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Published: September 8th 2022
SAT, 03 SEP 2022 – The final day of the 22-Day Best of Europe tour by Expat Explore Travel did not end after breakfast, as many do, but ended with our return to London. Indeed, a few chose to end the journey in Amsterdam, Netherlands while some remained in Bruges, Belgium to extend their holiday. About seventy percent saw the tour through to its long but gratifying end, although goodbyes were exchanged throughout the day. The consensus was long and tiring but well worth it. In London, the coach made two hotel stops with the second being the most convenient for me and most of the other members of the group. Some were staying at that hotel, some were staying at a different hotel, some were going directly to the airport for a red-eye flight and those that lived in England were headed for home. Several of us decided to have a final drink together in the hotel bar. By the time I got to my hotel and registered, it was time for bed. Five Nights – Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London, England
SUN, 04 SEP 2022 – I slept until I awakened for a very welcomed change.
A leisurely morning had not been in the offing for three weeks, and I relished every moment. I had opted out of the hotel’s buffet breakfast as a daily add-on but decided to give it a try despite the hefty price tag. Of course, I was escorted to my table, sat down, looked out the window and found Big Ben staring back at me. Not a bad way to begin my stay in London. I had several housekeeping items on the agenda but did manage to take a walk across Westminster Bridge to get some pictures of Big Ben. While crossing the bridge, I was awestruck by the building next to the landmark. Some research informed me that awesome building was the Palace of Westminster and that the clock, Big Ben, is housed in the Elizabeth Tower. Learn somethin’ new every day!
MON, 05 SEP 2022 – With the weather forecast under consideration, Monday was my big tourism day. I set out for the Churchill War Rooms for a short, exploratory visit but reconsidered when I saw the price – the price was fair enough if I had all day to devote to the attraction and chose
to forego the other attractions foci on my itinerary. Instead, I opted for a pastry and a cup of Americano at a sidewalk cafe. With a caffeine booster, I walked past Saint Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey, Methodist Central Hall and several other interesting but unidentified buildings before heading up (or down as the case might be) Birdcage Walk where I happened upon Wellington Barracks. Continuing my walk, I began hearing marching band music. Proceeding in that direction, I arrived at Buckingham Palace as the Changing of the Guard was underway. There literally were hundreds of people surrounding the palace six to eight people deep against the fence. It appeared to me, in fact, so crazy (thinking that perhaps the Queen had died or some such shatter of the British psyche) that I asked a police officer if this was normal. It was, he said.
Fortunately, with my arms held high, I was able to get some video of the ceremony and, later, to capture a few still frames for the blog. Again fortunately, some people vacated their “prime vantage point,” and I was able to get close enough to shoot between the bars of the fence for some unobstructed
footage from quite a distance away. Even though I had a poor vantage point and arrived in the middle of the ceremony, this unplanned bonus was quite impressive. In the original plan, I would have been in the Churchill War Rooms during the changing ceremony.
On my return to the hotel, I walked by Westminster Cathedral and happened on an interesting pub, The Albert – so interesting, in fact, that I returned there for a supper of Fish ‘n Chips that was quite tasty. Continuing to the hotel, I passed numerous interesting old-looking buildings (the post-World War II folks reconstructed many buildings to look as they did before the bombings) and a man with a loudspeaker hawking, “Repent! Jesus is coming.” I was wondering how many hours a week he volunteers at Meals on Wheels, et. al. and if his repertoire consisted of more than four words. Either engrossed in his nonsense or totally desensitized over twenty years, I didn’t even notice the first responders were busy with a victim until I was reviewing the pictures. I finally arrived at Parliament Square to see the Churchill Statue and got another bonus – the Nelson Mandela Statue, the Mahatma Gandhi
Out and About in London, England
Waterloo Station Was Across from Where I Had SupperStatue as well as other unknown-to-me British notables. All days I had seen news crews broadcasting live (part of the impetus needed to ask the police officer) and found a bevy of them at/near Parliament Square. I asked what was so newsworthy and was told that a new Prime Minister had been elected. That’s what being televisionless for four months will get you – blissful ignorance!
TUE, 06 SEP 2022 – On Monday, I had discovered a laundry service that would pick up at the hotel and return it the next day. I subscribed to the service and scheduled a Tuesday, 1200-1500 pick-up time – the next three-hour slot – with a Wednesday drop-off between 1200 and 1500 – 24 hours after pick-up. Long story short, the driver had the wrong cell phone number, the pick-up never happened and was rescheduled for Wednesday/Thursday – another day lost to laundry. Absolutely, the most problematic obstacle to overcome on this lengthy trip has been procuring CLEAN clothes to wear. Hand washing in the sink is an act of desperation that does not really clean very well and may or may not be dry before departure, utilizing a laundry service
provided by the hotel is Bill Gates expensive and having a laundromat within walking distance of the hotel is a one in a hundred shot.
I did more housekeeping, completed and published a few more blogs and set up the blog templates for the Best of Britain tour. Now, I just need to add the photographs and minimal commentary.
WED, 07 SEP 2022 – After another failed pick-up of my laundry in the 1200-1500 time slot, the driver and I finally connected in the 1800-2100 time slot. That means my laundry will be returned on Thursday in the same time frame. Since check-out time is noonish, I will have to stow my suitcases and kill some time in the afternoon. That is not a problem since I need to go shopping for some cold weather, water repellant clothing anyway for the final month of the adventure in northern England/Scotland and Iceland.
THU, 08 SEP 2022 – I checked out of the hotel and placed my luggage in storage so I could get my shopping done – two heavy shirts, a waterproof parka AND an umbrella. I had an umbrella, but I think it
Out and About in London, England
Big Ben Is Only the Clock, Not the Tower and I got a divorce in 2008! I relocated to the tour contracted hotel, another Park Plaza property, Park Plaza London Riverbank, about a mile from Park Plaza Westminster Bridge. The laundry service agreed to deliver my laundry to the new hotel, which saved me a round trip Uber back to the first hotel. It did – now for a shower and some clean rags!
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