Geez. The firm that designed Terminal 3 sure like to make sure people walk. I already mentioned the long hike from the gate to immigration. Well, the walk to the Underground station was far worse. I followed the signs in the terminal, and took the escalator down to what I thought was the station. It was actually a tunnel which leads to the Underground station…5 miles later. Maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, but it was certainly a pain in the rear especially lugging around a bag full of cans of Dr. Pepper. When I finally reached the Underground station, I was approached by a couple of Japanese girls who asked if I could take a picture of them with the Underground sign. I obliged, and then thought what the hell and took a picture myself.



My friend arrived not long after. I felt bad the she schlepped all the way down to Heathrow to meet me, but it was certainly nice to see a familiar face at the airport and I really appreciated it. We headed toward one of the ticket kiosks so I could buy an Octopus card, and then we off on a train. Overall, I was very impressed with the London public transportation system. It was clean, even on some of the older trains, and very efficient.

One unusual thing I noticed while taking public transit in London is that most people don’t really talk on trains and busses. Unfortunately for the Londoners who shared the trains and busses with us, my friend and I hadn’t seen each other in a while as we missed each other when she came back to Texas for Christmas. So we spent most of our journey back to London catching up. We definitely tried to keep the volume down, but I’m sure there was more than one person who was mentally cussing those bloody loudmouthed ‘muricans. We were heading toward Greenwich, where my friend and her husband lived, which required a change of trains at the London Bridge station.





After arriving at Greenwich, we had to schlepp another half mile up a fairly steep hill to get to my friend’s flat. While the walk was grueling, again due to the bag of soda, it was quite nice. The weather nice and cool, though a bit overcast and damp. And I really enjoyed seeing the architecture of the residences, which is quite different than what you would find in suburban America. These houses really have character. The lack of ambient noise was a bit unusual, but very enjoyable.



After unloading the goods and resting up a bit, we headed out so I could check out the area. We ended up at an area just across the Thames River from Canary Wharf.



By that time it was well past noon, so we headed to the nearby Frankie’s and Bennies for a late lunch. Since I was in England, I figured an order of fish and chips was in order. Now, my friend readily admitted this wasn’t the most “local place” around, but it was perfectly tasty for my Americanized taste buds and really hit the spot.



After an enjoyable lunch, we hit up the Royal Navy College. As some of you might have noticed, I’m a big history/aviation/military buff. I found it sort of ironic that I visited the Royal Navy College before visiting the US Naval Academy.



We walk around aimlessly for a bit, and soon found ourselves walking through the lush green rolling hills of Greenwich Park. I was quite impressed with just about every patch of grass, large or small, I saw in London. Everything was beautifully green and weed free. Now if I only I can get a quarter of that result with my lawn.



I’m not going to lie… While the name sounded familiar, I had to Google to see who John Rolfe was. Anyhow, the statue was apparently a gift from the Canadians to honor General John Rolfe, the conqueror of Quebec.



I remember from geography class way back in elementary school (or primary school for the international folks) that the Prime Meridian runs through Greenwich, England which is outside of London. Hence, GMT+1, etc. I had assumed “outside of London” meant 50-60ish miles away. Actually in Texas, you would probably be in the city after driving 60 miles, but that is neither here or there. Anyhow, I knew my friend lived near Greenwich, but I never put two and two together. The observatory was closing up by the time we got there, but either way it was pretty cool to see. And now I can say that I’ve been to exactly 0 degrees of longitude.


Greenwich Observatory


Prime Meridian

By this point, I was beyond beat. So we headed back to my friend’s flat. After chatting for a bit more, my pre-arranged black cab arrived to whisk me through London traffic to my hotel.

My friend’s husband had recommended me to take a black cab, because rates were fixed unlike the iconic London cabs. From Greenwich to my Hotel near Regents Park, it cost a flat 30 pounds which was well worth it. You see, my driver was from Afghanistan, but he had family in Orange County, California. Having worked there for awhile a couple of years ago, my cabbie and I had a lot to chat about. After learning this was my first visit to London, he offered to show me some of the sights on the way as it was far prettier at night and assured my ride would be 30 pounds no matter what. And man was he right, I really enjoyed my preview of London, which included a glimpse of Big Ben, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, and Oxford Street. My cabbie also provided a pretty nice narration as we drove through the sights. When we arrived at my hotel, I dropped an extra 5 pounds for his efforts.



I had originally intended to stay with my friend. But since they have kids, and knowing how plans can change in a millisecond with kids, I booked a hotel room as a back-up. Being the moron that I am, I booked a non-refundable rate accidentally. So I was kind of stuck with it. To make matters worse, I booked at the Holiday Inn Regents Park which had so-so Trip Advisor reviews. I nearly kicked myself when I saw the non-refundable rate at the Andaz dropped to just 110 pounds per night, just 10 pounds more than what I was paying at the Holiday Inn. That would have given me a chance to try out my new Hyatt Diamond status.

When my cab pulled up to the hotel, I was not impressed at all by the exterior. In fact, it looked downright dinky. But I was pleasantly surprised when I entered the lobby which was fresh and very modern. A friendly clerk quickly checked me in and “upgraded” me to a room on the executive floor. I was also offered me a Platinum welcome gift of a free drink or 500 points. Not feeling particularly randy that evening, I picked the points. I was also pleasantly surprised with my room. While it was nothing fancy, my room was clean and pretty comfortable, unlike what was reported on Trip Advisor.


Holiday Inn Exterior (taken the next morning)







I dropped asleep almost immediately after a good hot shower, and woke up refreshed the next morning. Breakfast consisted of a run to a nearby Starbucks. As I mentioned in previous TRs, I used to work for Starbucks while I was in college. So I always very interested to see how overseas stores compare to U.S. stores, especially when it comes to the pastry case. A tasty cinnamon roll and a tall Americano would do until lunch.





