Leaving London

So last week we bid farewell to our home of the last 14 months, London. We climbed into a black cab on Friday morning to head to Waterloo Station -- the drive took us by Hyde Park, Green Park, Buckingham Palace, then a quick trip past Westminster Abbey and then over the bridge in front of Big Ben to Waterloo. All icons of this great city and it made me very sad. I will say this -- London is far and away the best place I have ever lived and probably ever will.

What I will miss the most:

- Having raw oysters every Sunday at the farmers market behind my flat. The oysters come out of the water at 5am in Maldon and are in my Marylebone backyard at 10am. 6 oysters for a fiver, served by a salty fisherman. Bliss.
- London's skyline -- or lack thereof. The city is low, the charm is in walking the streets rather than looking at the city from afar. My office was only on the 7th floor, and I had a clear view to Big Ben and the London Eye, both about 2 miles away.
- The quiet. Once you leave the mayhem of Soho and Piccadilly behind, the only sounds you hear in most local neighborhoods is the rattle of the black cabs. It can be a very quiet, peaceful city.
- Having Regent's Park just 2 blocks from home. London is full of green spaces everywhere. I could drop you in 3 different parks within Zone 1 where you might as well be in the fields of Virginia (with less rednecks).
- The pubs. They are mostly ancient, the food is often dreadful, the toilets haven't been cleaned since most of them opened in the 1600s. But they are the heart of the city day and night.
- The weather and more importantly, how the city reacts to it. Most days have both rain and sun. People walk with umbrellas literally in their hands in case it starts to rain. And yet outdoor seating is everywhere, and used any time the sun comes out.
- The lifestyle. An article in New Yorker magazine said that if London had a slogan like New York's "I Love NY", it would be "London is just fine for me". It certainly lacks the brashness and edginess of New York. But that fits this ancient city, founded by the Romans as Londinium some 2,000 years ago. And for all its faults, of which there are many (Tube delays, crumbling infrastructure, indifferent service, astronomical prices), it is a magical place.

I hope to one day be back.