It's morning around half past 7. I am waiting at the bus stop on the way to work. The weather has been better, but at least it's not raining. The traffic is slowly picking up and I look around...a catering delivery van is shooting by, a stressed business lady is waiving frenetically at an approaching cab, a builder and his tool kit is running towards the waiting bus at the stop nearby, a random cyclist wearing horribly tight shorts smiling at some thought that must have crossed his mind is pedalling past me and there also is street cleaner who asks us to move away from the stand, so that he can power-wash the pavement. A bus approaches, it's not mine. Tired looking faces emerge heading off in all different directions, perhaps coming from an earlier job or on the way to the next one, who am I to know. I follow my own thoughts hoping for my bus to arrive. Ah, there it is. I like to sit upstairs, preferably next to the window....it's like a high up platform from where the running by world can be observed more easily.
Within a short time we pass by Paddington Station and St. Mary's Hospital, we turn into Edgware Road and I get a glimpse of the tube station where the bomb exploded 2 years ago. I still remember that 7th July very well, as I am sure every Londoner and non does. We pass small cafe's, a hairdresser, the little sell-all shop at the corner is already open and its boxes outside loaded with fresh fruit, a restaurant has closed down, another one has opened. Over the last 3 years I have seen this street changing with the seasons, but it still doesn't bore me. Day or night, there is always someone giving it life. I catch a glimpse of Hyde Park and we turn into Oxford Street. Someone is talking loudly on their phone, checking in with their PA on early meetings I would assume. Someone else just dropped their umbrella on the floor, and in between this people are getting on, getting off. I am glad nobody is sitting next to me. I remember Oxford Street the first time I ever visited London in far away 1994...it seemed the longest and most confusing street ever. I could not tell where it started and where it stopped, the same shops would reappear even if we just had passed them and I was convinced I would never find my way around it. Well...13 years later it's all different and I can possibly even tell you at what height of the street which shop is. We pass Selfridges and I look out if they have changed their windows again, somehow they always manage to give that special touch - bright colours, weird designs...I remember once they even took the corner windows out and created a temporary champagne bar. Brilliant. The street is already busy, but at this time in the morning the bus dosn't take too much time.... Body Shop, Gap, Debenhams, John Lewis, Carphone Warehouse, Monsoon...we are approaching Oxford Circus. Another couple of stops and I have arrived. There is lots of building going on, in front of one house the builders gather in front of the site entrance before starting a busy day, the cleaners are polishing the floor in the Apple Store, and up from Piccadilly Circus I can hear horse shoes on the pavement. Hold on a second...horse shoes? I stretch my neck and there they are...at least 30 horses most of them free of saddles, but all bound together and accompanied by 4 riders. The traffic slows down to let them pass, perhaps even worried that the horses may be scared. What a scene tough! I find myself smiling at this somehow unexpected scenario and just enjoy it.
Piccadilly Circus here we are, always impressive with its advertising wall....honestly I only look at it at night now when the power of the lights shines all the way down Lower Regent Street and you know you are close. Someone is having breakfast at Burger King, others wait for Boots to open... I quickly cross the street following one of the really bad habits I acquired over here. Yes, I ALWAYS cross with a red light. No idea where this is coming from, and it certainly is not safe or a good example, but somehow I picked it up over the years and it tends to give visiting friends and family really big scares. In front of the Trocadero is a van that has been changed....weird..there is a canopy bed on the back of it with two people in it. Brilliant, I think it is meant to promote a current exhibition....another smile crosses my face. Leicester Square is preparing for some special event again, in the middle of the usual delivery and construction vans I can see .... Batmans car! Now this is something unexpected! Parked right next to it is the Bat-Bike as well. Remember the series with all those cartoon-designed BANG OUCH SMASH things? Well, these are the ones. I wonder what this is for but keep my pace. The young guy and his black & white dog are in front of Pret selling the Big Issue as every morning and a short 30 seconds later I am in front of my office doors.
...just a normal journey to work?! I love it.
Tine