the england journal- ciao bella!

Chapters

-Getting there
-First impressions
-Ah, Manchester
-Man U - Valencia
-Game on
-On to London
-Art & relics
-Shakespeare reduced, Belushi's gets a wake-up call
-Scams, Hard Rock, & free cheese
-Ciao Bella
-Flowers, mushrooms, slugs & lettuce
-Let it snow, Ice Princess
-Fabric, Yazoo, Frijj
-Euston, we have a problem
-The best half I never saw
-Final thoughts

London

Read my journal entries from Europe here.

Took the time to work on this journal. I keep seeing this Spanish chick from our room. Passed her and she waved, and then I went downstairs to work on this journal and she was there smoking (does anyone not smoke around here?). Eventually, I got kicked out of the downstairs because there was going to be some sort of private function being held there. Came up to the room to work on this and there she was. People were trying to sleep but what the hell. Gotta be carefree some time on this trip.

Her story (I heard a lot of it): She's a model, Spanish, living part time in Milan, Madrid and who knows where else. Seems high maintenance, but that's not too surprising. She blames the French guy in our room for stealing her wallet. Perhaps I should watch out for both of them... She had plenty of stories to tell... I think I was there only for them to be heard. Even if that's the case, it doesn't matter. She's willowy, exotic, attractive and different, most of which make up for an attitude and that damned tobacco habit. Case in point: she complains about going to the sauna alone, yet she doesn't want a guy with her. Afterward, she complained about how boring it was alone. I offered (you wouldn't?), so why should I sympathize? I guess some things aren't that different overseas...

I invited her out tonight, but I'll be shocked if she comes. Techno supposedly ain't her thing, and she's a playa, so she certainly doesn't need us to make her away-from-Milan relaxation time worthwhile. We'll see what happens. Maybe I'll have to get a picture as proof that I didn't imagine this whole thing.

Boy, that was anticlimactic. Jason and I were too tired and were worried we wouldn't be able to last until the tube was running again, had we gone to a club. We ended up going to Belushi's again. Talk about some weak sauce. The music was pathetic this time around. Nothing danceable for the first couple of hours, but I stuck around nonetheless. I can't believe these people are this staid on the dance floor. The only other person letting loose was an Aussie gal we met. Jason went to bed early and I stuck around until the music finally became somewhat palatable. By that time, the place was roaring drunk, yet still nobody else was into the dancing. It only went until two, ending with rousing Brit anthems by the Beatles and Robbie Williams. That was actually quite a sight, seeing everyone singing along. Now if only the folks here would put all that energy--along with the energy they put into making out and dropping glasses (happened about 20 times during the night)--into their dancing, there would really be a party.