Saturday, I woke up in Wrexham in the beautiful Butler’s Flat at Cefn Park under a lovely down comforter. Remember, yesterday I hiked more than 10 miles up and down a mountain. As I went to get out of bed, my body was like “oh, hell no!”. My legs were like jello. After doing the requisite morning things (bathroom and making tea), I practiced some of the stretches my trainer taught me and took some Ibuprofen which did the trick to get my legs moving again.
After stretching and a cup of Earl Grey, I FaceTimed my family to give them a virtual tour of my cozy little place. As I showed Mrs. Koog the view of the courtyard and she asked the rather innocuous question, “is that a dent in your car?”. I said no it was probably distortion since the windows of the place were leaded. Mrs. Koog’s question was movie-worthy foreshadowing…
Knowing that my body would be sore, I planned today to be a relaxing day; get gas, get food, and wander around Wrexham‘s town center. I was excited to have dinner this evening with my friends Wills and Rach. Please check out their YouTube channel “Postcard & a Pint” great vlogs about North Wales and cruising and other vacation destinations.
I got into the car and did the first activity on my list, get gas. This took me longer than expected because I could not find the credit card slot on the pump. I looked this thing up and down. I looked on each side, no credit card slot. As I was on my tip toes to look on top of the pump, I noticed quite a large sign that said you pump first and then you pay? The Welsh are a trusting people! This would not and does not fly in the US. Anyway, I pumped and I payed and I was on my way to Tesco, the supermarket that sells Village Dairy yogurt. Made in North Wales, it’s the best yogurt I’ve ever had in my life.
I put Tesco into the SatNav and off I went. But, it took me to a Lowe’s type place and a garden center. There was a Tesco Express gas station, but I had already solved that problem. Thwarted, I put Ty Pawb (people’s house) into the SatNav and off I went to the parking garage that I was familiar with and began my walkabout.
The High Street and Town Center was very crowded as the Wrexham (Ryan Reynolds) Red Dragons had a game. I thought about getting tickets but I didn’t think going to a game alone would be that fun, so I passed on the game. I went into St. Giles Church, which was beautiful and sat there for quite some time just taking in the beauty and spending some time close to God. I’m not the most religious person but I am spiritual so that’s what I felt close to as it would sound strange if I said I spent time close to the spirits. Photography was allowed and I took several in the church. These are more personal photos versus my landscape photography. Being at St. Giles helped me remember to be present in the moment and soak it all in.
After my visit, I was hungry. I found a cute little place in the Butcher’s Market called Tracy’s. Best steak pie I’v ever had in my life. With peas that were cooked just right and chips covered in the most yummy gravy. I also had 2 diet sodas. My bill was £8.00. Gotta love North Wales prices! Full of steak pie, peas and chips I went back on my walkabout. Walked to the Racecourse Grounds. It was crazy busy since it was game day. Tried to get into the Turf but people were spilling out the doors.
I found some gifts for my friends and returned to Ty Pawb and sat in the bar situation they have and was able to watch both 6 Nations Rugby and the Wrexham game! Unfortunately, Wales did not win the Rugby match but, on the bright side, Wrexham did! I’m sure Rob and Ryan were happy!
Leaving Ty Pawb after the games, I ran to Primark to get a shirt. I realized the only clothes I packed were appropriate for hiking and mountain climbing. I was wearing black pants that are acceptable in public but wasn’t sure about my Welsh Football 1/4 zip top. Super glad I stopped, was able to get my shirt (which I never wore btw) and was able to get the teen Koogs velour pajamas for £7.00 each! Score!
It was now close to dinner time so I went to the restaurant to check out how people were dressed. I was fine. I may have been overdressed! My friends Rach & Wills met me in front of The Fat Boar. As always, the conversation was easy and we laughed a lot. Especially as I explained my issues with driving and the damage I was doing to the car. (More on that later.) The Fat Boar has live music but it was loud enough for a stadium and really loud in a tiny restaurant.
We did a walkabout and chatted. They took me to the Paul Mullin mural on the side of The Fat Boar. I was pretty happy to see that. Then we walked by Wrexham Lager. I was happy to know their location since I wanted to get some to take home. We headed to the car and they drove with me to the Tesco. I was so embarrassed, it was like 100 yards from Ty Pawb. And that place I drove into that morning was next door! I didn’t see it because there was a frickin’ Burger King in my way.
