This, one of my favorite Amy Grant tunes, describes how I still feel years after my fiancee`, Inna and I departed to go our separate ways after our romantic London, U.K. interlude of 2013.
I was driving back to the room from a Holiday party and found my Amy Grant’s Greatest Hits CD in the glove compartment. And while “Baby Baby” is my all-time Amy Grant smash hit which reminds me of when I first discovered Amy while the overnight DJ on Atlantic City’s WAYV, FM, circa 1993, I feel this tune at this time, “The Lucky One”, describes and seconds my emotions while reflecting the progress that Nina and I made towards our future unison while connecting in England. Here are a few more of the hundreds of “Mind Your Head” shots that we took in late October, 2013 – the highlight of my year with thanks to the heavenly Father, who without the divine intervention that brought Nina and I together, none of this travel (and my first-ever U.S. passport) would have ever come to pass.
Another of London’s Great Clocks
Nina catches me candidly as we ride the tour bus’ upper deck!
Strollin’ Westminister…
I’m Tuggin’ Sherlock Holmes’ Cape! lol
Our Ben against the sunset and back end tour bus…
“I stay up all night to get lucky…”
Ancient English Palace survives!
“I flew all night to get lucky…”
“I’m up all night to get some…”
blurry-eyed I bathe for thee
“She’s up all night to the sun…”
Our Favorite local London Pub, Flynns
“She’s up all night for good fun…”
atop my golden spire!
“We’re up all night to the sun…”
“We’re up all night to get some…”
This couple traded photo shoots with us in Piccadilly Square! Thanks!
“We’re up all night to get lucky…”
“I’m the lucky one…”
“We’ve come too far To give up who we are…”
Tube stairway to heaven via escalator to Green Park!
“So let’s raise the bar and our cups to the stars…”
Showing shell damage on a church during WWII
“I’m up all night to get stoned…”
“…stoned…”
“The present has no ribbon Your gift keeps on giving…”
This view is talking like the alien!
“What is this I’m feeling?…”
“We’re up all night to get lucky…”
silhouette union jack
“We’re up all night to get lucky/I’m the Lucky one…”
our blurry kitchen while she sleeps…
Next time we will go up in this wheel!
“I’m up all night to get lucky…”
“I flew all night to get lucky!”
A legendary train station of yore…
“I write all night to get lucky…”
Great fish n chips (and ale!)
“I pray all night to get lucky.”
And…I heard this Daft Punk jam soo much while there that it is my “theme song” of our vacation rendezvous now. Major props to Magic 105 and Capital FM audio in London as-presented over our in-house tele screen.
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Since my fiancee`/Skype-mate freed me to be “me” in-conjunction with my social media comeuppance three years ago, I post many things to promote our plans and seek self-sufficiency sponsors. The following are from our recent London rendezvous notes. I pray that you, dear reader, have someone in your life that you feel similarly for as I do Inna, who inspired this trip and travel.
Monday, on the way across the Pond
I am “above the clouds” (a song) again and this time on Virgin Atlantic airlines, bound for London, England to rendezvous with my fiancée`, Inna who is coming in from Ukraine. Wow! Long-awaited and incredible; I hope I brought enough “pounds”! Basically, we own the next seven days.
[Then, I did not write a note for the next five days, so consumed with my lady, Inna, was I…]
Friday, 9:40am London time
Just returned to our flat and it is lonely London now, having seen Inna to the plane at Heathrow, early this morning. I felt so bad because she was in no shape to travel since coming-down with a head cold on the flight from Ukraine which got worse during our stay in London. I crash to sleep now for a few hours before I have to go and find the Big Bus Tour office and retrieve my camera case that they have so luckily found and saved for me. Too bad the same can’t be said for our cache of souvenirs from Piccadilly Square that we left at the Bond Street Tube station yesterday. Oh, well, I filed a report; maybe someone or a Tube worker found them and will notify me. This chick came from behind me and helped me out of my tourist confusion at the Tube turnstile on the way back to our flat. She too was Russian, ironically. Maybe Inna sent her? lol I smelled Inna’s perfume everywhere in-public after she left as the London winds reminded me.
I am reliving the special moments like when Inna brought my laptop to our bed Wednesday morning so she could play me some music videos by Lana Del Ray. Priceless!
Friday, circa 2:30pm London time (at Shakespeare Pub)
It is very complimentary and flattering to have someone from London tell me that they like my “American (English) accent”, when it is their country who invented it! I am at “Shakespeare” Pub, dining on their version of London’s famous “fish n’ chips” – a dish that reacquainted my diet with an old childhood staple, green peas! Simple yet delightfully health when steamed.
