London is an exciting place with which to be involved. It doesn’t matter how long your relationship has endured: there’s always something unexpected to stave of the potential for familiarity to nudge the threshhold of boredom’s grey gloom.
Occasionally, the unexpected thing is horrifying, such as when a tramp lurches at you from a doorway and in the half-second before you realise he’s harmless you fear for your life, your bag, and your iPod.
Most of the time the unexpected thing is pleasing. Someone might choose that week to demonstrate that humans haven’t all gone to hell in a hand-basket, and the wallet you lost in the park will be handed in to the police complete with all the cards, ID, and every single note-worth of cash.
Other times, the unexpected thing will happen when you are trudging along minding your own business, and happen to turn a corner that you’ve turned a million times before. Like this one, around the corner from the British Museum:
Usually, that building looks like Hitler’s favourite architectural design for the final show-down scene in Ghostbusters. The other day, it looked like a big glowing pile of art. The photo doesn’t really do the projection justice but in case you can’t tell, it’s an advertisement for a TV channel.
Even the most soul-destroying activity of the festive season – shopping – is made more bearable when confronted by the unexpected pleasure of a non-tacky Christmas decoration installation in Covent Garden Market:
I can say many negative things about London when I put my mind to it, but I could never accuse it of being boring.
lifesmudged 
It does look and sound like a most wonderful place. My parents have been so many places around the world and it is one of their favorite spots. I got your gorgous sparkly card today. Thank you so much. I really like those huge Christmas bulbs. I wouldn’t mind using one of those as a tree!
*sigh*
How I wish I were there to see it all in real life.
Someday . . .
Oh – we were in Covent Garden on Sunday with the kids – I *loved* the huge baubles. (busy following you through wordpress so I don’t vanish for ever *again*).