Page 22 - WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE DISCOVERING ENGLAND

was leaking a steady amount of water
and when the level dropped to a certain
point, the valve and water pump (jack-
hammer) would kick in to replenish the
reservoir. Exhausted, but mentally sat-
isfied, I slept like a baby for the rest of
the night.

The engineer was back in the morning.
He was skeptical about my theory, but
when a test proved I was correct, he
spent the rest of the morning replacing
all the valves and seals. Life was good
– the bed was still standing and the jack-
hammer was silenced.

Small is Kind of Beautiful

After a day or two, we adjusted to life in
our tiny flat. It was a welcome cocoon, es-
pecially after damp cold days of touring
and on evenings when the rain rattled
against the windows.

Did we enjoy ourselves? Yes. London was
as diverting as ever. The one outstanding
plus about out little abode was location.
We strolled several times through the
John Nash designed green spaces of his-
toric St. James’s Park. And we discovered
the city’s exclusive high-end boutiques,
and upscale cafes in Belgravia, and nearby
Knightsbridge and Kensington.

There was art in abundance at dozens of
galleries and museums within walking
distance. And we experienced our share
of traveler’s luck, by chance hearing a
concert by the Royal Horse Guards, for
example, the included a melancholy ren- Instead of the money we planned to save hotel. We could only envy their tales of
dition of “Skyfall.” A friend took us on a making many of our own meals we ended their free upgrade to a spacious suite,
gallery walk that ended with dinner at up eating out or grabbing some take-out the comforts of room service and free
a fun wine bar; we enjoyed a matinee of because there was no room to do anything booze and the friends made in the com-
“Matilda” and traveled outside of the city in the kitchen except heat the kettle for plimentary club lounge. But I couldn’t
to visit Hampton Court Palace for the coffee in the morning. And in the end, the help myself to ask, with a grin and just
first time. isolation of the tiny flat located in an area a bit of smugness: “That’s nice, but did
with few permanent households did more you have an adventure?”
But our live-like-a-native dream faded to diminish the dream than to facilitate it.
away quickly. We never saw, much less Left: Ron and Mary’s flat was located on Buck-
met, anyone in our building. The nearby Would we rent a flat again in London? ingham Gate road which was populated with
pubs catered mostly to office workers and Probably not. But given the right circum- architecturally significant non-residential
generally were all but empty during the stance we would give it another shot… buildings like this one. Right: The Westmin-
day and many evenings, except Thursdays especially if were traveling with a larger ster neighborhood is home to a great many
and Fridays when they were too crowded group of friends or family– maybe in Tus- historic pubs like this one on Victoria Street a
to get a seat. All were busy talking to each cany or in the French wine country. few blocks away from the flat.
other, much too involved with each other On our last day, we had dinner with
to adopt a stray couple of Yanks. our cruise buddies who had opted for a

22 Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2014