June 18, 2016. London

After two weeks of fighting a stubborn cold and resorting to a number of antibiotics, I got on the flight from Los Angeles to London with dark circles, a fading headache and half-gone sinus infection. I felt as if in a disease purgatory, envisioning the hell of a headache once at high altitude.  But heaven pulled me back, and I climbed safely on the upward slope of recovery.  I arrived in London in good shape.

We got on the "tube", aka "Underground", from Heathrow to Picadilly Circus to meet friends. 

It was a good hour spent in a narrow, old fashioned but well maintained train.  When above ground, the first glimpses at London revealed a lush green city.  

We spent time in SoHo, had perfect cappuccino and cannoli at Princi's on Wardour St, and ate the freshest seafood at Livali on Long Acre Street in Covent Garden. 

London, even on a gray day - nothing unusual I guess- seems mysterious and gloomy, dissolving the discrepancies between the many architectural styles.   Big Ben, Thames and the building of the Parliament are majestic, royal, with a certain cold  dimension, but the millions of tourists admiring them remind one that we are in 2016.  

And among these, we found cute cabs, lots of trees, and good food.   I could hear Italian on the street everywhere. 

Finally, after this 9- hour layover in London, we flew another 3 hours through very stormy skies to Bucharest, where we arrived at midnight.