I think that clouds hover around England – always – I believe.
It is truly awesome that a country like this – on a big island – became so powerful! I always read about it in school and I love that Nina chose this location for us to meet-up. Just another reason I love her and she came into my life at the right time.
Now my next move is to relocate to a hotel within the Heathrow airport vicinity…Inna and our personal cab driver recommended this.
Friday evening, after 9pm London Time at Flynn’s Pub:
(Thinking) What I really hate about cell phone “plans” from all of these “providers” like T-Mobile is UNuniformity. Especially when you travel overseas! They seem to know when you land in another country, but do not give you any benefits that you had where you came from. MY android did not work (was “locked” even though I bought a “sim card” in London) for four days!
London gave me a new meaning to the American slang phrase, “Gimme a POUND!” lol Here is a brief (short) video about how better to solve the whole “no smoking in restaurants” issue!
Day Six in London
Saturday is “solo Saturday” for me near Heathrow. Having detached from our apartment in West Ealing (a really great choice for us to base from) gives me pause for the first time thinking of the future – missing her companionship and dreading the return to the grind of work back in New York City. I am still technically homeless – and this is the next hurdle I must $oon leap over.
As my luck would have it, a “major Gale” (wind storm with rain) approaches London as I stage to leave tomorrow…in the nick of time.
I am at Thistle Hotel Heathrow, a massive and expansive hotel which smells of mold. Its saving grace for me is its lounge which overlooks the airport where you can see the (mostly British Airways) planes take off. I partake of a brilliantly delicious “rump of lamb” which I wish Nina was with me to share. Tasty, tender and really scrumptious.
Sunday, Day seven in London, 4:52pm Heathrow…
Flight gate to be announced at 6:10pm; Hoping to lift-off ahead of the impending storm.
Solo, the lone ranger again, I am missing the companionship and proximity of Inna.
“More Impressions upon A Café` Skype Journey”
I happened to speak to a nice chap while in my final hours in London, who understood my story, or some such gleaned his was similar in that his beloved is from Thailand and he in London. “Why is it so difficult?” he asked, “When you want to marry, they should grant her the visa at once!” He said. It is encouraging to know of others in a similar situation. It is the quest of “Café` Skype” to soon overcome these hurdles to our love and togetherness in the same postal code.
Aboard a Majestic Virgin Atlantic Flight back to JFK
When you fly at night and look up out of your window seat, all you see is the stars – much closer they look!
Aboard Virgin US25 on my way back to ill NYC, I am calmer than expected with new urgency to attract big finances soon in order to offer Nina a chance at togetherness and comfort in The States. Living our dream and not someone else’s.
I knew I would tear-up and cry at some point, and it was at the end of the “Jack and the Beanstalk” movie, “Jack The Giant Slayer” that showed on the seat in front of me on the plane in-flight.
When I saw Jack and Isabella clasp hands and walk like Nina and I did so naturally in London, well…that was it for me being “strong”.
Pickhitt: I am now totally interested in any and all opportunities to live and work in London, U.K. Actively applying; hit me up, Mates, I’m flexible!
~ “Guv’na” Naphtali
Components (ingredients) of salad (translated from her Russian words)…
1. London evening (the backdrop of this dish) accents!
Behind a window of our pleasant first meeting’s evening,
The rain drizzles behind a window sill and underscores that I am in London!
2. Add some leaves of green salad
3. Some thin slices of meat – (on Spanish sounds as jamón)
4. A little grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
5. Three olives
6. Three cherry tomatoes
It is necessary to dress the salad with music from Sinatra, Sammy Davis and Dean Martin.
7. Muffled soft room lighting
8. A bottle of Merlot wine
9. A little bit gentle and sensual kisses
And Music, music flew throughout our room,
Softly and unostentatiously enveloped us is similar the warm plaid weaved from various notes and sounds of a saxophone. It is an atmosphere it was similar to hypnosis … Sounded soul and blues, replaced an easy jazz, and popular music again sounded. All this has got mixed up in pleasant musical mix skillfully and competently created on radio to a wave from Capital FM and our favorite became Magic 105.4 FM.
It is so lovely to relax after a stimulating excursion in Great historical places of London on a sofa in beloved embraces with a glass of vino and having the London salad supper, having covered by a musical blanket.
I feel sweet heat on my skin from their gentle kisses. The rain, a fine rainy drizzle, an easy fog behind a window … Yes, of course – this is London; also is his style!
