An idiosyncratic list of what I love about life in London in no particular order:
- Districts of museums open to the public every day, with free admission so you can go back as many times as you like to explore their treasures.
- A green chain of parks, each with its special character, statues, gardens, fountains, and even little art galleries.
- Surprises and serendipities.
- Mews.
- Birds whose songs I do not know, but that I am learning.
- A whole new world of trees: beeches, limes, London Planes, and many I've yet to put a name to.
- Way more middle-aged women on TV programs than in the U.S. (Plus, they look middle-aged and comfortable in their skins, rather than generic and "retouched.")
- Bookstores that offer the complete works of Georgette Heyer, P.G. Wodehouse, Agatha Christie, P.L. Travers, Roald Dahl, et al—i.e., the classic English writers I loved as a kid, whose works are not on the shelves in the typical American bookstore.
- Horses in Hyde Park and police horses ferrying about London's mounted force.
- Incredible transportation links, no need for driving—and the Busmapper app,
- Fantastic artisan coffee shops and the London Coffee app to track them down.
- Smoke-free public indoor spaces.
- Walkable supermarkets in every neighborhood with fresh vegetarian meals to heat up.
- Roman. Medieval. Gothic. Romanesque. Regency. Victorian. Edwardian. Georgian. 1940s LA style. Centuries of built environment!
Sounds blissful!
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