London : Snow Day!


London : Snow Day!

Sunday (6th April), was our last official day in our flat in Willesden Green and London brought us such a surprise that even we didn't expect that morning! Steve and I woke up about 8am and realised it was snowing outside. We didn't realise to what extent until we scrambled into our clothes and stepped outside. Everything was covered in snow, blanket white everywhere!The cars were snowed over and even the foot paths had begun to look like a snow field. Having said that, spring had sprung two days prior. On Friday, while Steve was tackling his final day at Freshfields, I took myself to Bond St to take in the city for one last time.. It was a glorious day and the temperature had reached an almost spring defined 18C.... I found myself taking my jacket off in the middle of Oxford St and thinking to myself "Wow, I feel hot!"

What a glorious going away present! Steve and I grabbed our camera and took ourselves for a walk around the neighbourhood to grab some spectacular pictures. It was truly unbelievable. The snow flakes were so big and so fluffy that they even stuck to vertical surfaces. Mum had always told me stories about walking to school in the snow where the snow crunched under your shoes and when the snowflakes fell onto your eyes it would stick your eyelid down momentarily. I didn't believe her, until today..

Steve and I so badly wanted to go down to Gladstone Park to go and have a snow play, but we were moving out today and had a number of things to do to finalise our flat. We unfortunately had to head back to our place to pack up the cases we were taking on our trip and to clean up the flat to an acceptable manner in which to retrieve Steve's bond.

I was also expecting a visit from Cheryl to pick up the last of our belongings. For those of you who don't know the story - Cheryl and I went to the same University and studied the same course (with different majors) at Monash in Churchill. We hadn't really seen each other in a few years and then randomly bumped into each other at a Sommerfield's near Queen's Park where Steve and I lived between June - September 2007. We really couldn't believe each others eyes that day. I think we both thought we were dreaming. To randomly bump into one another a million miles away from home just seemed an impossibility. It really gives you an idea of how small the world can truly be.

I made a frantic trip on the tube to Marylebone to help Cheryl get our belongings across to her home, and returned just before the landlord came to pick up the keys and check on the flat. After that, Steve and I said our little goodbye to what had been our home for 6 months and took what was left of our lives (packed into small suitcases) and caught our train to the hotel room we had booked for two nights at North Greenwich. By the time we reached North Greenwich around 3pm, the snow had almost all melted. What we had witnessed this morning, now, seemed like a dream. It felt like we had blinked and it had all been taken away from us.

The 6th April 2008, was a big day in London for a couple of significant reasons. Firstly, the snow had been a spectacular surprise. Secondly, the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay took place from Wembley Park and finished at the 02 Arena (in North Greenwich) about a 5 min walk from our hotel room. The relay was plagued with protestors for Tibet from start to finish and made the news all over the world. Thirdly, there was an FA Cup Semi Final on at Wembley Park as well. All in all, it was a very busy day for London!

Our hotel room in North Greenwich is really nice. We have a comfortable room, and at least a kettle and some small supply of tea and coffee... as well as breakfast included in the cost per night. I think after all the late nights and the bother of having to move out of a flat (AGAIN!) had taken its toll, because we just suddenly both felt exhausted....and crawled into our soft, spongy bed..and hoped to get a good nights sleep for our final day in London!

Photos of Snow Day in London : http://picasaweb.google.com/hillsj/LondonSnowDay

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