urgent announcement from across the pond
Ah, Westminster...Who knew how much I would come to adore you?
Westminster is beyond impressive. It's beautiful and massive and the wonder of it can stand on it's own. They have a free audio tour, though, which tells you all about it on this little phone thing. There are numbers around the Abbey telling you what to dial to have it tell you about certain locations. After listening to the introduction, I started walking toward the first one, but stopped to read the inscriptions on memorials. As I stood there, a tall, dark, and handsome man came and asked me if he had missed the first station. I assured him he hadn't, and we shared a smile, both saying we didn't want to miss anything.
We then continued around the cathedral at the same pace, reading things other people were passing, taking the time to look in every nook and cranny. It was like we were there together, but not. At the end there's a place where you can walk down one nave to leave or another to go to a museum. He walked down the first nave. I got annoyed with him. He was ruining my plan. I had decided to ask him to tea, and here he had left. But then he came back, so we were good. But then there was a place where you could go to a courtyard that had a cafe, or head out through the gift shop. He went to the courtyard. Then I was very annoyed. Hello, how can I ask you to tea if you're out having tea without me? Why didn't you ask me to join you, you dolt?
I went to the gift shop but took my time. And he didn't come. And he didn't come. Finally I went to buy some postcards. As I was in line, he came in. And so I made my purchase, then walked around aimlessly, trying to look like I had a reason to be there. I passed him looking at some umbrellas and asked him how he could come to London without one, he laughed at himself, and went back to shopping (smartly refusing to pay £10 for an umbrella). I didn't want to look like I was stalking him completely, so I went and made a purchase; he made one right after me. And so we ended up at the door together. (Yeah, so I took a long time opening my umbrella. What's your point?)
And so, being in Europe where I said I was determined to come out of my shell, I be-ed a hussy.
'You're welcome to share my umbrella, but you'd have to be going in my direction.'
'What direction are you headed?'
'I don't know yet, but I was thinking of lunch.'
'I was thinking that, too.'
'Well, if you don't want to eat alone, you can join me.'
'That'd be nice.'
Oh, and did I mention he's Australian? Cuz he is. Though his parents imigrated there from Italy in the '60s. So he's all dark and handsome and all Aussie sounding.
We took a look at Big Ben, then headed toward Trefalger Square. We found a restaurant along the way where we stopped to dry off and have our late lunch. (And I sat there repeating to myself over and over, 'Oh my gosh, I just asked a guy out! A handsome stranger - I asked him out! I rock!' But I actually didn't feel giddy. I felt relaxed...and proud.)
Then we headed across the square to the National Gallery, and spent time looking at and discussing the art. It was lovely. We got along so well, and he was so easy to talk to. So nice.
And then his girlfriend called to say she was done with work and ready to meet up with him.
Westminster is beyond impressive. It's beautiful and massive and the wonder of it can stand on it's own. They have a free audio tour, though, which tells you all about it on this little phone thing. There are numbers around the Abbey telling you what to dial to have it tell you about certain locations. After listening to the introduction, I started walking toward the first one, but stopped to read the inscriptions on memorials. As I stood there, a tall, dark, and handsome man came and asked me if he had missed the first station. I assured him he hadn't, and we shared a smile, both saying we didn't want to miss anything.
We then continued around the cathedral at the same pace, reading things other people were passing, taking the time to look in every nook and cranny. It was like we were there together, but not. At the end there's a place where you can walk down one nave to leave or another to go to a museum. He walked down the first nave. I got annoyed with him. He was ruining my plan. I had decided to ask him to tea, and here he had left. But then he came back, so we were good. But then there was a place where you could go to a courtyard that had a cafe, or head out through the gift shop. He went to the courtyard. Then I was very annoyed. Hello, how can I ask you to tea if you're out having tea without me? Why didn't you ask me to join you, you dolt?
I went to the gift shop but took my time. And he didn't come. And he didn't come. Finally I went to buy some postcards. As I was in line, he came in. And so I made my purchase, then walked around aimlessly, trying to look like I had a reason to be there. I passed him looking at some umbrellas and asked him how he could come to London without one, he laughed at himself, and went back to shopping (smartly refusing to pay £10 for an umbrella). I didn't want to look like I was stalking him completely, so I went and made a purchase; he made one right after me. And so we ended up at the door together. (Yeah, so I took a long time opening my umbrella. What's your point?)
And so, being in Europe where I said I was determined to come out of my shell, I be-ed a hussy.
'You're welcome to share my umbrella, but you'd have to be going in my direction.'
'What direction are you headed?'
'I don't know yet, but I was thinking of lunch.'
'I was thinking that, too.'
'Well, if you don't want to eat alone, you can join me.'
'That'd be nice.'
Oh, and did I mention he's Australian? Cuz he is. Though his parents imigrated there from Italy in the '60s. So he's all dark and handsome and all Aussie sounding.
We took a look at Big Ben, then headed toward Trefalger Square. We found a restaurant along the way where we stopped to dry off and have our late lunch. (And I sat there repeating to myself over and over, 'Oh my gosh, I just asked a guy out! A handsome stranger - I asked him out! I rock!' But I actually didn't feel giddy. I felt relaxed...and proud.)
Then we headed across the square to the National Gallery, and spent time looking at and discussing the art. It was lovely. We got along so well, and he was so easy to talk to. So nice.
And then his girlfriend called to say she was done with work and ready to meet up with him.
posted by melilotnfosco | 9:07 PM
9 Comments:
Good for you stepping out a bit! Sounds like a fun afternoon. :-)
and now you know you can do it :)
Wow!! Good for you!!! (Boo for his girlfriend, of course.) :)
And kind of boo for him for not acting like he had one! Men. But yeah, way to go! And the trip only just started!
Oh Westminster! That must have been so surreal! And fasinating!
And good for you going out on a limb like that! And I agree with Chelley- the girlfriend should not have been a surprise at that point! He totally should have worked her into the conversation WAY before the lunch! Good grief! Turns out he's not the kind of guy for you! But hey -you're only a few days in and look at the adventure you had! And how brave you were!! I think this trip is going to be one of those major turning point events in your life!!
grrr...That ending was not fun...but I agree with hobbitsis and chelley...
Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oi Oi Oi!
I'm glad you had a great day with a guy and initiated lunch, too! So proud of you. It was just practice for the real deal, the single Christian man who will initiate clear signals! Also Kimberly's right, he should have worked a mention of her into the conversation ages ago out of respect for her AND you. Although, I would have to assume you probably weren't hussy enough for him to be worried you were interested in him as more than a friend, which might have prompted him to mention the girlfriend. Know what I mean? ;-)
Anyway, I like wandering big castles and historical domiciles, too! I like to listen to each thing and make sure I didn't miss anything, even though ten days later I'll forget most everything I learned about it. It's just fun to imagine life as it was in those places. Amazing.
Nearly a week without a post -- I hope this means you're having a rip roaring good time :-)
it means i don't have computer access in the evening when i could use it. too busy during the day!
and in all fairness to him, he did mention her at lunch. it just made a better story the way i told it. ;)
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