Londongrad...

In London now planning a study abroad for 2007. The latest cash flush foreigners to hit the high end London market are the Russians, prompting a local paper to call it Londongrad (a bit dated, but never mind...). This includes the Wayne Gretzky lookalike and his glamorous wife who bought a local soccer team for $700M. A cabbie told us that the Russians and others are buying up what will be the most exclusive address in London when it is finished, 1 Knightsbridge, where said cabbie told us the apartments are selling for around $80M (not a typo).

Great city, but with Texas style heat, all are wilting. AC is not common here, so we avoid restaurants with open doors, a sure giveaway. Our hotel is convenient to where I am working, CAPA (Centers for Academic Programs Abroad), but basic. For $130 a night, we get no AC and no elevator. Hmmm. Hope to explore some haunts recommended to me by Jay Parini of Middlebury who just finished a year here, also Oxford, and some friends and relatives of Rita, who is English and finding the heat unbearable (record July day this week of nearly 100). Now, some good ole central Indiana humidity has moved in...