Mamma mia! What a day! I woke up to the wonderful news that my dear friends had welcomed thier little boy into the world! With that happy thought running through my head I quickly (ish) got myself ready to head off on my next day of adventure. I bought myself a packaged sandwich from WHSmiths for breakfast. Man, I missed those packet sandwiches in Cyprus - so convenient! On the tube and my destination this morning was Warwick Avenue. Cue the now familiar confusion about directions and how to get to where I wanted to go. Now, the map of the Tube I believe is actually quite easy to follow, but somehow I managed to imagine links between lines that didn't exist and ended up having to catch an extra two trains to get back on track and get to Warwick Avenue.

I was going to follow the two hour walk suggested in my guide book along Regent's Canal. The book instructed me to take the left exit out of the tube station, which I did, like a good little tourist. But I started to doubt myself with all of these wrong turns I was taking. Did the book mean left as you come out of the tube station, or left as you were looking at the tube station, which would be right as you come out of the tube....???? To make sure I walked a little way in the other direction, found out the name of the road, studied my map in the book, swivelled the book around so that the orientation of the map lined up with the road I was standing in and where the tube station was... Yep, I had been right first time, it was left as you come out of the tube station! So, I started on my walk. There were some fine Victorian houses along the road, but the real treat was getting to Little Venice. Now this is a London I can get on board with. It is beautiful. I had no idea that London had such wonderful areas to walk along and just be taken up in.

The walk along the canal was spectacular, and I enjoyed it very much. That is, until it started to drizzle. That fine drizzle that only happens in England that makes my hair take on a life of its own (startling the poor locals who were out for an innocent run along the canal) and slowly seeps through your clothes. It was about this point that I started to think that there had better be a pub and a pint waiting for me at the end of this walk somewhere.

The drizzle held off, and after a slight detour (cross the bridge with London zoo to your right - so I walked underneath it. Then turned around and walked back. Hm, cross the bridge. That must mean go over the bridge, right? I go over the bridge, but cant find the left turn or the slope that the book is talking about. A kind local offers to help me, but I baffle her when I read the excerpt from my book and I can see that she is seriously regretting offering to help this particular tourist. I thank her for her time and walk off, crossing the road to check a road sign, crossing back again, going back over the bridge and then finally, I have found the path again) I enter Primrose Hill. Very pretty. Lots of people enjoying the park, and lots of people walking their dogs. Still very thirsty and on the look out for any sign of a beer selling establishment I walked to the top of the hill where my guide book promised me a good view of the city skyline. And by golly it did.

Before I left Cyprus, my good friend Wendy suggested to me in that manner that she does, that I sing a location apropriate song for every place that I visit. Not wanting to let Wendy down I decided this would be a great place to take my little movie of myself singing "London Bridge is falling down". There was one person in the area, but he seemed to be drinking in the view and playing with his dog so I was sure he wouldnt notice me singing away. I tried to combine a sweeping shot of the view with my song, but on playing it back realised that I had zoomed in so much to get the skyline that you couldnt see my face afterwards. The hill top was filling up, so I quickly re-set the zoom and sang my little ditty again. This time on playback I realised that you couldnt hear me... you could see my lips moving to the song, but no sound - apart from the wind blasting accross the top of the hill. Third time lucky, I sang as loud as I dare and did get a couple of strange looks from the various dog walkers, families and toursists that were now gathered on the top of the hill.

Chuffed with myself, I followed the guides instructions to go down the hill, and then, to my delight, the book mentioned a victorian pub called the Queens. Say no more, that will do me nicely. I popped in and had a lovely well deserved half pint of beer - not caring a hoot about the house over the road that apparantly had been the home of some comunist or other at some point in the past. The walk had so far taken be about three hours. The guide book obviously doesnt take into consideration the speed of an English-Cypriot unaccustomed to walking such distances, plus the various detours I had taken by mistake along the way. I still had a little bit to go though, so I finished off my drink and set off again. The walk ended up in Camden and it was certainly a sight to see. What an amazing place full of wonderful smelling food stalls and markets and shops. Its a good thing that I am on a budget and have only a small case with me, because I could have gone to town on those shops! I did discover that this was a part of London where I could claim to be truly unique! I seemed to be the only person not tattoed or pierced in at least ten places and not wearing doc martins!! In fact I got a bit jealous of the piercings, and thought crazily - lets get my tongue pierced. But then I thought that that would be a bit of a thilly thing to do tho dethided noth to do it after all.

On finishing my walk I decided to head back in the direction of Leicester square. I wanted to buy a book and thought I might be able to find that bookshop that I found yesterday. Now then, do you think I could find it again? No. I couldnt. I walked all the way from Leciester square and ended up in bloody Oxford Circus again, got straight back on the tube and headed back to Leicester Square to try again. This time I managed to find it (woo hoo) and popped in, very thankful for the airconditioning. I mooched about for 20 minutes or so and was surprised to see that the streets were all wet when I came out again. It rained for 20 minutes today, and I managed to miss it whilst enjoying browsing the book store! Cool

It was coming up time to go to the theatre, so I went to wagamammas for some noodles (ordered the wrong ones, they were too spicy and I didnt enjoy it very much - plus I just couldnt get the chop sticks to work today. I had walked so much it had started to affect my fingers!) I didnt hang about for too long, stopped by an icecream shop and then it was time for Mamma Mia!

Mamma Mia was FABULOUS!!! Everyone in the audience was up for a good time, apart from the poor narcoleptic a few seats down from me who kept on dozing off through the whole thing. When the first really popular rowdy song got going I heard this dreadful noise coming from somewhere nearby. Somebody who couldnt sing was trying to sing along to her favourite song. Really, there should be signs against this sort of behaviour. But I managed to tune it out and for the rest of the show I was totally absorbed. What an amazing two and a half hours of my life.

End of the show and it was back on the hot stinky tube to head back to the hotel. Apparantly (according to the Evening Standard - London's best read free newspaper dont you know) the tube people have reduced their budget for airconditioning by 25% for this year. Meaning that there just isnt any airconditioning in the tube at the moment. You just have to suffer. Arriving back at my hotel the concierge was a bit surprised to see me. Most guests here just stay for a few hours or overnight while waiting for an early flight, they dont usually get people staying for two or three nights. But here I am, my second night in London, I had a really, really great day and I am pooped, ready for a lovely deep sleep :-)