Another blog, another country. This time I've been to London, catching up with City-based friends and a few people I haven't had the pleasure of seeing yet since I've been back from Aus.

I flew over from Munich with Michaela, and we met her friend Moyra at Stansted, where we had a bite to eat before going our separate ways, me into London and the girls on to Diane's house. I took the bus for a change, but I think in future I'll splash out on a train ticket because the trains, whilst grubby, at least don't stink of diesel fumes.

Hm, I have to say that London comes across as totally grubby in comparison to Munich. The same is true of Berlin actually. But isn't it funny? Whereas in Berlin it was actually quite pleasant to see a bit of "real life" instead of the chocolate-box cleanliness of Munich, in London I just wanted to escape the crowds and the noise and the fumes and the chewing gum on the streets and the traffic and the shabby buildings and the roadworks and the stress of the place.

Which leads me to conclude that in my heart of hearts I have moved away from the UK now.

With this earth-shattering realisation behind me (it sounds facetious but I think I mean it), I could settle down and enjoy my time in London. It helped of course that the weather was clear and bright, and at the weekend in fact not just bright but baking hot too.

So in all I managed to catch up with tonnes of people: Kev & Cath and their baby daughter Molly; Ann & Colin; Simon & Nic and their little horrors Millie & Samuel; Hugh; Toni; Dan; H; Steve & Becky; Simon & Hester and their baby daughter Poppy; and I even had a phone call with Andy & Hannah. Not bad going for four days!

And of course I made time in my busy schedule for copious amounts of delicious food (what would a blog of mine be like without some reference to victuals?): fab Vietnamese in Shoreditch; divine vegetarian Indian at Diwana on Drummond Street, by Euston station; picnic goodies from M&S on Hamptstead Heath; gastropubtasticness at the Lansdowne in Primrose Hill; and a hearty plate of pie & mash with a bottle of fine English ale.

It was with one laughing and one crying eye (as they say here) that I bade farewell to London and set out back to Munich. If I said I missed living in England, I'd be lying. But I can't imagine there ever being a time where I wouldn't want to go back to visit.