I am loving London right now. I’ve been here before, several times: 1978, 1981, 1983 (for a few months that time), 2002, 2011, 2012.  On my first trip I was an 18 year old with a backpack, a student Eurailpass, and a full three months of summer stretching ahead of me. London was a pretty amazing place to launch the adventure. But I think I’m enjoying it even more this time around.

It’s hard to say why. Maybe because it’s more familiar, and I can visit all my favorite places. Maybe it’s that I’ve already seen the stuff you’re supposed to see, and now I can just do what I want. Or maybe it’s that I’m a grownup with a real job and can afford to go to a show EVERY SINGLE NIGHT!

Alekka and I saw “The Cripple of Inishmaan,” starring Daniel Radcliffe.  We were so close I could have hit him with a Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Bean.

Then we saw War Horse, a play about a horse in World War I featuring horse-sized puppets (and live humans).

Lastly we saw the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory musical at Drury Lane.  Catchy songs. Impressive special effects. Awesome Oompa Loompas.

And we already have our tickets for Gabriel, a new play at Shakespeare’s Globe, for the night before we head back to Addis in August.