A Song From The Wrong Side Of Town

My 08 summer holiday took me to London for a week. In December. Well, better late than never, right? :)

I had plenty of chances to hang out with friends and my brother who lives there, and I had enough alone-time to be sufficiently introvert for my liking. Still, I can not help wish I'd stayed at home instead, because most of the time what I really wanted to do was to sit down in peace and quiet with a book and some good music! That said, I had a lovely time.

Definitive highlights were football and ale in Stanhope Arms Wednesday evening, beer with my brother and Mike in Ye Old Cheshire Cheese on Thursday, and expensive lunch in the best Italian ever on Friday. I only got around to find one open knitting shop (I Knit London), and apart from a lovely, bulky merino/cashmere blend I did not find much of interest. Also, the staff was a right disaster and I'd not recommend people to go out of their way to seek the place out.

I stayed in the Gallery Hotel in South Kensington, my standard area of residence whenever I go to London. I've never been to this particular hotel before, but it was good, clean and quiet, and fit me perfectly.

Before my trip I spent a couple of days at my mother's place in Porsgrunn, which was nice as I hadn't seen her for a while. We had some good food, and I finally brought her up to speed on how to use her internet banking. Coming back from London I've spent three nights at Holmen in Asker, which has more or less become my second home over the last months.

Sunday evening I was taken to see Monomen and Ladytron in Rockefeller as a belated birthday present. I've never seen either on stage before, and didn't really know what to expect. Monomen (think Joy Division, Interpol or ILYBICD) have been widely praised for their onstage performance, whereas the experience of watching Ladytron has been likened to "watching paint dry". I can easily sign off on Monomen, they were exceptionally brilliant and it's a right shame they were only the warm-up act. Rumours have it they'll be releasing a new album next spring (they played a new song, and it was _excellent_), so I'll definitely seek them out in concert again.

Ladytron were not at all as bad as I expected. One of the leading ladies did a weirdo Eastern European chant thing that turned me off completely, but the other one was quite all right, and all the songs I actually like by the band she performed well, if a bit still-standing. It was their last gig of an 8 month tour, and that might have helped on their willingness to give a bit more than usual. I don't know, but it was a good evening and I had fun.

Today Finnair will take me back home, and I have to say I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed and rummaging around my own bathroom. Funny how, however ambivalent I might be at times with regards to living in Finland, home is still home and there is no place like it.