We can see the train station across the major street and for the nearest lane I see no cars so I decide to step out to jaywalk when Lana yells at me and I look right and jump back on the curb before I get killed by a bus. Traffic runs the opposite direction so you need to always look both ways. Phew! A couple of more seconds and I am not sure if I would have been alive to tell the story?
We needed to make one switch at Oxford Circus station to catch the Bakerloo line and then off at Waterloo station. It is a shortish walk to the London Eye pier located on the Thames River of course. We will be using our three day London Pass for the first time. We purchased the pass many months ago given it was being discounted. Our first tourist activity is the boat ride on the Thames River by City Cruises. We are too early for the 10:45 departure so we walk around a little bit and then return to join the queue on the wharf.
Our Airbnb @ 66/68 Masbro Road, Kensington, London. We are on the main floor at street level. The half open window is our bedroom facing the street.
We grab two seats on the starboard side of the vessel (see below) up top. Bright sun on our faces and pretty warm in the direct sun unless we are shaded by a tall building or a wind comes up. Safety talk to begin and then we have live commentary in english during our entire time on the boat. Many seats unfilled as we think it is too early for other tourists and it is off-season. This river cruise covers all the important sights and ends all the way at Greenwich (downstream of London towards the North Sea). In addition to seeing very famous landmarks/sights, we learn a lot about London (my notes below):
- London Eye is 452 feet tall
- Cleopatra's Needle is at least 3,500 years old
- A very expensive stone used in buildings is Portland stone and what makes it so special is that it self cleans in the rain
- St. Paul's Cathedral was built in 1710
- The Anchor Pub is from 1615
- there have been five London bridges since the first one in Roman times. The most famous London Bridge was build in 1209 and lasted for 600 years
- The Shard is the highest glass building in western Europe
- Sky Garden has a free observation deck that can be booked online. Other observation decks are very expensive.
- The Tower of London is 900 years old
- The Tower Bridge was built in 1894 from steel and iron
- Captain Kidd was hung in 1701
- Canary Wharf area is huge and is located where there is a large bend in the river and the name of the area is Isle of Dogs
- The Thames river is 215 miles long and is tidal for the final 90 miles
- The Thames can rise and fall 8 metres with the tides
- The river is very brown yet it is apparently very clean. It is muddy and murky due to the tidal movements. London tap water comes from the Thames after treatment.
- in 1513 Henry VIII created the Royal British Navy which went on to rule the world for a time
This is our City Cruises boat.
The famous London Eye as seen from our City Cruises boat. We are at the London Eye pier so right below the London Eye.
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (oak and thatch reconstruction from the original).
The iconic Big Ben situated beside the UK Parliament buildings.
The Tower of London bridge majestically straddling the Thames River.
The Shard (highest glass tower in western Europe).
Looks like a walkie-talkie!
From a different angle. Great contrast between new and old architecture.
The Tower of London as seen from the Thames River.
We arrive at the Tower Millennium Pier around 11:15. We wait for more passengers and then continue downriver to Greenwich. We loved being outside in the sun and seeing all these sights from the Thames River. We arrive in Greenwich around 12:10 and discover the vessel sits for 40 minutes before making the return trip to another pier upriver. We decide to head into Greenwich and find a tube train to take us back into central London. Lana asks where we can find the train station and we navigate past the Cutty Sark (famous sailing ship below) to find the train which is located down several stairwells. We make it to central London and then a walk to the Borough Market for our lunch.
We need to cross the London Bridge to find Borough Market. It was highly recommended by Anthony Bourdain and Lana had visited her last time in London. Described by Bourdain: "artisanal bakers, pork producers, delicious English food, specialty shops and get to Neal's Yard Dairy for cheese." We thought it would make a great destination and good for lunch. It is located below the screeching and rumbling Tube trains above. The place is packed with people and quickly we discover why. So many excellent casual food places and some serve wine and beer. You are outside so it is an even more special experience.
My lunch is salted beef (tastes like Montreal smoked meat) on a bagel with a hot mustard, pickles, cheese melted on top and red cabbage. Wow, the meat and sandwich is delicious and filling. I grab a Leffe (wheat) beer. Lana has found a table for us. Her sandwich is two banger sausages on a bun. In our people watching we notice lots of teenage school kids dressed in their school uniforms. I find a bakery place and purchase a sea salt caramel cake with parsnip. It is very thick and dense cake. There is a washroom so that was a relief for both of us. We wandered around the market as it is spread out among a number of streets.
