The closest thing to crazy

This is the story of my trip from the US to the UK in September 2024 to see my favorite singer Katie Melua, with a few other adventures along the way. All photos in this post were taken by me.

Prologue

In the fall of 2007, I was working on a cover of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" and decided to search the internet for other covers. I came across Katie Melua's 2005 performance on the French TV show Taratata and was instantly mesmerized. To this day I still consider it one of the greatest covers of any song ever.

I quickly downloaded all of her albums (there were three at the time; she has nine now). The more I learned the more impressed I became. Like how she went from growing up amidst civil war in the former Soviet state of Georgia to being the best-selling female artist in Europe. Or how she holds the Guinness world record for the deepest underwater concert.

As an avid concertgoer I've seen hundreds of artists live over the years, but there was always one on my bucket list that in order to cross off I'd have to travel to Europe. So finally, in September 2024, I made it happen.

Thursday

I landed at London's Heathrow Airport around 7 a.m. on the 12th. The last time I visited the UK, passport control involved talking to a Border Force officer and getting a stamp, but this time I was able to use the automated self-service gates. I took the Heathrow Express to Paddington, visited the Paddington Bear statue, and then used the Stasher app to drop off my backpack at a luggage storage site on Praed Street.

I took the Underground from Paddington to High Street Kensington to get breakfast at a Georgian bakery in Kensington Square called Entree. The lady working there was very sweet and helpful. I opted for an Imeruli khachapuri, pain au chocolat, and a juice blend. The card payment processing machine was out of order, so for the other customers (who seemed to be regulars), the worker took down their information so they could come back and pay later. However I wouldn't be able to return so I got cash from a nearby ATM.

I walked back to Paddington by way of Hyde Park, passing such landmarks as Kensington Palace, the Peter Pan statue, the Serpentine Lake, and the Italian Gardens.

Once back at Paddington I took the Tube to Kensal Green and walked through historic Kensal Green Cemetery, including a stop at the tomb of Mary Eleanor Gibson, which was used as the filming location of the music video for "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" by Jim Steinman's band Pandora's Box.

A nearby pub on Regent Street called Parlour was the setting for a delicious brunch of smoked salmon and soda bread with scrambled eggs and a latte. For any Pokémon Go fans out there, I was thrilled to catch the UK-exclusive Stonjourner which had just been released a few days earlier.

Recharged, I took the Tube back to Paddington and walked to La Maritxu for a slice of award-winning Basque cheesecake, followed by a stroll down Oxford Street. I nipped into Sainsbury's to try Squashies (reportedly Taylor Swift's favorite candy) and browsed Selfridges.

I returned to Paddington once more, retrieved my bag, and caught the Tube to King's Cross where I arrived at my first hotel, the Hub by Premier Inn on Wharfdale Road. The lobby was chaotic as only one of the check-in machines was working, but eventually I got to my room. I soon headed out again for a stroll along the Regent's Canal that began at a floating bookshop called Word on the Water and ended with a fabulous dinner of chkmeruli (chicken in garlic sauce) at Little Georgia Islington on Barnsbury Road. Dessert was a Kinder Bueno milkshake at HoneyCake in Chapel Market.

I then descended the 200 ft (61 m) escalator at the Angel tube station (the longest escalator in the UK), and after a short ride to Old Street I walked to a live music venue called Village Underground to see Sophie May and Searows. I'd recently become a fan of Sophie in June upon discovering her music on social media, so I was very fortunate that she happened to be playing a show while I was in town. I chatted with her after her set and bought a signed poster. After Searows' set I headed back to my hotel for some much-needed rest.

Thursday walking total: 30,693 steps / 12.6 mi / 20.3 km

Friday

I was up early to stash my bag at a luggage storage site on Argyle Street and then catch the 7:07 a.m. Southeastern Rail high-speed train from St. Pancras (where I tried a packet of Marks & Spencer chocolate custard creams) to Dover Priory. As we pulled into the station, I got a nice view of the famous White Cliffs of Dover through the train window.

At Chaplins on Church Street, I had an excellent English breakfast complete with Cadbury hot chocolate.

Then it was up a seemingly endless combination of steps and hills to Dover Castle, which was built in the 12th century. The site also contains a Roman lighthouse built in the 2nd century. I got an amazing view of the English Channel with France in the background. For Pokémon Go fans, I discovered that Dover was in range to catch the France-exclusive Klefki.

I descended back into town for a tasty lunch of fish and chips with curry sauce at Castle Take Away on Castle Street. Then I boarded the 12:48 p.m. train back to St. Pancras in London, which gave me enough time to retrieve my bag and transfer to Euston for the 2:53 p.m. train to my next destination: Manchester.

Upon arriving at Manchester Piccadilly station, I had planned to take the tram across town but I discovered there was a free bus so I took that instead. After checking into my second hotel, the Premier Inn on Irwell Street, I took a short walk to the Spinningfields district for a wonderful dinner at Tattu in Hardman Square. I had Shanghai black cod, wagyu beef dumplings, a mai tai, and an Asian pear sticky toffee pudding. The food and service were top-notch, not to mention the beautiful ambience including a cherry blossom tree.