I munched on my tasty treat on the way to the Great Portland Street station, where I caught a Jubilee Line train to Baker Street, and then transferred to a Waterloo Line (I think…) train which took me to Westminster station.



It took just 20 minutes for me to reach Westminster. There, I headed out to the street level where I where I greeted by the sight one of London’s famous cabs, which featured an Atlanta twist, and a sight I certainly don’t see every day.





For a better view of London’s most recognizable sight, I crossed the Thames and took a stroll to the west before reversing course and heading toward the London Eye. While the weather wasn’t pleasant as the day before, the lack of precipitation was conducive for sightseeing. I’m sure the group of kayakers on Thames would agree. Too bad I didn’t have more time in London, as kayaking on Thames sounds pretty damn cool.













Ferris wheels are a fixture at state fairs across the U.S.; however, none of those Ferris wheels can hold a candle to the London Eye, which is one of the largest in the world. What an impressive sight it was. While I wouldn’t have minded taking a ride for the views, the prospect of waiting in the massive line wasn’t very appealing.



After passing the London Eye, I found myself in the Jubilee Gardens, where I found an entertaining bunch of characters. First up was a gentleman blasting a weird mash up of Eye of the Tiger and Eminem’s The Real Slim Shady from a single crappy speaker. He would start it from the top just after the introduction into the song again and again, but only after he screamed something that sounded like, “Shoot her”. Okay…



Next up was a lady asking me to take a flower, and then asked for money for the “children”. She was persistent so I tossed a couple of pounds her way and walked away. I thought I was home free until this little old lady grabbed my hand and put a clear ball in it. Not wanting to be impolite, I decided to humor her. She gave a spiel on the powers of her invaluable magic crystal, which had been in her family for generations and had the ability to see the future. In reality, it was probably something she picked up at the souvenir cart 100 yards away for a few pence. Anyways, I apparently will be a very successful and wealthy man, have four children, and die at a very old age. Also, May 24th will apparently be a big day for me. All of this was mine for the taking if I produce at least several large paper bills… GBP preferably, of course. Annoyed, I threw a couple pounds at her. She responded that it was valuable crystal, and needed large bills to make it all come true. Well lady, if you could really see the future you could tell that I didn’t have any large bills on me. Wanting nothing to do with the peddlers on this side of the river, I crossed the Millennium Bridge and found myself in beautiful Whitehall Gardens.



I then headed back toward Westminster Abbey. It is certainly the most impressive and beautiful churches I have ever seen. In fact, I’d probably put it above the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, though I think my opinion of Vatican City might be a bit skewed as I visited during the extremely crowded summer months. While most of people think of Westminster Abbey as the place the Royals get married, I was more interested in seeing the tombs of Sir Issac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Queen Elizabeth I. For the most part, all of the tombs were interesting physically, but more so it was humbling to be in the presence of so many important historical figures.

Unfortunately, photography isn’t allowed inside, but the exterior of the Abbey is very photogenic in its own right.















The area around the Westminster Abbey is quite nice as well. Parliament Square, which was across the street, is also worth seeing with statues of many important figures, including Nelson Mandela and of course Winston Churchill.







Other than New York City and London, I can’t recall any other city in the world where people actually want to take pictures. But damn, those hats are freaking nifty.





Feeling quite hungry at that point, I headed to a nearby “Great British Pub” for a steak and ale pie and pint of cider. There was a group of American students in line front of me, some of whom I chatted with for a bit. When I reached the barkeep to order food, she joked she was now fluent in American.



After lunch, I headed over to Trafalgar Square and visited the National Portrait Gallery which was interesting.













I then back down Parliament Street for a quick visit to the Horse Guard Parade grounds, before checking out the World War I memorial at the entrance of St. James Park.







Feeling beat, I went back to the hotel for a nap before coming back out to meet my friend for some sightseeing at night. While I saw essentially the same things as I did during the day, the landmarks were far more stunning at night.









I’m not sure I’d like to visit MI5 HQ involuntarily.



Apparently the peddlers I encountered don’t like working late, as we passed the Millennium Bridge unmolested. I told my friend about what happened earlier in the day, and she laughed. Apparently, the peddlers were have been a problem for quite a while.



A little while later, we came upon a vantage point with a nice view of Central London.



Having read my share of Shakespeare’s work in high school English classes, it was pretty cool to be able to see the modern rendition of the Globe Theatre.



The Towers of London looked much better at night, than in the day.



And ditto for the Tower Bridge, which made for a very picturesque back drop.



But the aptly named Glass Shard looks great during the day and at night.



But the HMS Belfast…not so much. I wish I had planned out my trip a little better and visited the ship.



After that, we turned around and caught a train to Leicester Square and then walked to over to Piccadilly Circus, is a lot like Times Square… Just far more civilized. Dinner was at an excellent sushi restaurant on a side street, name Kuru Kuru (I think…).













For dessert, we stopped at a nearby Starbucks for hot chocolate and pastries. As with SOP, the barista working the cash register asked for our names to keep the drinks in order. While the barista got my name right, she took some creative liberties with my friend’s name. Her name is fairly popular in the U.S., but not so much elsewhere. Oh those Americans, and their crazy arse names…



I was fairly surprised to see these behemoths, which are fairly common place in the U.S., roam the streets of London.





We closed out the night with a few pints at an awesome pub, Hall & Woodhouse. I absolute loved the classic polished wood décor, and they even had old fashioned manual drafts to boot. It was a perfect way to cap off a great weekend.



I absolutely loved London. The city is beautiful and clean, and the people are exceedingly polite but on the reserved side. And the fact that I have friends there makes it all the more appealing. Though I don’t regret my decision to try to avoid APD, I do wish I stayed longer.