Leaving Scotland

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Driving in Edinburgh was not on my list of things to do but, because today is a bank holiday, the tiny Enterprise in Galashiels was not open for returns. I had to suck it up and return the car at Waverly train station. It was a rainy morning and at one point it was so foggy I could barely see the car in front of me. Luckily that cleared up before I reached Edinburgh proper. I again had a few wrong turns because the “bear right” or “slight right” is always confusing when there are multiple roads seemingly all in the same direction. And one road just before the station was a steep downward path over wet cobblestones. I thought the car was going to slide right down into the wall but I managed to slowly creep my way down. Finally, I found the parking garage, pulled into a spot, and breathed a sigh of relief.

I had an hour and a half before my train to London so I did some laps in the station and ventured outside in the rain for a last picture of the castle. This is how I thought my whole trip was going to be. I really lucked out with the weather!

I had booked the 9:24 Lumo service to London Kings Cross. This was the cheapest fare and I was able to book at window seat. Lumo is normally cheaper than LNER but with less time options and no first-class car. Neither mattered to me! My seat was comfortable and there was plenty of room overhead for my suitcase and backpack. By now I had accumulated a tote bag which I put on the floor by my feet. The seat next to me was empty until we stopped in Newcastle and then the train was full the rest of the way to London. This route had only three stops so we were able to move pretty fast. In 4 hours and 23 minutes the train pulled in to Kings Cross.

London trains are not something I know anything about. I do not know what the main station is but this one was certainly large! I found my way to the bathroom and then stopped quick to take a picture of the Harry Potter “platform” for those who like that kind of stuff. There was a long line for a close picture but I did not care about that. To get to my hotel I needed to find the underground and the right combo of lines. My hotel is right off Trafalgar Square and it looked like I could take the Victoria Line to the Bakerloo and get to Charing Cross. Here is the thing about the tube, it is actually really easy to use. If you have contactless payment you tap in and out and are charged the correct fare. No need to figure out a ticket or buy a pass. It just needs to be the same payment method on both sides. And luckily, I only had to go two stops on each line and the trains were not full.

Trafalgar Square is huge and has a giant roundabout. I have no idea why anyone would want to drive in London. It seems crazy and there is plenty of public transport. I am staying at the Club Quarters. Check in was easy and I stopped in the room to drop all my bags and change clothes before heading out for afternoon tea.

Had some time to kill so I walked up (down?) The Mall. Now I have seen Buckingham Palace on TV and processionals going in and out but I was not prepared for the wide street or seeing the Palace grow larger and larger as I walked towards it. There was a light rain but few people had umbrellas. Everyone was out enjoying the afternoon. It amazed me how close you can get to the palace. The only barrier is the tall iron fence. Again, I have seen it on TV but it did not hit me until I got right up to it. The flag was flying which means King Charles was in the building. I wonder if he sits there looking out at all the people every day or if he just ignores it. The whole area was pedestrian friendly, with parks on both sides. I walked down to the Wellington Arch and then back up Piccadilly until I got to Fortnum & Mason.

Since my hotel was paid for with credit card points, I decided to treat myself to afternoon tea. One of my co-workers was to London and she recommended this place. The tea room was formally opened in 2012 by Queen Elizabeth so I guess that is good enough for me. People were dressed in everything from jeans (myself included) up to dresses with hats. There are a few choices for tea and I chose the regular Afternoon Tea. This service includes tea as well as a three-tiered stand of finger sandwiches, scones, and desserts. For the tea I chose the Royal blend and was very pleased with my choice. Apparently, I could have had a second kind of tea but I was barely able to finish the first pot! The scones also come with clotted cream, lemon curd and strawberry jam. I managed to eat both scones, three of the finger sandwiches and two desserts. They do box up any remining desserts plus a few extra for you to take home. I was so full! I also spent some time wandering the shop trying to decide what kind of tea to purchase. There are so many to choose from and I wish you could get smaller sizes of each kind or make your own sampler pack.

I wandered around for a while and saw the building with the Churchill War Rooms, The Royal Guards, Downing Street and ended up in Parliament Square. I had no idea the parliament building was so large and so shiny! It was close to 8:00 so I stayed to hear Big Ben toll before heading back to my room.

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Photos

Last Edinburgh view
This is what I was expecting my whole trip to be like. Glad the weather was the opposite of normal!

Platform 9-3/4
Kings Cross Train Station in London

British Parliament
The Elizabeth Tower houses Big Ben, the bell