Style + filth = London

I mean that in the nicest possible way. We're staying in Hoxton, once a light industrial area in the process of being trendified: ad agencies, nightclubs, young urban inner city types. In Sydney terms first impressions are a cross between Newtown and Surry Hills.

The second leg of the flight was in eventful. We were impressed with the service standards on Etihad, and the food was surprisingly good. If I had a complaint it would be they didn't bring around enough water, especially noticeable this leg as the plane was much hotter. Maybe it's part of some bad-ass camel-inspired Bedouin training regime.

I love the in-flight entertainment systems these days so many choices. Being an Arabic airline, when I first switched on the audio it was playing the Quran. I listened for a few minutes, and it was good, but rockin' it pretty hard. I had to switch over to AC/DC's Back in Black to help me wind it back.
Movie-wise I went for GI Joe:Retaliation. You know a film's a dud when it gets you cheering for the bad guys. Although I did switch allegiance back to the Joes after Cobra Commander obliterates London. WTF? Dude, that's where I'm going for my holiday!!!

It was a relief to arrive and find out London was still intact. I was reasonably sure it was just a movie, and not a documentary but when you're sleep deprived you're never quite sure.

Arrival and customs was painless, apart from a short period of anxiety when the transport we booked wasn't waiting, and I found out my phone wasn't working. The driver did show up, not too late, which gave Emma her first experience of a classic black London cab.

London is still in the tail end of its recent heat wave. It was a hideous 18 degrees C/ 64 degrees Fahrenheit. In fairness the locals weren't complaining, but we were surprised how humid it was. Sydney was drier than this when we left.

We're staying at the Oakwood Apartments in Curtain Road. Shakespeare's plays were performed in a theatre near here before he moved to the Globe Theatre. From the 17th to the 19th century it was a centre for the textile industry. And we're not far from the area Jack the Ripper was busy doing his bit for the tourism trade.

The name of the street has nothing to do with Shakespeare (theatre curtains), textiles ("we'd like to order silk curtains") or Jack ("it's curtains for you, my dear!"). It's named because it was near the "curtain wall", part of the medieval London city wall.

Like you cared.

The apartments are fantastic. From the outside the building is pokey, inside they're huuuuuuuge. Possibly built by Timelords as a prototype for the TARDIS.*

Simon, the nephew, dropped in after work. I expected a few tears from Emma - he's a jerk, but we miss the guy - but it felt like we'd barely been apart. In a good way.

He's loving London, and took us to one of his favourite restaurants with two of his friends, Guy and Shira. The restaurant was phenomenal, a Bombay steet-style restaurant called Dishoom. Great variety, and not too spicy (although Simon had a moment with a chilli after thinking it was a strong bean. Here he is doing it again with another chilli. Lunatic.).

Then the jetlag kicked in, our bodies insisting it was around 6am and we hadn't been to bed.
Easily fixed. 

*Snore*

* This will be incomprehensible to anybody who isn't a Dr Who fan.