Winter in London

Melancholy wins. The sky is gray and light is dull. I had planned this day for taking pictures and posting an exciting blog; but find my efforts stifled by a wintry cold front….and I haven’t even stepped outside.

Last few trips to London over the years have been with family, and it’s been go go go. See this, do that, eat here, drink there, check in, check out, and cram as much into every day as possible. London is fun, right?

Now I’m back here on my own, with free time, and the only journey I want to take is inward. 25 years ago this was my playground. But it was also my home, and to be back here in winter brings back all the winter memories I had long forgotten. How cold it is, how gray it is, and how to make the best of a dreary day.

I had a student rail pass (in the days of BritRail), and when the rains came down, I would get on a train and just ride, anywhere. I’d carry only my journal and a camera, and sometimes I’d return with a few pages full, other times a few rolls full. But my journey would always take me somewhere, finding a new place I hadn’t yet discovered, a person I was meant to meet, a story waiting to be told. I’d return all the better and wiser for the experience.

Now I’m here and I’ve been gifted with an oyster card (London Transport), and it’s screaming at me to be let loose and go for a ride. All right, little tube/bus/train pass, you win. Euston – Watford. Slow train. In the rain.

For a completely different take on London, read Summer in London.

(This post contributed to Photo Friday at Delicious Baby)