"Epicentre of the world!" a London Travel Page by Sjalen

Just like Paris, New York and other World cities on VT - everyone has a page about London. I have decided to add to the collection since I lived in London for a year 1989-1990 and it was the funniest year in my life so far so I simply HAVE to create a London page. I spend as much time in Northern England these days but still often change trains in London and then spend a few days here to take time to see what's new.

London - this distinctly English city, yet not English at all. This is where England is ruled from, yet I don't think even Paris has such a diverse mix of inhabitants. I can think of several more beautiful cities in Europe, wheather it is because of the light in Paris or the water in Stockholm and Venice, but nowhere have I found that particular atmosphere that can be found in London. The mix of calm and stress, dirt and leafy parks, latest fashion and horrible taste, humour and strictness...

London is also big enough for you to find your own part of it - somtimes with a distinct village feel to it, such as in Hampstead, Highgate, Wimbledon or Greenwich. In fact, you can turn around a corner and be in a totally different area. To see what I mean, go to the great Nash designed Cumberland Terrace in Regents Park. Great white houses with antique sculptures. Walk a couple of minutes and it is another world as Camden High Street opens up to you with its gritty houses, rock clubs and people selling "Socialist Worker". I love it!

My February 2006 visit took me a bit by surprise. I know I will always love London but that time I had a feeling of home so strong I walked around temping agencies looking at current salaries :))) Maybe I've been a bit reluctant to admit this lurking London love since I know it is expensive to live here and you have to commute for ages to be able to afford decent housing. Black snot due to pollution is not what I want my daughter to have either and right now it is so nice for her to be in the same country as her grandparents. But I cannot get over it and now my daughter is old enough to experience London for children and she loves it and nags at us to move there! Even the Northerner in the family admits that "Lunnon might not be so bad...t'as lots of career opportunities". To those of you who do not know the North of England, this is a revolutionary statement. We don't have to move tomorrow. Watch this space... :)

I never thought I'd miss you
Half as much as I do
And I never thought I'd feel this way
The way I feel
About you

Soon as I wake up
Every night
Every day
I know that it's you I need
To take the blues away
It must be love
Love, love

Madness - gets to symbolise the way I feel for this place when back in Sweden