Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5
It was with some celebration when I booked it a few weeks back, that I was going again. I got out of work in the early afternoon on September 22 to do some last minute stuff at home. Including standing in my kitchen eating ice cream.
What am I doing?! It’s almost rush hour!
Okay, on the way to Dulles, hit some mild backups but nothing terrible, and with that usual feeling of excitement merged onto the airport access road. Well, what about TSA?
Huh, also not bad, for this time of day. Good thing. Got to the gate and bought a small thing of fries to hold me over until the airplane meal.
Oh, did I say gate? I think I meant gates, because HOLY CRAP look at the size of my plane!
Airbus A380! And, yup, I was on the second level! It was Gates B42 and B44, one jetway for each level. Gate B38, which I took last time, was right next to them and currently had a flight to Copenhagen.
Good thing I had those fries. Being on the second level was fun, even though I could only get an aisle seat, but it also meant being among the last to get flight attendant service. Finally got some unappetizing lasagna which wasn’t great but it was something. And a small British can of Coke, which after those fries I was really craving.
Now to get some sleep.
Hmm. The flight took off at 6:30pm, so much too early for me to go to sleep. Maybe after a few hours.
I’ll just sit here and watch the flight map.
Oh, shit, we’re most of the way there, and I still can’t sleep. Well, of course not. It’ll be almost 2am Eastern time when we land, which is itself around my usual bedtime. Yikes, why did I schedule it like this?
I think I drifted off briefly within the last hour. That was it. Ugh.
We landed, and being near the back of the second level it was a while before we actually moved from our seats.
It was a long jetway full of HSBC ads until eventually reaching a building. Then a long hallway. Then a long escalator. Then a train. Then another long hallway.
Finally!
After standing in line and managing to answer the border agent’s questions sufficiently, I was in the UK.
Ah, there’s the Oyster card machine. I still have mine from 2009. I wonder if it still works.
It does. And still has 80p on it like I remember. Better add to it, and start making my bank nervous by using my card abroad.
And down to board the Piccadilly Line train, right in the midst of their Friday morning rush hour. Ooh, they’re going to say it again!
“This is a Piccadilly Line service to-”
Here it comes!
“Arnos Grove.”
…
What?! What happened to Cockfosters? Ohhhh, I see, this train terminates three stations before it. Meh. Robbing me of some immature giggling like that.
Anyway, I was staying at the same hotel as last time, so I got off at Covent Garden and a long elevator ride later was out to the cobblestone street and the market that was only just opening for the day. Down a few more blocks, and there’s the hotel.
It was 9am, so I was way too early to get my room yet, but they got me checked in so I could just pick up the key later and leave my suitcase in the left luggage room. Now for coffee and to wander around and see things.
Like this column guarded by lions.
That World War II wasn’t a complete sausage fest.
Downing Street.
Cane guy.
Large Benjamin.
Hunger strike guy.
Hugs against apartheid?
I reached my destination, which was supposed to open at 9:30 but seemed to be a little late actually opening, so I wandered around a bit. Doors finally opened just before 10am, so I went on in, on the exact anniversary of the last time I visited this place, seven years and a royal wedding later.
Hmm, they don’t allow pictures. Well, okay, that might have been an issue at a time when we were openly carrying cameras, but this? It’s my phone. I’m totally just texting! Yup. Texting.
Oh, look what spontaneously happened!
Nearby were Michael Faraday, Lord Kelvin, and, of course, Sir Isaac Newton. Wow! I attempted to “text” again but some Abbey guard was like “don’t even think about it!” And I’m like “I’m just texting!” And he’s like “Nice try.” Bleh. I wandered back over a few more times, waiting for there to be no one around, but no luck. Hmm.
Getting sleepy. Much more to see, though. More final resting places of poets and royals.
Ooh, a very old door!
Better head down to the Cellarium for food and caffeine. Coffee is pretty good. Alright, back to the Abbey.
This… could have been worded better.
I swear a lot of things I’m seeing here I must have missed last time. However much justice I’m doing any of it now being so sleepy…
Better be on my way.
I’ll take the scenic route.
