Renewed and Enthused for Business in London

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Every time Raymond took his annual business trip to London, he stayed in whatever business hotel the majority of his colleagues stayed in.
Convenience was key, and he didn’t put much thought into planning the leisure time that he had. Often they stayed in the Hilton nearest the center where there meetings were to be held that year, and in the evening he would simply take a walk in that neighborhood and find a decent restaurant to dine in- sometimes with a colleague but most often alone. He had fond memories of having grilled goat cheese at Prezzo in Bloomsbury, and he returned there a few times; but mostly he wandered aimlessly.

     This year was a bit different. It was as if Raymond had awoken from a semi-hibernation. He felt energized- even inspired. Going to London meant a chance to explore new terrain and to tap into a nightlife completely different than what was available to him in Cleveland. He felt a bit guilty that it had taken the upheaval of his wife leaving him to bring this urgency of living, but there was no time for guilt. His relationship was in limbo, but in the meantime he was going to live as much as possible.

     One of his first thoughts was to see what was on at the Royal Opera House. He hadn’t been to an opera or ballet since the year after he finished graduate school. He could catch a production of Swan Lake, which was on the schedule for October. He visited the London Theatre website to familiarize himself with more venues, so he could have a nice choice of plays.

     He decided to book a room in a West End hotel so he could be near the wealth of theatres that the West End had to offer. He would stay alone this time; he didn’t want to be hampered by the banality of his colleagues’ routines. He was excited to be near Leicester Square this time, as he had heard much was happening there but had only passed through. He even decided that he would finally try Persian food at nearby Simurgh, the first Persian restaurant in the hear t of London. At night, he figured, he might as well wander into Metra, a slick night club in the square. He thought he might even meet someone who strikes his fancy and ignite a short little affair.