London: Meandering Jet-Lagged Through Green Park.

We arrived in London this morning on the early side. So naturally, the rooms in the hotel where Bail and I are staying in Central London were not ready.

(We're here for a birthday celebration week honoring Bail... And it will take us from London to Paris and Bordeaux over the next seven days. Frogger is with us for a few days, but will be tied up with work for most of it. So it's up to Bail and I to find hijinks ourselves.)

Instead of moping that our rooms weren't ready (even though we were severely jet-lagged), we decided to walk through Green Park to Harrod's.

I can't recall ever having walked through it before myself. Every trip to London, prior to this one, has been for business. And it's always had some sort of "miserable" element. I was always very busy, working with people who weren't that organized, for very long hours.

I'd grown to dread coming to London. I associated it with being expensive and frustrating. And I wanted that to change. And as we walked through Green Park, it started to.

I became charmed by the gorgeous Spring coming to life before me.

  

Swans were posing for pictures for us in the garden. And they were taking off and landing in the water nearby.

The black birds (can't tell if they are ravens or crows - thinking ravens) cackled in groups along the pond.

It was warm and sunny out - quite the opposite of Boston. I was in love with this version of London!

We circled back by Buckingham Palace...

And headed up to Harrods for some tea, and in search of a gorgeous red lipstick for Bail.

It was a stunning way to reacquaint me with London. Incredibly pleased.