By the time I found out that Chappell Roan was performing in town that night it was already sold out, so my final stop of the night was Project Halcyon Distillery, a cocktail bar with friendly staff in a repurposed warehouse on Lower Byrom Street. I went with the "pan con mango" with pisco, crème de banane, mango, and brioche.

Friday walking total: 19,180 steps / 7.6 mi / 12.2 km

Saturday

I had a lovely breakfast of Turkish eggs at Federal Cafe Bar on Deansgate, followed by a tranquil visit to St. John's Gardens. I didn't know it at the time, but Federal Cafe Bar was recently named one of the most popular cafes in the world, and often gets queues of people out the door and down the street. Thankfully I went early enough that I didn't have any issues.

A couple blocks up Deansgate was my next stop: the stunning John Rylands Library, which opened in 1900. Rumor has it that the producers of the Harry Potter films used this space as inspiration for their sets. Whether or not this is true, walking around the library definitely feels like walking around Hogwarts.

I left the neo-Gothic building and proceeded to an actual Gothic building: the incredible Manchester Cathedral, built in 1421. Parts of the building were restricted due to something being filmed, but it was still a nice visit.

Just around the corner from the cathedral is another historic site: Chetham's Library, which was established in 1653. Here you can see everything from the first printed edition of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, to the desk where Marx and Engels wrote the Communist Manifesto. The tour guide was knowledgeable and entertaining.

I had lunch at Nando's in Arndale Shopping Centre, followed by browsing the shops. My favorite shop was Hotel Chocolat, which offered free samples of hot chocolate made in their Velvetiser machine. It was heavenly, and I've since bought my own Velvetiser to use at home.

El Gato Negro on King Street served up a dinner of exquisite tapas. I had Catalan tomato bread, grilled seabream with butterbean hummus, manchego gratin dauphinoise with pesto, a "kiwi cloud" cocktail (vodka, green apple liqueur, apple juice, kiwi, lime, vanilla), and a triple chocolate fondant slice.

After dinner I walked to the Opera House. My ticket included complimentary champagne and ice cream, but after the meal I'd just had, I was too full to partake. I had a pleasant chat with my seat neighbors in the fourth row. BBC Radio 2's Vernon Kay introduced the show. The opening acts, Jake Isaac and Brooke Combe, were both brilliant. Definitely go see them if you get the chance.

Finally it was time for Katie Melua, joined by the BBC Concert Orchestra. The audience burst into applause as they recognized the opening notes to her hit song "Nine Million Bicycles." It's a song I've heard many times, but to experience it in person, re-imagined with an orchestra, was truly something special. Next was my favorite of Katie's songs, "The Flood," which she once described as an attempt to write a song "that was influenced by music from the future, you know, music that hasn't happened yet." The setlist spanned her 20-year career, from the earliest ("The Closest Thing to Crazy") to the most recent ("Golden Record") and all points in between ("I Cried for You," "Joy," and more). I was over the moon.

Saturday walking total: 15,788 steps / 6.5 mi / 10.5 km

Sunday

It was too early for the free bus, and the tram was out of service, so I had to make the 30-minute walk to Piccadilly Station for the 8:20 a.m. train back to London. As I disembarked at Euston, a young lad pointed and said, "your shoes are untied." I looked down to see my shoes were in fact tied. "Gotcha!" He laughed and ran off. I decided to stash my bag at the same place near Kings Cross that I used on Friday, but after doing so I discovered that the Tube line from there to Holborn was out of service, which meant I had to backtrack to Euston and continue from there. Upon arriving at Holborn I walked around the corner for a Sunday roast at the Ship Tavern on Gate Street, which opened in the year 1549. Seated in the gorgeous Oak Room, I devoured a roast chicken with vegetables, Yorkshire pudding, and a bottomless jug of gravy.

After lunch I explored the British Museum, where I saw a myriad of treasures including the Rosetta Stone and the controversial Elgin Marbles.

After a quick stop at Outernet to see a free kaleidoscopic art show, I went to Balans on Old Compton Street in Soho for a delightful deconstructed banoffee pie.

 

At this point I was exhausted, so I retrieved my bag and took the Tube to Paddington and the Heathrow Express to the airport to check into my third hotel. I had selected the Aerotel connected to Terminal 3, making it convenient for the next morning's flight home. However, when I got there I learned that the hotel was closed due to a burst pipe. To their credit, they re-booked me for free at the nearby Marriott and provided transportation to and from. Now at my fourth hotel, I had lasagna and a bellini at the lobby restaurant, Carluccio's, and turned in for the night.

Sunday walking total: 20,155 steps / 8 mi / 12.9 km

Epilogue

A few months later in February 2025, I won a drawing to have a Zoom call with Katie! She is so sweet to make time for her fans, and I'm grateful to have had this opportunity to swap stories with someone I've admired for so long. I look forward to seeing what she does next, and hopefully our paths will cross again.