[INSIGHT TRAVEL - EUROPEAN GRANDEUR] - London, Day 2

DAY 3 - SEPTEMBER 1, 2002
LONDON, THE MILLENIUM GLOUCESTER HOTEL
ROOM 230 (1537H, GMT)

A nice easy day today. At breakfast, the maitre was a Filipina named Anita - nice lady, just about ready to retire in a few years. We had a nice chat with her, and a full breakfast, as well. We got out of the hotel at around 0930H or so, then off to the Tube station for the trip out to Oxford Street. Smooth going all the way, and got out at Oxford Circus.

What we did yesterday with Mama's search for Marks and Spencer, we did again today, searching for rhw Principles for Men store that was selling Dad's cotton boxers at 9 pounds/pair. Ended up taking a walk towards Marble Arch until we found it, not far from the Bond Street Station. From Principles, we went to The Body Shop where Ma picked up a bottle of Vitamin E lotion and eye cream.

This trip out, I found something to cheer me up. The EasyEverything internet shop that Janet from XPFC said I should look out for. Caught up with the most important mails on the Kuruda list and my own cheerful.com account. No mail from my hubby yet, but then it's early days, I guess. I do miss hearing from him, though. \\shrug\\ Ah, well. Maybe at the next stop.

From EasyEverything, Mama pulled me into the HMV record/video store and told me to go buy something. Decided to poke around all the floors and wanted to bring home the entire basement selling videos at three for 20 pounds - stuff that would put Astrovision to shame. They even had one whole section of videos of old TV series : The Saint, Ironside, The Persuaders, to name a few. I saw the XF video of Closure and am now wondering how come it's not in Manila yet. I'm sure if I'd gone on poking around, I'd have found some anime videos, and that would have really blown me away!! Argh. But what I did walk away with was something worth keeping : three 2-CD box sets of great music. A Marlene Dietrich/RITA HAYWORTH set, Scott Joplin and Ragtime Classics, Romantic Music. All in all, 100 selections of songs you'd never find in Manila.

Would have gone strolling about some more, except the weather turned antsy on us and sent us scurrying back to the safety of the Bond Street Tube station and then to familiar territory.

Dinner tonight is from Waitrose's - where else? - chicken (roast) and rice pilaf, anchovies and the leftover bread (whole wheat) we had. Actually the abovementioned was lunch, together with bananas - so that rather fixes up up for dinner. We're eating light, certainly. If we keep up this way, we should even manage to lose weight!

Time to go down and check out the Boots at the Gloucester Road station. It's been a pretty good day - might even get some writing done!