Old London Town

A seven hour flight from Bridgetown to London Gatwick had me back in my old home of a couple of years back now, albeit in a jetlagged state. The train from Gatwick into Victoria included a little shudder as it passed East Croydon, I arrived into Victoria with ease. Everything about arriving back to the UK was easy on Wednesday, with my old Oyster card for the tube working, limited crowds at that hour on transport, and my pre-existing knowledge of where to go, led me to meet Charlotte and rest out the morning at her flat in Notting Hill.

I headed across town to Camden to meet up with Charles for lunch at The Prince Albert, for a three course treat, before meeting Miss Charlotte and Alison at the flat once they had finished work, for dinner at Nyonya for old times sake. Laksa....mmmmmm!

Yesterday I met up with Renee in Fulham for lunch at The Chancery and a catch up with her and her Pommy accent in the sunny beer garden, before spending some quality shopping time in old favorites like Primark and then Oxford Street.

Last night I caught up with Chantal, Nat, Jess and Andrew, Dave, Charles, Charlotte and Alison for many many Pimms and Lemonade at The Champion, across the road from Hyde Park.

Today I have finally completed some classic London tourist sights which I did not visit when I lived here! I made my way into town and walked through Westminister Abbey, with the audio of Jeremy Irons taking me past the corination chair, the varios resting points of royals and literary names, and pointing out the grand and breathtaking ceilings in this majestic church.

I then met Jess for lunch at Pret, before we made our way to join a Yeoman Warder tour of the Tower of London. Having had my interest in Henry VIII spiked following the reading of The Other Bolyen Girl, I was keen to see the executioner's block and be taken through the times of treason, torture and scandal. Walking, and then travelling on the slow moving people mover, past the crown jewels, being each set of sparkly bits per monarch, Jess and I also took in the Torture Tower and Beauchamp Tower, with it's graffiti.

An attempt at visiting St Paul's Cathedral upper elements was thwarted by time, and thus, I may never see the much talking about whispering chamber! A Pimm's on the Queen Mary as another token of old times, my big trip is coming to an end - with just the task of packing and getting to the airport in the morning the last bits left!