Tag Archives: UK

Final day in Europe – Day 37

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We had planned to get up early for our final day in London. We sort of did. We slept in for an hour and got up at 0730. Today we were up early enough for breakfast at the hotel. It was nothing special. This time I had no problems with the hotel printing off the boarding passes.

We left the hotel and caught the train to Emirates Stadium which is the home ground for the Arsenal Football (Soccer) Club. We came here because we were looking for something to bring back the house sitter. Rhian said that this was her favorite team. After some research on her facebook page, Arsenal did not feature at all. Turns out her favorite team is Chelsea and Arsenal is her rival. Good work Rhian. So we left Arsenal and caught the train back in search of the Chelsea FC Megastore. An hour later we arrived and found a few things to bring back. Not telling what they are in case you tell Linda.

After getting nothing at the megastore because soccer is as much drama as WWE we caught the train across town to the Science Museum. You could easily spend a whole day here. There was so much. The space section was my favorite. However it got to 2pm and we were hungry. He had an expensive lunch at the cafe upstairs. After lunch we left and caught the train to the M&M megastore.

The train stop was Piccadilly Circus. One of the places mum said to go. Tick, done. The M&M store is awesome. It had M&M’s of course. No dad we didn’t buy you any. But they had everything else you can think of. We bought a couple of shirts, Magnet Stuffed toy and a blanket.

After the M&M megastore we caught the bus to 10 Downing Street. The home of the British Prime Minister. It is heavily guarded by police, two fences and then a road block. Have fun getting through with a tank. I thought you could actually walk the street but you can’t. The media must get special access to get the photos of him getting in and out of his car like they do.

After the photo stop we walked back to Trafalga Square. Another place mum told us to go. It seems little more than a meeting place. Next we walked down to the river to catch the bus to Canary Warf where we were going to meet my friend Carl. The bus came but it was not the normal London bus it was a coach. We had to pay for this as it didn’t take the Oyster card. We eventually reached Canary Warf and after some walking around found Carl.

We meet him at a pub called Cat and Canary. Was right on the board walk around the Warf. We stayed here for one drink then moved onto a mexican styled restruant for dinner. The food and the company was great. I told Rhian she would like Carl. I hope it doesn’t take as long to catch up with him again.

After dinner we said goodbye to Carl and caught the trains back to our hotel. This was our last day in Europe, UK and London. After reaching the hotel Rhian started to pack the suitcases with all our stuff while I as usual wrote blog posts. Tomorrow is an early start. We are getting up at 0315 to get organised for a 0430 transfer to the airport for our flight to Dubai.

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London – Day 36

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Today we had planned on getting up around seven o’clock so we could be out early and see the sites. This failed. We slept in until ten and lost half the day. By the time we got organised went got coffee then returned to get a couple of things it was already midday and half the day was over. We dropped our washing off at a drycleaners just around the corner. Cost us $40 AUD to have two bags of washing done for us. Saved us sitting around doing it.

We decided to go see Abbey Road. The famous crosswalk where the Beatles took the album cover outside of Abbey Road Studios. It was pouring with rain when we got off the train and we got soaked. Taking any photos was near impossible, however we tried. There were three photographers there who all offered to take the photo for us. However they put it on their website and you purchase it from there. I declined the offer and thought to just get our own. I was too chicken to stop traffic on my own so I didn’t get the classic shot of Rhian crossing the road. I did however checkin when we arrived and John Harney jumped on the earthcam website and grabbed a screenshot of me standing on the footpath.

After ten minutes and a good soaking from the rain Rhian and I headed back to the train station where at least it was dry. We caught the train to London Bridge. When we arrived I was confused. London Bridge was not what I thought it was but after walking half way over I could see the bridge I was looking for. It was Tower Bridge I was thinking of. We walked along the river towards Tower Bridge and diverted to a restraunt to have lunch. It was a French styled restruant called “Rouge Cafe” but had a nice Belgium beer. After lunch we continued walking along the river towards Tower Bridge. We skyped mum from just next to the bridge.