I got what I needed for sustenance, prosciutto and 8 Village Dairy yogurts. They grabbed some groceries as well. We said our goodbyes and headed our separate ways. Dinner with them was a highlight of my time in North Wales. Seeing familiar faces was nice as was the conversation and stroll around Wrexham. Heading back to Cefn Park was kind of uneventful except for me driving too close to a curb again. I was happy it was kind of an early night since I was meeting my landscape photography guide at 7am.
The next morning, I had some yogurt and prosciutto for breakfast, packed up my camera gear and headed to a Cafe Nero just off the highway to meet the guide. While we would walk more than 10 miles, it was relatively flat. My calves were celebrating flatness. First, we headed to the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. This marvel of design and engineering was created by Thomas Telford, probably the most famous builder of canals and bridges in the UK. The Aqueduct is 180 ft above the River Dee. One side has a railing and sidewalk the other, across the canal does not and is a straight drop down should you fall out of your boat.
The setting was gorgeous and the light was perfect for capturing some amazing shots of the surrounding scenery from 180 ft in the air. We did climb down to the River Dee and found some picturesque sights from that side of the canal, but it was on the other side of the river that had the best views. The climb down was not long but it was very muddy. After our time at the Aqueduct, we headed down to the head of the River and the beginning of the canal and the pump house. Again, stunning and picturesque. We walked a bit there but it was all flat (calves happy). This was the end of my workshops with the guide. He gave me directions to get to Llangollen so I could walk around and do some shopping.
His directions were perfect, but there was no parking. I accidentally drove half way down a one way street. Then had to back up since there was traffic heading toward me. I’m not a great driver over there when I’m going forward. Going a long way in reverse also had its challenges. At least I remembered to fold in the mirrors. Unfortunately, I scrapped against a brick wall causing a bit of road rash from one end of the car to the other. After this predicament, I decided to bail on shopping and head back to Cefn Park for a shower before my reservation for a traditional Sunday roast.
I had made reservations at The CarniBore a while before the trip. They often show their Sunday roast on Facebook and it always makes my mouth water. After my shower and a quick change, I headed out to The CarniBore. Luckily, it’s very close to the Ty Pawb garage so I was able to quickly find parking without endangering any humans while I tried to parallel park. Their Sunday roast did not disappoint! My only complaint was the volume of food. The giant plate was filled with, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots and a huge Yorkshire pudding. On top of the potatoes was a giant, sliced Ribeye. Assuming this was the entire meal because it could be an entire meal for a family, the server then brought a second plate of cauliflower with cheese. The meat and potatoes were eaten as was the Yorkshire pudding. The rest was left on the plate. While I could have taken it back to Cefn Park, I didn’t think eating a plate full of starchy carbs was a good idea.
Once I returned to Cefn Park, I walked around the stunning grounds, saw the highland cows and took in a beautiful sunset sitting under a tree. Again, it was one of those no photo moments that I just captured in my mind, staying present and in the moment. Just being in Wales calms me. Everything seems more beautiful. The colors are brighter, the people are nicer, and the sunsets (when there is sun) are just special. North Wales is the only place I’ve ever felt at home.
Knowing Monday was a free day, I slept in and took the morning slow. I finished the little shopping I had left at Wrexham Lager and the Red Dragon store as the teenage Koogs requested jerseys. Parking at old faithful, Ty Pawb, I lucked out walking through the building. A guy I have been following on Instagram and Facebook, The Pie’d Pie’per was open. He is like the king of meat pies. Definitely different than the giant slice meat pie from the small cafe. These pies are the size of a frozen pot pie. I had the steak and Wrexham Lager pie. Chef’s kiss to the Pie’per! After lunch I headed back to the Butcher’s Market to see another guy I follow on FB, Wrexham Trainer Revival. He does custom sneakers (think adidas gazelles). I ordered a pair of custom gazelles in the colors of the Welsh flag. I cannot wait to get them!
After shopping, I headed back to Cefn Park to pack and get ready to leave in the morning for London. I left around 10 and arrive at Heathrow to turn in my car around 1pm. The car is another blog. The ride back to Heathrow was pretty uneventful meaning I didn’t hit anything.
