London Calling

I've been thinking a lot about London recently.  First, because the riots there are currently all over the news. Second, good friends of ours in London just had their first child, a lovely little girl (congrats R&A!).  Third, I simply love London.  My first trip there was four years ago September, then we were fortunate enough to return just two years later.  I think my internal travel clock must think its time to go back. (International travel with an infant? No, thank you.)

First, the riots.  Although I am loathe to say that I am an Anglophile, the term fits.  I love the culture, the landscape, the accents, even the food.  It has been heartbreaking for me to watch such a wonderful old city be destroyed by its residents.  What causes a people to turn on their own Country? I know the political climate here in the U.S. has been strained (at best) recently, but I sincerely hope that we don't get to the same level of unrest and violence London is currently experiencing. 

London is an amazing city.  Just like so many large capital cities, it has its share of museums, art galleries, fabulous restaurants, and celebrities (anyone else watch Crazy About Pippa?). It also has something else - it has that certain je ne sais quoi that makes you want to keep going back.  It's foreign and comfortable at the same time. Romantic, historical, and did I mention the shopping? I'm a bit of a homebody and I love living near my family, but there are days that I would like to pack up and move to a flat in the heart of London or a little cottage in the country.  Until then, I guess it's off to watch Hugh Grant movies and dream.  Mind the gap, please.