In our wanderings, we came across a wine shop "Laithwaite's The Arch" and went in for a look. We did bring wine skins so we want to buy two bottles. We decide on a Portugese Vinho Verde and a 2015 German Rheingau Spätlese Riesling from Josef Leitz. Great deals, but now I need to lug them with me in the backpack until we get home. Two bottles of wine are damn heavy! :-)
Our plan was to visit Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. We discover that this afternoon it is not open for visitors as there is a production. It might open around 16:30? Too late for us though. Decide to get to Westminster Abbey as Lana is keen to spend significant time. A bit of a walk though and back into the Tube to get to the Westminster station. Lots of fellow tourists in the neighbourhood. Westminster Abbey is super close to the Parliament buildings and Big Ben.
** LONDON OBSERVATIONS**
- Escalators in the Tube stations are on the opposite side to our escalators given the traffic runs the opposite way as well.
- Cars park facing both ways on all side streets
- Tube trains run both above and below ground
- Lots of Starbucks in this city
- So many different accents and languages being used not only by tourists but by locals
- There is no grid system so getting lost is easy and losing your bearings of North and South is much easier on these streets
Randy's salted beef being cut up before my eyes.
Lana ate the "Big Sausage Wrap" for lunch.
Loaf furniture advertisement
OK, we arrive at Westminster Abbey and no real line so that is a great start. We don't have to pay anyway as it is covered by our London Pass. As well, we pick up free audio guides. So many famous English men and women from history are buried here or commemorated. All the famous names. So much history! Each royal for 37 generations have been coronated in Westminster Abbey and then buried. Plus, if they were married then the marriage occurred there. Upon entry, you receive a pamphlet with numbers for the station where you will listen to the audio guide. I enjoyed seeing the Shrine of St Edward the Confessor who was the original royal to begin this hallowed building. He was the first Anglo-Saxon king to rule Britain. We take time at the place where new Kings or Queens are coronated and we see the ancient coronation chair. Also, I discover that if you were our equivalent of a millionaire you bought your way into Westminster Abbey. ;-)
Westminster Abbey in central London.
Walk back in the glorious sunshine to the Tube station at Westminster and then navigate with one connection and then a walk to our flat in Kensington. Tina has made dinner reservations for 18:30 at Jinjuu Mayfair (Korean). This 'upscale' Korean place is located close to Tina's workplace in the Mayfair area of central London. We find our way there in rush hour which is no easy feat. Lana's Google Maps works out well as the street we need to turn on has a different name on the side we are walking. We arrive within five minutes of the reservation time. Tina is waiting for us as Adrian is picking up Maxwell and then taking the Tube. Maxwell is about six weeks older than our youngest granddaughter Betsy.
We get a chance to catch up with Tina. Very nice ambience with excellent and prompt service. Very good Korean menu. They have a sommelier who helps me with my order of a glass of red wine (French Vacqueyras from southern Rhone region) to pair with the duck breast. It really is excellent with nice smoothness and jammy flavours. The meal was excellent! We split the bill and with the gratuities we paid 100 Pounds per couple. Definitely London is not cheap as the prices in terms of numbers are similar to Vancouver, but you need to add the exchange rate of 1.61. While high to our CDN $, this currency exchange rate is much lower than it used to be! Maxwell was really great the entire time. Eventually, he got tired as we had finished our meals. We received directions to the Bond Street station from Adrian so walked a different route. We walked along the "new" Bond Street full of high end shopping so Lana was happy. Into Bond Street tube station and then back to Shepherd's Bush station and walk to flat. A little chillier, but still a nice night to walk home.
Lana's chopped salad dish at Jinjuu Mayfair.
Lana's order of beef short rib at Jinjuu Mayfair.
Randy's order of Duck breast at Jinjuu Mayfair.
Korean deep fried whole baby chicken as our appetizer at Jinjuu Mayfair.
Tina's order of pork belly at Jinjuu Mayfair.
Lana took a picture of this British Gin at the winery we visited in Borough Market earlier today.
Tina and Maxwell at the restaurant.
My Fitbit shows we walked more than 16 kms today so that is a decent amount of walking! What an awesome weather day it was with sunny, blue skies and temperatures up to 17 degrees Celsius. Yeh! We don't get to bed until around 23:30 as I am updating the blog and struggling with getting the pictures in order. It is really quiet in our flat at night. Not much noise if any from the pub right across the street.
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