There’s a building here with an arcade of sorts. I’ll look around inside. The bar in there is promoting NFL games starting at 6pm on Sundays, corresponding to 1pm games back home. Is there that much of an NFL following here, or is this for tourists? Or both? I guess the NFL does have a game at Wembley every year.
Anyway, back on out of there and standing below another thing I’ve been to before.
Not this trip. I’ve got other plans for the seeing-London-from-a-high-point bit.
Was the Jubilee Bridge here last time? A quick check tells me it was here in 2009. I must have somehow missed it. Nice view.
The bridge got me back across the river and through some side streets I found my way back to my hotel. It was about 2pm. I could go into the room now, so I retrieved my suitcase and got my key and did just that. Yay!
Plenty to do still today, but I’m soooo tired. Maybe a quick nap. Mmmm…. nap.
Now it’s 3:30pm. Better get going. Hopefully that’ll tide me over for a bit. Back out of the hotel I walked north on Charing Cross Road, keeping an eye out for The Leaky Cauldron. Hmm. I see lots of old bookstores, but no wizard pub. I guess that’s the trouble with being an American Muggle. Good thing I didn’t try to enter the Ministry of Magic. That would have been gross.
But I did find Albus and Scorpius’s Excellent Adventure.
Walking some more, I came to Foyle’s bookstore. I went in and found… a big bookstore. The top floor of it had some neat stuff.
Oh, Zimbabwe.
Huh.
Clever.
Ah, just what I need!
Alright, enough of that. Back out onto Charing Cross Road and continuing north. Do I remember the turn? I know it’s past Oxford Street. Maybe here… Oh, I overshot it. That’s okay, I can just go in the north entrance. Wow, more security to go through now than last time.
But here I am once again at Imperial Treasure Hoard.
I remember you!
Hmm, some Asian sections are closed off for renovations. Oh, well.
Ah, here’s the main atrium. And there’s a cafe. Coffee! Wait for it to cool… Drink, drink, drink… come on, there’s museum of stolen idols to see… Done! Back to tourism.
Hello, Egyptian lion thing, how are you?
Hey! Whoa! What’d I say?!
Headless Assyrian king or god or guardian spirit thing.
Asclepius head is not amused.
I think these guys are judging me. Or just miss having bodies.
Aren’t any heads and bodies attached around here?
Yikes!
So sleepy…
Back to atrium cafe for more caffeine. I’ll get a Coke so I don’t have to wait for it to cool. I’m also hungry, though. I guess I’ll get some of what looks like tomato soup. Wait, crap, now I have to wait for that to cool. Hmm. There’s some kind of cream in it. Well, it’ll have to do for now. Finish soup… drink Coke… back to museuming!
*creepy gas mask* Are you my mummy?
I think he wants payment before I’ll be allowed to pass. Maybe I’ll just sneak by quietly…
*yawn* Oh, so sleepy… Hey, think the museum would mind if I climb in there and take a nap?
Oh, never mind. Look what happened to the last napper.
That blue building is blocking the road!
The lion looks hungry. What’s he looking at?
Oh, no, that poor horse!
Hey, whatever.
Sorry to interrupt. Go on back to your reading, Seianti.
Sorry to interrupt. Go on back to… whatever this is.
Ninth Doctor: “I saw the fall of Troy, World War 5, I’ve pushed boxes in the Boston Tea Party… Now I’m going to die in a dungeon. In Cardiff.”
Tenth Doctor:
Oh, so sleepy… Must keep looking around museum.
What are you looking at?
Tiny soccer balls.
You’re a really long way from home.
What’s wrong? Does nobody want to play with you?
Eh, whatever, Duolingo is free.
Okay, almost closing time. Better get to the gift shop!
You just had to ask, Arthur Weasley.
And with a couple of magnets and a mug, that’s that. It’s 8:30pm, since I came on a night they had extended hours, so time for dinner and to finally get some damn sleep. Settled for just some food place near my hotel, likely an overpriced tourist trap place but too sleepy to care. Then into hotel to chill at last.
It was 11pm, so it was 6pm back home. I missed work!