We made it to Exeter but almost met our demise on the way. Well, not really, but there was a very close call. The train to London Waterloo was a slower train than the one from London Paddington to Exeter. It also felt a lot more cramped. We sat across from a very sweet 85-year-old woman and we basically heard her life story.

I had made reservations at an airbnb flat weeks ago for the next three nights in London. I texted the manager on his mobile phone yesterday to tell him when to expect us and would he meet us there to give us the keys. No response. I sent him a message through airbnb today. No response. I called him when we arrived in London and he answered and said he would have someone meet us, but to call when we arrived at the building. We got there at 4:20,  and while we were standing outside the building I called him and it went to voice mail. I tried again. Same thing. So Gord called him on his phone and the guy picked right up. He said someone was coming over in 2 minutes to let us in. Finally at 4:50 a woman named Zara showed up. I don't think she had ever been there before because we had to tell her what flat number was his, and she had a key ring with a fob and 7 keys on it (I know because we still have it) and she wasn't sure which keys were the correct ones.

We looked around and immediately noticed a large puddle of water (I think it was water) on the bathroom floor coming from the toilet area. (We don't seem to have much luck with toilets and bathrooms, it seems.) While Zara searched unsuccessfully for a mop, I looked around some more. There was no toilet paper and no hand soap (and no cleaning supplies whatsoever). Zara ran out to the Tesco for the tp and some paper towels. I looked in the kitchen, opened the drawers and cupboards (which felt very icky), and noticed there wasn't even any dish detergent (so now I'm thinking there's no way I'll be cooking there or eating off the plates or using any utensils and most especially I won't be drinking out of any glasses). Now I don't consider myself meticulous when it comes to cleaning. This place just really needed a thorough scrub.

Zara came back and proceeded to clean the floor with paper towels and a couple of rags she found in the flat. When she was more or less finished she picked up the rags and they were sopping wet and dripping over the floor. So what did she do? She put them in the bathroom sink while she got more paper towels! So now we'll have to wash our hands and brush our teeth in the kitchen sink. I'm afraid to take off my shoes and walk barefoot on the floors and, since there is no bath mat, I'm not sure what I'll do getting out of the shower.

We were tired and hungry, so we went back to Nenno for some pizza (which had looked good when we ate there last Thursday) and salad. It was good (and so was the wine). On the way home we stopped at Tesco and bought some dish detergent, body wash (and some more wine!). I should have looked for some flip flops for the bathroom. Maybe tomorrow. I used the dish detergent and some of the paper towels to wash out two glasses (sometimes you have to make exceptions). There was no hot water in the sink. I hope the shower has some.

There are some nice things about the flat. For one, the internet seems to be working well (I've been able to add the photos from Wednesday and Thursday). For another, we have a lovely view of the canal off the little balcony.




It's spacious compared to the places we have stayed in for the last week, with a kitchen (albeit unusable), a sofa, and a table with four chairs and lots of room to work on my laptop. I won't have to write my blog in bed any more. It's not just me who will be happy about that, I'm guessing.




There is also a cool, multi-story, living sculpture outside the front door of the building,