London
I called an Uber from Heathrow to take me to my VRBO. I knew it was a one room studio with a full bathroom. It was just me so that was fine. Except it reminded me of a flop house or the hotel the boy stayed at in the movie “Big”. I set up a ride back to Heathrow for my Friday flight with the nicest Uber guy and then started up the stairs (18 of them) with my 3 heavy bags, my hiking pack and the plastic bags with my hiking boots, yes bags plural, because they were caked with sheep and cow poop that didn’t come off when I tried to spray them at Cefn Park.
When I opened the door, it looked as advertised. It was not glamorous but it was clean. It was a beautiful sunny day in London last Tuesday so I opened my blinds to let the sun shine into the studio. I headed out to explore the neighborhood and the Shepherd’s Bush Market and as the sun was setting it was getting chilly. By the time I got back to the studio it was windy and cold.
I closed the blinds, took off my jacket and ate the rest of my food 2 yogurts and the last slice of prosciutto. I was inside but the temperature was the same as the outside. I found the heater and turned it to 70. The heater was smaller than a sofa throw pillow. Assuming this thing would warm this single room I turned it on and while I waited, I decided to take a hot shower to warm up until the heat warmed the room.
Luckily there was the hot water heater wall thing warming up the bathroom. The shower was nice and I spent a good chunk of time just under the rain shower warming up. I got out and got my pjs on and opened the bathroom door assuming the little heater had warmed up the place. Nope. It was barely warm to the touch. Ugh. Whatever, I left it on all night and got under the blankets and went to sleep.
Wednesday I had another photo workshop on street photography, which I have very limited experience with, meeting my guide near the London Eye. I wanted to eat at the Harrod’s food hall so I navigated the tube easily to Knightsbridge and headed into my favorite store in the world. The sushi restaurant was where I chose to eat. It was delicious and the service was quite good. I did a bunch of shopping for my friends at Harrods because they ship for £25 regardless of the size of the box, and if you are shipping, the immediately take the VAT tax off the bill.
I had some time to spare time after Harrods and wanted something sweet, so I headed to a place down the road and had Cream Tea service. The pastries were delicious but there was no way I could eat 3 tiers of them in one sitting. I enjoyed what I could as well as the pot of Earl Gray tea and headed back to the tube to get to Westminster to meet my guide. I also realized this was a 6 hour 1 on 1 workshop. It started at 5:30. It was going to be a long night!
We started around Westminster, walked through SoHo, then through Chinatown, then back through Westminster to get to South Bank. We were about half way through when we stopped for a quick dinner and warm drink because it was freezing outside at this point. We walked along Southbank for a cool shot of St. Paul’s from Millennium Bridge, then headed through a number of alleyways that were very cool and then we were at Tower Bridge. In order to get the long exposure shots I wanted, I needed to be in the middle of the road. I also was not up for being hit by a car. We were able to put the tripod and ourselves on the smallest concrete platform that held a sign. The photos were better than I ever expected.
Walking across Tower Bridge I got a bunch of cool shots. We crossed the street and got long exposure (to make the water silky) shots of tower bridge. So much better than I hoped and neither of us were struck by a car. Just then my dude realizes it’s almost midnight and the tube closes at midnight. F. We were not far from Tower Hill station so we jumped on there and I got off at Hammersmith and was able to get on the literal last train to Shepherd’s Bush. Totally freezing, I walked the 2 blocks to my flop house. I could not wait to get inside and warm.
Walking into the studio, I noticed it was the exact same temperature as outside. Just like the night before, I took an extra long and extra hot shower to defrost. That night, I wore my pajamas, a hoodie, my snow beanie, heavy wool socks and my only remaining clean flannel lined hiking pants. It was almost 1am. I was exhausted from the walk, plus I think hypothermia also makes you tired, so I fell asleep almost immediately.
Thursday, my last day in London, and I woke up at 11:30am. I could not understand why I was so exhausted. I checked my pedometer and I had walked more than 30K steps which equals about 12.5 miles. With my short legs I think it was farther! I took off a layer of clothes and confirmed it was not any warmer in the studio, but the corner that the heater was in was definitely getting a few degrees warmer as it was finally warm to the touch. If I stay another week, I think the whole place will be warm.
