Good and Bad Weekend! Walking photos!

[pyat]

The weekend trip to London, Ontario, was mostly positive. The single largest negative factor was the fact that I'm fairly ill. This, combined with insomnia, meant that I spent a great deal of the trip lying in bed, not sleeping. And not for any lascivious reasons, alas.

Still, it was quieter than if we'd stayed home with the girls, and we saw some interesting things, had some fun, and ate some good food. I've always enjoyed visiting London. It has a very strong alternative/geek/fannish community, and the city itself is interesting architecturally and as a place to walk around. It is a large city, but still small enough that it is easily encompassed by a casual tourist.




Our hotel! Built into a 19th century armoury for the local Hussar and artillery regiment.


Interior of the hotel lobby/lounge at night. It was formerly the parade grounds for the armoury, and is now enclosed and roofed, but manages to provide a sort of open air feeling at night.


As the sun went down on Saturday, I went for a long walk. This is one of the many souvlaki stands that dot downtown London. Other cities have hot dog vendors or fish and chips - in London you get souvlaki.


In the middle of this block is City Lights Books, one of the best used book stores I've ever been to. It was closed, but we came back in the morning.


Klingon Graffiti.


Imperial Hobbies after closing time... yet in the back, a game of Warhammer continues. I believe I bought my first copy of Call of Cthulhu here.


One of the many odd alleyways and courtyards that dot downtown London.


Cast-iron spiral staircase leading up to our room.


The interior of City Lights Books, the next day. A veritable maze! This is taken from about halfway down the main aisle - a similar length of store is behind me.


Saucy photo of velvetpage, lying in bed while chatting on the phone.

Comments

[doc-mystery.livejournal.com]

I miss living in London, where I spent 7 years of Medical School and Internal Medicine residency.

Re: Sammy's Souvlaki: this is a city landmark.

Re: City Lights: ditto. At the far R of your photo you can just glimpse LA Mood, London's better gaming store; they also sell comic books.

Re inside City Lights: They have an excellent SF section, towards the back where you can see Shat-Man. Immediately to your right in that photo, close to the counter, is a tall bookshelp full of RPG materials (mostly AD&D, with some WoD).

Re Imperial Hobbies: okay selection, but grumpy owner. Refused to order Robo Ralley for me about 10 years ago because he was feuding with WOTC's policies. I stopped going back regularly, even after he moved.

::B::

[doc-mystery.livejournal.com]

P.S. You should be resting, not posting buddy.

P.P.S. Get well soon!

::B::

[pyat.livejournal.com]

I should be - though I worked all day, albeit from home. Sigh. Tomorrow I'm back in the office!

[pyat.livejournal.com]

I think I bought my Star Wars RPG books at LA Mood.

[hillarygayle.livejournal.com]

Oh, how I envy this trip! Those pictures make me want to visit the place. That cast-iron staircase makes me think your room was dungeon-like or something. ^o^ What is souvlaki? Is it good?

As for velvetpage, she can definitely pull off "saucy" in photos. ^____^

[pyat.livejournal.com]

I think you'd like London! It's fairly quiet town, but there are lots of places to explore.

Alas, there was nothing in or about our bedroom to make it smack of a dungeon!

Nor even a Dragon. :)

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Oh, also, souvlaki is chunks of meat served on a skewer or a pita, with various sauces and herbs. Based on your prior admission of tzatziki ignorance, I feel we should take you and Bryan for Greek food if you visit this way!

[hillarygayle.livejournal.com]

I would LOVE to go for Greek with you! My tzatziki knowledge was less "WTF is that" and more "Oh that's what it's called!" I've had it before, and I love it a lot, but I didn't know that's what it was called.

Little Rock's River Market has a Middle Eastern food stall (Mistress V might've told you about it), and I got a gyros from there when Bryan, Ganon & I came through from Dallas. Oh it was so good. >_

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Excellent. It shall be done!

And Mistress V did not mention it, but I'll quiz her. :)

[hillarygayle.livejournal.com]

Well, I meant the actual Rivermarket itself. We didn't eat at the Mid-eastern food place that day. We all went and got food from Boulevard Bread (most excellent sandwiches on fresh-baked bread with organic ingredients) instead. Tasty. Then we had PIE.

[dagoski.livejournal.com]

I wish I knew London was so cool back when I lived in Michigan. I would've used it as my getaway instead of Toronto.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

It's cheaper and closer - and probably has more game stores!

[mrs-dm.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the pics, Pyat. I always get an attack of nostalgia when I visit London (and see pictures of it). Mostly, I guess, because it's associated with memories of my carefree 20's and pre-baby life with doc_mystery. I wouldn't mind living there again, but there's no way I'd work in the London hospitals again. If you want to see a real dungeon in London, check out the basement emergency room of the Old Victoria Hospital (if it's still open). I spent way too many nights on call there. They referred to it as "The Pit". (Shudder!)

Doc_Mystery and I were going to spend our 10th wedding anniversary (August 22nd) at the Delta Armouries, where we got married. But I think we'll also take a little spring jaunt to London in the next month or two.

B of M

[undeadmuse.livejournal.com]

That bookstore looks just like one we have in Remus, MI. Floor to ceiling books towering over narrow aisles. Every nook and cranny and make-shift shelf filled to the breaking point. You expect to leave the store, turn around, and find nothing but a brick wall where the store used to be, so magical is its aura.

Love it love it love it!

[undeadmuse.livejournal.com]

Whoops, my mistake, it's in Mecosta (http://www.iswara.com/).