London was the third stop on our summer travels, as July turned to August.

The first time I visited London was way back in 1981.   That was also the first time I left the USA, except for the time I went to Canada for the Toronto worldcon in 1993; I was over in the UK for six weeks on that first trip, traveling everywhere from Scotland to Cornwall, on the theory that if I was going to cross that great big ocean, I might as well see everything there was to see.   I did not even come close, needless to say, but I loved what I did see… museums and castles, battlefields and bookshops, Hadrian’s Wall and Cecil Court and so much more.  I have lost track of how many times I’ve been there since, and yet there’s still so much to see and do.  London remains one of my favorite cities.

As usual,  we combined business and pleasure, starting with a delightful lunch with my British editor, Jane Johnson, and her team from Harper Collins Voyager.

Across the street from our restaurant a chess game was in progress.   Love it.

When I was not doing writer stuff, I did tourist stuff, including a ride in the London Eye.   First time I’ve gotten up in it; on previous visits the lines were always too long.

We also took advantage of the West End, and checked out five plays, among them PEOPLE, PLACES, AND THINGS, scripted by Duncan Macmillan, the playwright who is adapting the tourney at Harrenhal for the stage.  I think we’re in good hands.  Duncan’s play was dark, powerful, and intense.   We grabbed a lunch at our hotel a few days before seeing the play, and talked about THE IRON THRONE.

I am told that the show is coming along splendidly.   Our team did a run-through for the managers of a score of West End theatres (before we arrrived, alas, so we did not get to see it), and the excitement we palpable, we hear.   We have not nailed down our opening day yet (next year, most likely), but it looks as though we will have our choice of theatres.

We also got together with Maisie Williams for pizza and pasta, and talked about… well, no, better not get into that, do not want to jinx it.  But it could be so much fun.   And we swung by Locke & Co, Hatters, the oldest hat shop in the UK, where Winston Churchill used to get his headware, and we bought some hats.  (What else?)

A splendid few days, all in all, but of course the time went by too fast, and it was time to move on.

Oxford was waiting.

 

Current Mood: happy