I had a big list of every.last.special.spot I wanted to take in before I leave tomorrow. And I managed to enjoy and absorb every last one.
The final spot on my list was Fleet Street. I was looking for the “hidden ruins” I was shown many years ago – Druid Ruins which was bombed during the war, yet the British did not destroy what remained. They built around it. There is something powerfully appealing about this to me. Not destroying ruins. Not taking them away to replace them with something new. Building around them. As if to say – we were here.
I could not find this special treasure this time. I did find other treasures as I ducked into every alleyway I could find. And I met the Lovely Matthias on his evening jog who offered to bring me to a pub, quoted John Hughes movies and Ted Hughes’ poetry, and escorted me back the many blocks to my hotel. Of course, having grown jaded, sadly, over the years in my time back in America, and unaccostomed to such kindness, I asked him… “You’re not going to kill me, are you?”
To which, of course, he politely said, “no”. And continued walking with me in spite of my rudeness.
Matthias, if you ever read this – you just may have been the best single moment of my entire trip. It was definitely the most connected I felt since my travels began.
I ended the evening by visiting the Hotel Bar and ordering the Welsh Rarebit with a lovely glass of Pinot.
All in all a pretty nice day.
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