The door of a balcony is ajar; we can see the shiny wet sidewalk of the evening street. Dim streetlight reflects against mysterious patches of sidewalk and then back to us on our balcony. Pleasant damp and slightly raw, prickly air creeps to us in our room. In this rainy pleasant London evening, music made our evening happy. It is charming; Music has acquainted us (via our first conversation in the record shop in Boston) three years ago. Music has pulled us together; we have many things to tell the friend and to share a musical stock and sensations!
I think, “we do not make music, but music makes us!”
We live in our own separate small world for these chosen moments! And it is unexpected for us that we see that we have chosen this hotel, not knowing, that rooms are decorated on a theme of popular known musicians, “The Rat Pack”… It was an unexpected, pleasant surprise! When she has seen these portraits on the walls of our room, she told Naphtali, “You all life worked on radio, all your life is connected to music and music accompanies with you all your life. And suddenly a surprise for you….! I and you, we did not know, that we an apartment – hotel in London will be decorated by portraits of well-known musicians! You see, music pursues you! It means – Music is still your destiny!”
My Sleeping Beauty sleeps as I am still on EST USA and party solo…she needed the rest.
Pickhitt: What A MAGICAL experience! “Brilliant!” “Cafe` Skype”…the real, international relationship love deal.” Comments encouraged as always and thank you [who know who you are] for the content!
Well, We DID IT! да!да!да!!! In the spirit of our three-year old saga, the “Cafe` Skype” story, Inna and I rendezvoused in the great, historic city of London, England (United Kingdom) for one (too short) week, two weeks ago. It was the first time there for both of us!! London was magical, mystical, majestic, awesome, historic and inspiring among other emotions!
What do you make of THIS London statue? lol
The following are some of the hundreds of pictures that we took there! This photo-blog is submitted with deep, protective and profound love and admiration for Nina who, by-dint of her finding me three years ago, found a soul-mate and partner for life. Kudos to Virgin Atlantic for majestic flights (and landings) on my round trip. I love the brand!! We also enjoyed “Magic 105 FM” in the apartment that we had run of during our stay. I now know where the late mentor of mine, Frankie Crocker, got some of his ideas to bring back to WBLS-FM, New York in 1990.
I found the sign “Mind Your Head” particularly amusing and “punny” because our “minds” are said to be in our heads and in The States we say “watch your head” (or any other body part or thing) in order to convey similar warnings. So thus the lead title of this post.
As I did with my Kiev, Ukraine impressions https://achilliad.wordpress.com/2012/09/14/kiev-ukraine-through-my-eyes/, I will let the pictures speak for themselves and try not to comment except for the captions – it will be much more difficult to restrain myself this time, lol..
Me and my “Big Ben”…lol
The “Big Wheel” in background and “Big Ben” fore…
Once these smoke stacks represented a fireplace in every room – and huge smog problem for London!
Parliament on the banks of the Thames!
Heading out on the Red Tour Day I
Winston Churchill hung out here often – his face in the middle of the sign!
A WWII Brit fighting man surveying the targets
London Lion In Zion, lol
Queen Anne Slept here
The famous inspiration for the song, “Winchester Cathedral”
One of the biggest domes in Europe!
A New York City Jazz club is named after this, the only gift Egypt ever sent to London.
View of the “stacks” from our apartment (flat”) in West Ealing.
This Gargoyle looms over the route menacingly…
“Arrrrk!!” (scary…)
Just like in the Bond movie – Hello, Sean Connery!
Bond got his Aston Martin here?
Buckingham Palace Old Horse Stables.
I’ve always been fascinated by…castles!
I bet there once was a moat where the grass is, lol!
Trafalga Square Lion
Inna spots Shakespeare in the Tube station and knows I am a student of his…
Blue Rooster in Trafalga Square.
You know WHO…
We together in Piccadilly Square, London. She is “My Boo”, says my Aunt! lol
Our Fave tour bus driver, “Big Rastamon” lol
Fountains of Hyde Park
Remember to “Mind Your Head”!
Tower Bridge
Peace-out, from “Guv’nor” Naphtali, til next time from the London “Big Bus”!
Between the two of us photo-nuts, we shot about 500 snaps. If you want to see more through our eyes, let us know in your comments and we will post a “Part Two”!! Cheers.
My love, co-producer and soulful soul-mate doing her best “Miles Davis” on-stage pose and her camera thing. lol
PICKHIT: Special Thank you to London “Big Bus Tours” for finding and holding my camera case (with the $5USD note and sim cards enclosed) until I could collect it. I doubt that would have been the case here if the similar situation happenstanced in New York City.
**SureShott: Due to her family elder issues and apparent nervous breakdown, this would sadly be the last time I see Inna. She contacted me two years later, saying her Doctor in the mental clinic had spirited her off to Russia and married her, which she was not comfy with. SMH
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