After the skype call we walked across the tower bridge but did not go up the tower. Instead we walked to the other side bought tickets to London Tower. This was an old fort that is known death and torture. These days it houses the crown jewels. Your not allowed to take photos of them because it is inside a vault. They are very flashy and covered in jewels. I do not see the royals being able to afford to produce another one. They are more likely to sell the ones they have to pay their bills.

After having a quick look around it was after 5pm so we headed back to the hotel and picked up our washing. Seems they put all the washing in together because everything that had white on it was now pink. Our towels we last used in Greece had not been washed before and I am sure it was them that ran. We did give the washing over in a light and dark bag. Don’t guess they noticed or cared. We changed jackets and left the hotel to walk around the district we were staying. We found a shopping center that had a semi food hall upstairs. We settled on a buffet styled chinese restraunt. The food was ok and they even had Chicken and Sweet corn soup but it was empty so I missed out. After dinner we went to the Bayswater arms pub for a drink. Rhian didn’t drink and my belly was about to explode. I couldn’t put another thing in if I tried.

We came back to the room and I wrote the blogs for the last few days and Rhian made a list of places we would try and visit tomorrow. Until then Bye Bye.

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Dublin to London – Day 35

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Today we had no breakfast included in our accomodation. So we slept in a little later and woke up around 9am. We got ourselves organised and went next door to Macas and had breakfast. I wanted hotcakes. I loooove Macas hotcakes. After breakfast we went back to the hotel room to grab our bags and check-out. We left our bags at reception and went walking around town. We didn’t feel we had enough time to do anything. What we really should have done is bought a ticket to the bus tour and seen the city on the bus.

We stopped for a Mocha at a cafe called The Sweetest Thing. Was a chocolate heaven. However was no customers so the owner was happy for us to kill some time here. After coffee we walked for some more, then some more again before stopping at another hotel near ours for lunch. It was a little pricey but Rhian was paying.

After lunch we went back and collected our suitcases from the reception. We decided we would just go to the airport and just wait it out there. Upon getting to the airport and dropping our bags off. The counter person told us to wait while he went to check our paperwork. I thought this might happen because I had a receipt for the baggage however our tickets still claimed that we had no baggage. Being a programmer I knew something had stuffed up and I was right. However after checking it out with a supervisor all was ok and our bags were accepted.

The time at the airport went by fast enough and sooner than later we were on our flight to London. I got the window seat this time and enjoyed looking out the window watching the land and sea fly by. Because it was only a short flight I don’t think we reached more than 10,000 feet. The ground was always close enough the see what was down below. Again we were sitting next to the engines but I was able to look down. I enjoyed the landing into the City airport as the desent is quite steep. This is a special airport that has a speical landing approach and you do feel the steep desent into the airport.

After landing at London City Airport we collected our bags but did not have to go through immergration. This was very strange as this was our fourth time through UK immergation and this time it did not exist. Every other time no matter if it was from an airport or ferry we have had to fill out an immergration card and go through immergration. However on this entry there was nothing. Seemed very strange. Next was customs. There was a red gate, a green gate and a EU gate. We went to go through the green gate because we are non EU but you could not walk through the green gate. Our only way through was the EU gate. So we walked through the EU gate and I was just waiting to get caught or grabbed. Nothing. Felt like we were doing the wrong thing. Technically we were but we could go through the correct gate. This was the most laxed entry into the UK we have had since visiting Europe.

After exiting the airport we headed straight for the train station. We topped up our oyster cards via the machine. Very easy. Tap your card. Insert credit card then tap your Oyster card again and job done. Perth has so much to learn. We caught the trains back to our new hotel. I pretty much got the underground sorted here thanks to Google maps. Our hotel is a bit of a dump this time but it’s not too bad. It will do for three nights. It is still better than the Umi hotel around the corner where we started our Europe Topdeck tour from.

After checking inn we went to a locat restraunt around the corner. Was an italian restraunt and wasn’t too bad. After dinner we walked back to the hotel and went to bed.
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