Anyway, I got dressed in the bathroom with the clothes I would wear on the plane and had to repack my bags and equipment. That took quite a bit of time because I had to fit my big hiking camera pack and my tripod in my suitcase and pack around that thing. I also had to wrap the 8 Wrexham Lagers I was bringing home in my clothes. I use the compression bags when traveling so the bags were relatively neat. My camera bodies and lenses were secured in a travel cube and all of my lithium batteries (and there were many) were also packed in the carry-on camera suitcase. That’s it, packing is done. I’m prepared to leave, but I will never be ready to leave the UK.
I walked around the neighborhood again and through the market one more time. With no camera, I was able to pay attention to the sounds and smells of the different foods from different countries. The diversity of the neighborhood was really cool. After my walk, it was dinner time and I chose sushi again. Really good, pretty cheap and super nice owners.
Back in my igloo, I showered to defrost again. Put on all my clothing layers and my beanie hat and went to bed. Tomorrow morning Uber man is picking me up at 8am for the ride to Heathrow for my 12:35 flight. I wanted to maximize my time in the duty free without the supervision of Mrs. Koog this time and since I upgraded to first class, I was excited about breakfast in the lounge. Oh, and they have heat.
My flight was amazingly smooth and I slept quite a bit. They kept waking me up to try to feed me, but I was not interested in food as much as sleep. And just like that, 7 hours later we touched down at Dulles.
Mrs Koog picked me up and we headed home to the teenage Koogs and the dog. The teenagers were as excited as teenage boys can be when a parent comes home. I got a hello and a hug and they were gone. Mrs Koog and the dog were super excited to see me, though!
It’s hard to leave Wales, North Wales specifically. I love that land deeply, like it’s a part of my soul. It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen and I am so lucky to have done this trip focusing on my passion of landscape photography in the most beautiful place in the world. I also tried to put the camera down each day and intentionally take it all in, to be present and in the moment. To be honest, this type of intentionality is new to me but I found it very healing after handling my struggles (see the *Broken* post). Each time I put the camera down, I was able to connect with the land, the scenery and the spirits. It was a small slice of paradise I will keep with me forever.
Thank you for this amazing gift, Mrs. Koog. I love you.
After stretching and a cup of Earl Grey, I FaceTimed my family to give them a virtual tour of my cozy little place. As I showed Mrs. Koog the view of the courtyard and she asked the rather innocuous question, “is that a dent in your car?”. I said no it was probably distortion since the windows of the place were leaded. Mrs. Koog’s question was movie-worthy foreshadowing…
Knowing that my body would be sore, I planned today to be a relaxing day; get gas, get food, and wander around Wrexham‘s town center. I was excited to have dinner this evening with my friends Wills and Rach. Please check out their YouTube channel “Postcard & a Pint” great vlogs about North Wales and cruising and other vacation destinations.
I got into the car and did the first activity on my list, get gas. This took me longer than expected because I could not find the credit card slot on the pump. I looked this thing up and down. I looked on each side, no credit card slot. As I was on my tip toes to look on top of the pump, I noticed quite a large sign that said you pump first and then you pay? The Welsh are a trusting people! This would not and does not fly in the US. Anyway, I pumped and I payed and I was on my way to Tesco, the supermarket that sells Village Dairy yogurt. Made in North Wales, it’s the best yogurt I’ve ever had in my life.
I put Tesco into the SatNav and off I went. But, it took me to a Lowe’s type place and a garden center. There was a Tesco Express gas station, but I had already solved that problem. Thwarted, I put Ty Pawb (people’s house) into the SatNav and off I went to the parking garage that I was familiar with and began my walkabout.
The High Street and Town Center was very crowded as the Wrexham (Ryan Reynolds) Red Dragons had a game. I thought about getting tickets but I didn’t think going to a game alone would be that fun, so I passed on the game. I went into St. Giles Church, which was beautiful and sat there for quite some time just taking in the beauty and spending some time close to God. I’m not the most religious person but I am spiritual so that’s what I felt close to as it would sound strange if I said I spent time close to the spirits. Photography was allowed and I took several in the church. These are more personal photos versus my landscape photography. Being at St. Giles helped me remember to be present in the moment and soak it all in.
