not quite according to plan

So, I'm in England! Hip, hip, hurrah! Yesterday was pretty, today was cloudy, but we've walked allllll over the city in search of places we wanted and needed to go. Goodness! I don't think I've ever walked this much in a single day in my life. Except possibly the last time I was in England.

But I'm getting ahead of myself: I have some sad news. Upon arrival at the airport, we were of course immediately ushered into the mindless shuffling border control lines, where we were asked by peppy audio recordings to please have out our passports and all relevant information. Apparently some of us have better relevant information than others: I was given a quick clearance, while Corbin was left behind. I went downstairs, got my bag, changed some money (errgh), tried to find a wireless connection, played six games of Spider Solitaire, and then realized that it'd been an hour and I hadn't seen Corbin. So, with surprising difficulty, I found my way back up to immigration, where he, bored-looking, was sitting in the same chair they'd left him in earlier.

Thus commenced a several-hour-long period of waiting in which various members of the Border Control Agency helped us and/or shot us dirty looks. One very nice gentleman in particular kept me posted, while I read almost all of Portrait of a Lady. At the end of it: Corbin is, long-term, denied clearance. They were nice enough to give him four days, but he has to leave Monday morning.

So we're making the most of the time we've got: eating at pubs, walking until our feet turn into little nubs. My blog will receive more attention once those four days are up, as I will be lonely, friendless, and perpetually cold. Tonight, however, we're about to head to dinner at the Red Lion (a fact which, if Alan Franks or Jacob S. O'Neal number among my readers--which they most assuredly do not, but they might, if they wished--will appreciate) and walk around the city at night.

Photos forthcoming. Love y'all.