Commuting

My very first week of commuting is now complete.  Nobody told me how exhausting it would be!
 
Generally, I have a couple of options.  No matter what it starts with a walk ( ¼ mile to Angel Underground or ½ mile to Highbury/Islington), then one stop on the Underground (Northern or Victoria Line), then a stint on the National Rail Service above ground (Kings Cross or Finsbury Park to Potters Bar) and finally either another walk (1 mile from the Station to the Office) or a trip in the Canada Life Bus (only in service 8-10 and 4-6 every 15 minutes...so depending on your arrival time you either have no choice or are just as well to walk).  The Canada Life Bus, when not servicing the insurance crowd, ferries Nursery School children about town so there is a “naughty” list taped onto the back of the driver’s seat and another list with the kids names and gold stars.  So far I have managed to avoid the naughty list but have been unable to earn any gold stars.  I am really hoping for some gold stars by the end of the year.  Last Thursday I made friends with some of the people on the 5:45 bus departure on the way home...I’m hopeful they are regulars as it was nice to have someone to talk to on the way home!
 
The new neighbourhood continues to delight me.  There are so many great looking restaurants, coffee spots, bakeries, dress shops...I need more spare time! I have also spied on the map that I am (I think) very close to Regent’s Canal so I’m hoping that it proves to be a good running route on the weekends. I really want to eat at this one spot called Ottolenghi (http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/locations/islington/) but it is always lined up out the door.

Tonight on my way home was my first transit through/around/amongst Arsenal Football fans getting to Emirates Field for a game. Yikes! Thank goodness I am a Rider fan as having fought my way from Superstore to Taylor Field was a good warm up. Emirates Field seats just over 60,000 rabid football fans (that would be soccer to you North Americans) and is in the middle of a residential neighborhood accessible only by public transportation or on foot. Yes, citizens of Winnipeg, you read that right. Bomber Stadium isn't so crazy after all, is it? Londoners would swoon with incredulity if they saw the acres of parking spots and nice big streets leading to the new Stadium! If that was even an option here they would pay thousands of £'s a year for the privilege of having a parking spot near a stadium. Until then, they mostly walk from miles around because it is too hard to push your way onto a crowded train on game days.