soon replaced by exhaustion, confusion and frustration as Heathrow airport robbed me of my high spirits. What a nightmare. For such a major airport it's horribly signed and full of clueless people. Anyway, we got on a train to Paddington station eventually and struggled with our luggage down the cobblestone sidewalk for a couple of blocks down London Street until we got to the Radnor Hotel. It's right near Hyde Park and has Russian employees and a very talkative elevator. It was dark when we arrived (about 5pm) and we went for a walk along the border of Hyde Park. Watching the big red double decker buses whiz past by the dozen was such a thrilling novelty. Even with the icey English air drawing roses on my cheeks it was hard to believe I was finally in England. Nothing afterwards would compare to the feeling I got the very first time I was brushing shoulders with indifferent Londoners, watching cyclists dare their way through beeping black cabs, all the while finally feeling like I'd found the place I wanted to live.
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