Road Trip Wednesday - Dream Writing Retreat

Going to try adding Wednesday to my blogging schedule. I doubt I have enough brain power to come up with something stunningly creative for Wednesdays on my own, so I'm going to hop on the YA Highway's Road Trip Wednesday. 


Today's RTW prompt is: 
Describe your dream writing retreat. Where would you go? Who and what would you bring?


London
If I were to craft the perfect writing retreat it would be a week (or more, what the hell, it's a fantasy) in a quiet hotel in Bloomsbury, in easy walking distance to the British Library, the Strand and the river. I'd write in the morning, walk in the afternoon and meet with friends for dinner and drinks in the evening. I might even take a few day trips out of King's Cross.

British Library

In any season London is a walker's paradise. And I write best in my head while walking. I used to work in the City (a lowly tea-lady, not a high powered venture capitalist, in case you were wondering) and sometimes, instead of hoping on the tube, I'd walk down High Holborn, into the West End, down to Victoria Embankment, across Hungerford Bridge and once, I walked all the way home to Balham. 

Victoria Embankment

Stories are buried in every nook and cranny of the city. For me, it's a layered, never ending source of ideas. Sometimes, I walk through London in my dreams. 


I actually wouldn't take anyone with me. I'm surrounded by people who need me all the time right now and the optimal writing experience would be mostly silent. I know there will be other times in my life when I'll want/need others to spark my creativity, but that's not now.


As for what I would take with me, laptop, of course. And I would probably take Writing the BreakOut Novel by Donald Maass in case I get stuck. Ipod and lots of music is also not negotiable - I know this goes against my previous request for silence, but I don't consider music noise, I consider it writing impetus.


What about you, what's your idea of a perfect writing retreat?