Mother's Ruin

Yesterday was sort of low key as our trip ends today and leave early tomorrow. We started out with class presentations and then were dismissed to do as we pleased. Cydney and I had done all of our shopping just but we decided to see the Atlantic Occult bookshop that was closed on Sunday and the surrounding shops, too. We had lunch at Otarian To Go restaurant which is a vegetarian/vegan/gluten free friendly restaurant whose focus is a low carb-on (carbon, not carbs) diet. They boast that all their packaging is compostable, none of their ingredients are airfreighted, and that their carbon footprint is so low that "if every Brit at just one meal at Otarian, we'd have enough energy to fuel an eco car to the sun and back 14 times." I thought it was really cool and they even had 3 bins: one for liquids, one for everything food and packaging from their shop, and one for things not from their shop as they probably won't degrade fast enough. Really impressive prices, tasty dishes, and TOTALLY inexpensive.

It was so very hot though that we spent a good portion of the afternoon having ice water that melted instantly and laying in front of our fan. Less than stellar way to spend our last week here. Most locals were covering every square inch of the park whether in the shade or not. When 17:30 rolled around we headed out for the Jack the Ripper Whitechapel walking tour. There were SO many of them but we felt, having previously investigated them and getting no responses, that we did choose the best one by a company called Ripping Yarns. Our tour guide was a former Marine, Police Officer, and a guide at the Tower of London. He said talking about MURDER was his escape from being asked about the toilets all day. Uniquely, you pay him at the end if you see fit (and we really did, I gave him a full 10-er instead of the suggested 7 pounds). He was really funny and witty, made light of many things, had images of London as it was and how the city compares today, images of evidence, Victorian pennies, and even showed us Harry Potter's Diagon Alley (or at least what it is by its actual name). He also wrapped it up with evidence of who Jack the Ripper really was and I have to say it was very convincing! You'll just have to go yourself to find out! We passed through the East End which kept getting suggested to us and I wish we were there while it was open. Many textile distributors as offbeat fashion shops. Chatting it up with the guide, his son is studying at the prestigious Central St. Martin's School of Fashion (he was unaware that it was a big deal) and even told us to find his son at such and such a bar so that we could meet again. Really great way to end our stay in jolly ole Londontown.