After my visit, I was hungry. I found a cute little place in the Butcher’s Market called Tracy’s. Best steak pie I’v ever had in my life. With peas that were cooked just right and chips covered in the most yummy gravy. I also had 2 diet sodas. My bill was £8.00. Gotta love North Wales prices! Full of steak pie, peas and chips I went back on my walkabout. Walked to the Racecourse Grounds. It was crazy busy since it was game day. Tried to get into the Turf but people were spilling out the doors.
I found some gifts for my friends and returned to Ty Pawb and sat in the bar situation they have and was able to watch both 6 Nations Rugby and the Wrexham game! Unfortunately, Wales did not win the Rugby match but, on the bright side, Wrexham did! I’m sure Rob and Ryan were happy!
Leaving Ty Pawb after the games, I ran to Primark to get a shirt. I realized the only clothes I packed were appropriate for hiking and mountain climbing. I was wearing black pants that are acceptable in public but wasn’t sure about my Welsh Football 1/4 zip top. Super glad I stopped, was able to get my shirt (which I never wore btw) and was able to get the teen Koogs velour pajamas for £7.00 each! Score!
It was now close to dinner time so I went to the restaurant to check out how people were dressed. I was fine. I may have been overdressed! My friends Rach & Wills met me in front of The Fat Boar. As always, the conversation was easy and we laughed a lot. Especially as I explained my issues with driving and the damage I was doing to the car. (More on that later.) The Fat Boar has live music but it was loud enough for a stadium and really loud in a tiny restaurant.
We did a walkabout and chatted. They took me to the Paul Mullin mural on the side of The Fat Boar. I was pretty happy to see that. Then we walked by Wrexham Lager. I was happy to know their location since I wanted to get some to take home. We headed to the car and they drove with me to the Tesco. I was so embarrassed, it was like 100 yards from Ty Pawb. And that place I drove into that morning was next door! I didn’t see it because there was a frickin’ Burger King in my way.
I got what I needed for sustenance, prosciutto and 8 Village Dairy yogurts. They grabbed some groceries as well. We said our goodbyes and headed our separate ways. Dinner with them was a highlight of my time in North Wales. Seeing familiar faces was nice as was the conversation and stroll around Wrexham. Heading back to Cefn Park was kind of uneventful except for me driving too close to a curb again. I was happy it was kind of an early night since I was meeting my landscape photography guide at 7am.
The next morning, I had some yogurt and prosciutto for breakfast, packed up my camera gear and headed to a Cafe Nero just off the highway to meet the guide. While we would walk more than 10 miles, it was relatively flat. My calves were celebrating flatness. First, we headed to the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. This marvel of design and engineering was created by Thomas Telford, probably the most famous builder of canals and bridges in the UK. The Aqueduct is 180 ft above the River Dee. One side has a railing and sidewalk the other, across the canal does not and is a straight drop down should you fall out of your boat.
The setting was gorgeous and the light was perfect for capturing some amazing shots of the surrounding scenery from 180 ft in the air. We did climb down to the River Dee and found some picturesque sights from that side of the canal, but it was on the other side of the river that had the best views. The climb down was not long but it was very muddy. After our time at the Aqueduct, we headed down to the head of the River and the beginning of the canal and the pump house. Again, stunning and picturesque. We walked a bit there but it was all flat (calves happy). This was the end of my workshops with the guide. He gave me directions to get to Llangollen so I could walk around and do some shopping.
His directions were perfect, but there was no parking. I accidentally drove half way down a one way street. Then had to back up since there was traffic heading toward me. I’m not a great driver over there when I’m going forward. Going a long way in reverse also had its challenges. At least I remembered to fold in the mirrors. Unfortunately, I scrapped against a brick wall causing a bit of road rash from one end of the car to the other. After this predicament, I decided to bail on shopping and head back to Cefn Park for a shower before my reservation for a traditional Sunday roast.
