Ugh, please take me back to the Marriott

Um ok, this place is icky. I'll survive until Wednesday and I'll just chalk it up to experiences and blah blah, but bright and early Wednesday morning, I am *out* of here...whether it's back to the Marriott or some other (chain) hotel, it's better than this place.

The location couldn't be better, the tube is half a block away and it's in good ole American-infested South Ken...but otherwise, it's just not my style. I don't do budget traveling!

But one of the lovely London taxi drivers did brighten my day...he laughed when I told him my destination - another hotel and said "sick of this one, eh?" - so I had to explain why and we chatted a bit about my plans, etc. If you haven't been here, you should know that the cab drivers are cool guys (and they do seem to be all guys!) and they'll usually chat with you. So, as we pulled up to my new hotel, he hoisted all my bags out of the car and all the way up to the door, with this retort: "I don't think there's a porter at this place!" Lol...but actually, there was. It's not *that* bad, but it's just too depressing for me.

I'm in a city I barely know, I know enough people to count on one hand and none of them very well (though they seem like fantastic people!), I'm unemployed, I'm homeless....the least I can do for myself is not live in squalor ;)

In happier news, after a quick look at another flat (not good), I didn't really have any hugely pressing reason to hurry back, so I took a stroll around Sloane Square...it's cold today, so I didn't last too long, but it was nice to actually stop and enjoy my new city for a bit.

And though I was suddenly starving when I came across a Starbucks, I soldiered on for something at least a little less American, if not also less chainish...and ended up with the comical English version of a sandwich ;) a little itty bitty thing, but it sufficed and on I went.