This maps shows what is called the West End of London - even though it is the middle. Our present apartment is the yellow dot. Our apartment for the last two weeks will be the red dot. The British Museum is the green dot. The blue dot is the FSU Study Centre. The orange dot is Hyde Park. The purple dot is the Buckingham Palace. The black dot is Big Ben/Parliament. That is the Thames River. click to enlarge.
This is 1 Byng Place - the white building. FSU just got this building and gutted it - it is all brand new. Our apartment is on the first floor - the 3 left windows.
The bathroom is small - sink - toilet - glass shower - towel heater
This is facing northeast. LCD Television above the fireplace. Wood floors - two desks.
The kitchen is all new with white lacquered cabinets - low refrigerator - microwave - convection oven - butcher block counter. It has a full set of dresses - etc.
Our bed is along the west wall - lacquered cabinets and wardrobe.
Two desks - plenty of outlets for 220 volts. Windows that open - no AC.
The is our view east on Torrington Place - the campus of the University of London. Our favorite pub - Marlborough Arms is behind us one block. The street takes a jog around us - our apartment is out on a little peninsula .
Note the church and the red phone booths outside our window.
Our front door is on the left. The 3 first floor windows are ours.
This little courtyard is outside our windows.
Our place looking east.
The front door opens electronically. Our door is right inside the foyer.
This is my view looking east as I type to you.
For the first 3 weeks we are in London - this is our flat. For the last 2 weeks - we will be going back to our large apartment - 12A Bedford Place. FSU gives us this apartment for free. We pay a little extra for the big apartment.
Lulu is meeting with her class for the first time as I type. She has 12 grad students - about 4 from Florida - the other 8 from all over the USA. Many students have told us that Florida credits are so cheap - they can take 6 grad credits for less money in London than they can take 6 credits at home.
Most of my travels will by bus and the tube. In London - you buy an Oyster card - like a credit card with a chip in it. Every time you use it - the system takes money off the card. You can recharge the card at machines in stations - or on the internet with your computer. The cards work for buses and the subway.
On the plane over - Lulu had a full bed and got a great night's sleep. I sat in steerage with the unwashed. As a result - on our first night in town - I imitated a log - while Lulu was up much of the night with jet lag. Since it is 5 hours later here than at home - it takes 2 days to adjust.
The weather is 60s and drizzle - then no drizzle - overcast skies - and a little breezes. It is not bad for walking around - except I am raincoat on - raincoat off - all the time. The last 4 summers - we only had a day or two of this stuff.
We went shopping for groceries last night and had supper at a neat pub.
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