I had made reservations at The CarniBore a while before the trip. They often show their Sunday roast on Facebook and it always makes my mouth water. After my shower and a quick change, I headed out to The CarniBore. Luckily, it’s very close to the Ty Pawb garage so I was able to quickly find parking without endangering any humans while I tried to parallel park. Their Sunday roast did not disappoint! My only complaint was the volume of food. The giant plate was filled with, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots and a huge Yorkshire pudding. On top of the potatoes was a giant, sliced Ribeye. Assuming this was the entire meal because it could be an entire meal for a family, the server then brought a second plate of cauliflower with cheese. The meat and potatoes were eaten as was the Yorkshire pudding. The rest was left on the plate. While I could have taken it back to Cefn Park, I didn’t think eating a plate full of starchy carbs was a good idea.
Once I returned to Cefn Park, I walked around the stunning grounds, saw the highland cows and took in a beautiful sunset sitting under a tree. Again, it was one of those no photo moments that I just captured in my mind, staying present and in the moment. Just being in Wales calms me. Everything seems more beautiful. The colors are brighter, the people are nicer, and the sunsets (when there is sun) are just special. North Wales is the only place I’ve ever felt at home.
Knowing Monday was a free day, I slept in and took the morning slow. I finished the little shopping I had left at Wrexham Lager and the Red Dragon store as the teenage Koogs requested jerseys. Parking at old faithful, Ty Pawb, I lucked out walking through the building. A guy I have been following on Instagram and Facebook, The Pie’d Pie’per was open. He is like the king of meat pies. Definitely different than the giant slice meat pie from the small cafe. These pies are the size of a frozen pot pie. I had the steak and Wrexham Lager pie. Chef’s kiss to the Pie’per! After lunch I headed back to the Butcher’s Market to see another guy I follow on FB, Wrexham Trainer Revival. He does custom sneakers (think adidas gazelles). I ordered a pair of custom gazelles in the colors of the Welsh flag. I cannot wait to get them!
After shopping, I headed back to Cefn Park to pack and get ready to leave in the morning for London. I left around 10 and arrive at Heathrow to turn in my car around 1pm. The car is another blog. The ride back to Heathrow was pretty uneventful meaning I didn’t hit anything.
London
I called an Uber from Heathrow to take me to my VRBO. I knew it was a one room studio with a full bathroom. It was just me so that was fine. Except it reminded me of a flop house or the hotel the boy stayed at in the movie “Big”. I set up a ride back to Heathrow for my Friday flight with the nicest Uber guy and then started up the stairs (18 of them) with my 3 heavy bags, my hiking pack and the plastic bags with my hiking boots, yes bags plural, because they were caked with sheep and cow poop that didn’t come off when I tried to spray them at Cefn Park.
When I opened the door, it looked as advertised. It was not glamorous but it was clean. It was a beautiful sunny day in London last Tuesday so I opened my blinds to let the sun shine into the studio. I headed out to explore the neighborhood and the Shepherd’s Bush Market and as the sun was setting it was getting chilly. By the time I got back to the studio it was windy and cold.
I closed the blinds, took off my jacket and ate the rest of my food 2 yogurts and the last slice of prosciutto. I was inside but the temperature was the same as the outside. I found the heater and turned it to 70. The heater was smaller than a sofa throw pillow. Assuming this thing would warm this single room I turned it on and while I waited, I decided to take a hot shower to warm up until the heat warmed the room.
Luckily there was the hot water heater wall thing warming up the bathroom. The shower was nice and I spent a good chunk of time just under the rain shower warming up. I got out and got my pjs on and opened the bathroom door assuming the little heater had warmed up the place. Nope. It was barely warm to the touch. Ugh. Whatever, I left it on all night and got under the blankets and went to sleep.
Wednesday I had another photo workshop on street photography, which I have very limited experience with, meeting my guide near the London Eye. I wanted to eat at the Harrod’s food hall so I navigated the tube easily to Knightsbridge and headed into my favorite store in the world. The sushi restaurant was where I chose to eat. It was delicious and the service was quite good. I did a bunch of shopping for my friends at Harrods because they ship for £25 regardless of the size of the box, and if you are shipping, the immediately take the VAT tax off the bill.
I had some time to spare time after Harrods and wanted something sweet, so I headed to a place down the road and had Cream Tea service. The pastries were delicious but there was no way I could eat 3 tiers of them in one sitting. I enjoyed what I could as well as the pot of Earl Gray tea and headed back to the tube to get to Westminster to meet my guide. I also realized this was a 6 hour 1 on 1 workshop. It started at 5:30. It was going to be a long night!
