Oh London

After leaving cozy Porto, we flew back to London via Ryanair on a One Euro fare. Can you believe that? Can it get any cheaper? With fares that low, it's really easy to never use the train again ... until the oil runs out, that is.

So we flew Ryanair for the 3rd time and it was a bit more pleasant than flying before. I used to be a junior airline snob since I had friends like Joe and Ross who the only people they were monogamous to were their respective airline and their loyalty scheme. (Zinger!) The thought of flying Southwest was worse than wearing a brown belt with black shoes. This one time Joe joked about wearing a big hat and sunglasses when we had fly Southwest from Chicago-Midway to Columbus. (Thankfully to Joe we were prepared. He brought on a couon book and practically threw it at the flight attendant when she brought the drink cart down the aisle.) Back to Ryanair ... its safe and clean. Its no frills to the extreme. Their seats don't recline, the rarely have seat backs pouches and you are bombarded by advertising every turn you make. They are an extreme cost cutting baraccuda that has brought tourism to small European cities (Porto, anyone?).

So we flew back to London-Stansted and landed around 11:30pm then flying through customs and rushing to catch an hour long train back to Liverpool Station. Gav and I got into what I call an "Amazing Voyage Fight", and didn't make it to Ryan's house until well past 1:30am. We were so exhausted from our full day that we promptly fell asleep and missed out on a Saturday night that featured Jason E's birthday and Graham's P's going away party. (Check out his website and blog. He's fab.) We got a good night's sleep and went to the Columbia Road market on Sunday with Ryan and let me tell you ... I was in hog heaven. There are few things in life I enjoy more than a real town street market. My love affair with the bazaar must have happened back when, as a 17 year old, Chaired the South Hilo 4-H Federation Country Store and oversaw and orchestrated a multi thousand sale of pies, cookies, breads, crafts, plants, preserves, sushi game and much more. I love myself a street fair! Ryan and Gav drank fabulous coffee as I made small talk (and attempted to use my French learned) with a nice French girl who was selling fresh oysters on the half shell from England. For one pound, she would grab an oyster out of a bucket, clean it off, pull out her knife and schuck the thing for you! Squeeze a fresh lemon and add a bit of tobasco and I was in HEAVEN. Yum!

Oh London ... I love you so!