8-19

      Today I am on my own, which I actually like very much.  I am sitting at a small table with a black and white checkerboard-print tablecloth.  I just finished my first ice cream cone in Europe :-)  It was a vanilla clotted-cream ice cream, and yum! SO good!
     ......I got rained out of my spot at the table so I am now sitting on a bench shaded from the rain by tree branches and leaves.  This bench overlooks a sparkling lake and a park with people playing some sort of a ball game.  In the rain. It's POURING rain, yet people are smiling and happy and having fun.  The game players don't give a rat's patootie about the rain and continue to play.  Other passers by are running and covering themselves with their umbrella.  The lovely part is that they are smiling, are sincerely happy, and are having fun trying to stay dry.  The people-watching here is phenomenal. Even though I am getting very wet, and rainwater is blurring mywords as I write, I am in heaven.  This is peace.

     ~And puppies!  I have seen so many puppies today! :-)~

     This whole meeting-new-people thing is awesome!  (Awesome: such an American word)  The man who served me an ice cream was very kind.  He said to me, "Anything for you Madame."  Such a gentleman!  He came up to me as I was sitting at the table writing in this journal to ask how my cone was.  We talked for a bit, and I found out he is actually from Rome.  It is actually his dream to someday go to America - to San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and all the big cities.  And boy was he polite! :-)  I could certainly get used to that in Rome :-)

     Sometimes I come across these moments where I am so happy.  I'm in flipping Europe making my dreams come true!  I've seen sigts that pictures certainly cannot capture, and I've met people from all over the world.  So far, most people have been so kind!
     Why, just now I met a couple from Egypt who are loving this rain.  They say a typical day there is 40.  Here I am thinking, "dang that's cold!"  Silly me for assuming fahrenheit....
     And dang this metric system!  It has me all discombobulated!
     Now to walk.  Where will these feet take me this time?

Note:  When people from Europe drink soda, they swish it around their mouths before swallowing.

     I am now lost in London town, and I gotta say I couldn't be happier to be lost :-) I stopped at an organic market/cafe (I took some pictures).  I have absoltuely NO IDEA where I am, but wherever this is I am comfortable.  It feels homey.  I sparked a few conversations and finally had someone show me where I am on my map.  I tell ya, so far this has been quite the adventure today.  I am now sipping a latte and eating the largest banana I've ever seen.  This place is so, as us Americans would say, "chill" - as in relaxed.  I love London!  Oh, this place is called The Natural Kitchen and it is on Marylebone High Street.  I know where I am!

Mom- I've passed by (and have gone into :-)) so many chocolate shops, and let me say, "There were rews and rews of chocolates."

Note:  At restaurants in Europe you must ask for your bill.  They will not bring it to you unless you ask.  I like this fact.  I do not feel so rushed.