We started around Westminster, walked through SoHo, then through Chinatown, then back through Westminster to get to South Bank. We were about half way through when we stopped for a quick dinner and warm drink because it was freezing outside at this point. We walked along Southbank for a cool shot of St. Paul’s from Millennium Bridge, then headed through a number of alleyways that were very cool and then we were at Tower Bridge. In order to get the long exposure shots I wanted, I needed to be in the middle of the road. I also was not up for being hit by a car. We were able to put the tripod and ourselves on the smallest concrete platform that held a sign. The photos were better than I ever expected.
Walking across Tower Bridge I got a bunch of cool shots. We crossed the street and got long exposure (to make the water silky) shots of tower bridge. So much better than I hoped and neither of us were struck by a car. Just then my dude realizes it’s almost midnight and the tube closes at midnight. F. We were not far from Tower Hill station so we jumped on there and I got off at Hammersmith and was able to get on the literal last train to Shepherd’s Bush. Totally freezing, I walked the 2 blocks to my flop house. I could not wait to get inside and warm.
Walking into the studio, I noticed it was the exact same temperature as outside. Just like the night before, I took an extra long and extra hot shower to defrost. That night, I wore my pajamas, a hoodie, my snow beanie, heavy wool socks and my only remaining clean flannel lined hiking pants. It was almost 1am. I was exhausted from the walk, plus I think hypothermia also makes you tired, so I fell asleep almost immediately.
Thursday, my last day in London, and I woke up at 11:30am. I could not understand why I was so exhausted. I checked my pedometer and I had walked more than 30K steps which equals about 12.5 miles. With my short legs I think it was farther! I took off a layer of clothes and confirmed it was not any warmer in the studio, but the corner that the heater was in was definitely getting a few degrees warmer as it was finally warm to the touch. If I stay another week, I think the whole place will be warm.
Anyway, I got dressed in the bathroom with the clothes I would wear on the plane and had to repack my bags and equipment. That took quite a bit of time because I had to fit my big hiking camera pack and my tripod in my suitcase and pack around that thing. I also had to wrap the 8 Wrexham Lagers I was bringing home in my clothes. I use the compression bags when traveling so the bags were relatively neat. My camera bodies and lenses were secured in a travel cube and all of my lithium batteries (and there were many) were also packed in the carry-on camera suitcase. That’s it, packing is done. I’m prepared to leave, but I will never be ready to leave the UK.
I walked around the neighborhood again and through the market one more time. With no camera, I was able to pay attention to the sounds and smells of the different foods from different countries. The diversity of the neighborhood was really cool. After my walk, it was dinner time and I chose sushi again. Really good, pretty cheap and super nice owners.
Back in my igloo, I showered to defrost again. Put on all my clothing layers and my beanie hat and went to bed. Tomorrow morning Uber man is picking me up at 8am for the ride to Heathrow for my 12:35 flight. I wanted to maximize my time in the duty free without the supervision of Mrs. Koog this time and since I upgraded to first class, I was excited about breakfast in the lounge. Oh, and they have heat.
My flight was amazingly smooth and I slept quite a bit. They kept waking me up to try to feed me, but I was not interested in food as much as sleep. And just like that, 7 hours later we touched down at Dulles.
Mrs Koog picked me up and we headed home to the teenage Koogs and the dog. The teenagers were as excited as teenage boys can be when a parent comes home. I got a hello and a hug and they were gone. Mrs Koog and the dog were super excited to see me, though!
It’s hard to leave Wales, North Wales specifically. I love that land deeply, like it’s a part of my soul. It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen and I am so lucky to have done this trip focusing on my passion of landscape photography in the most beautiful place in the world. I also tried to put the camera down each day and intentionally take it all in, to be present and in the moment. To be honest, this type of intentionality is new to me but I found it very healing after handling my struggles (see the *Broken* post). Each time I put the camera down, I was able to connect with the land, the scenery and the spirits. It was a small slice of paradise I will keep with me forever.
Thank you for this amazing gift, Mrs. Koog. I love you.
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