London 2023 - Day 8 / London

Steps today: 23 254 / 15.33km

My back was not good this morning, the sporadic spams were still happening but it seemed the longer I was standing the more stable things became so long walks felt possible.

For a change this morning, we didn't walk through the parks, but instead a random path around Knightsbridge and Belgravia. It was a little drizzly, but nothing major and I don't think we even used our umbrellas.

By about 1030 we were at Hyde Park Corner / Queen Elizabeth Gate

Then we walked along Piccadilly all the way to Leicester Square

Around 11, we went to All Bar One. 

I figured out how to make the pink gin show up in pictures: order a double measure! ha!

It was delicious and made up for that lemon nonsense I had yesterday.

Lunch was at Pizza Express (another chain) just off Trafalgar Square

Frank had a pepperoni pizza and love it so much that instead of dessert, he ordered a second pizza!

After lunch, it was time for the most anticipated event of the trip for me: Back to the Future, The Musical! How fun!

It was so much fun!!!!!!

But my back was badddddd.... During intermission, I had a hard time standing up and when I finally did, my back started to spasm again. The tears sprang out so quickly there was nothing I could do to control them. I was terrified to sit down again if it meant I had to get back up, so I stayed standing throughout the intermission until I could be sure no one would come back in to get to their seats.

After the show, it was even worse if that's possible. I just remember having to cross the street somewhat quickly after exiting the theater and that brought on the spasms again. Frank and I were in an alley, I was Lamaze breathing and just bawling. I could barely move.  Slowly slowly slowly as time passed, the spasms faded and my strength and mobility returned, but for about an hour I was as slow as an old turtle.

We eventually made it to the other side of the Thames with the intention of having supper around there, maybe near the Eye, but we couldn't find anything and to make it worse, neither one of us was getting any data reception on our phones so we couldn't Google to see what was nearby.

We were both so frustrated that we chucked this idea, crossed back over the Thames again, and went to Caffé Concerto near Trafalgar Square. It was a late supper for us: after 6PM!

We had some energy left after supper, and while I can't remember exactly how my back was doing at this point, I was obviously able to walk because we decided to walk back to the hotel.

Trafalgar Square by night:

An interesting message in Leicester Square:

Piccadilly Circus as crowded as ever!

I would have loved a cocktail at the Ritz, but when we tried back in 2015 they turned us away because of our shoes. LOL 

I love this note on the neighbourhood maps at the bus stops: "Why not walk it if you can?"

By the time we reached Brompton Road around 830 (a late night for us!), we were fed up and decided to bus it the rest of the way. The 74 passes by every 10 minutes or so, so it's very convenient.

We saw one bus go by, but there was no way I would have been able to run for it in my condition. My mantra was: stay stable, no sudden movements, no rushing.

Then, we saw a litany of police cars drive by and the road emptied out. No busses, no cars, nothing. The cops had obviously stopped the traffic, but why? We soon found out as a pro-Palestine demonstration marched by.

Crap, now what? Do we wait, do we take the tube instead? (but we were not that close to a stop), do we walk the rest of the way? So hard to decide!!

We resolved to wait it out and it turns out it was the right thing to do because it was over rather quickly - maybe 10, 15 minutes and we didn't have to wait long for another 74 to show up once the street opened up to traffic again.

We were back in the room by 9 and I was a mess. My back seemed to spasm every time I opened the bathroom door, every time I sat on the toilet... and getting into bed? OMG. it was torture.  Frank put some of the Voltarin we bought for his leg on my back, but it didn't help at all.

Day 8 Map: