Travel Diary

I did opt to have the free breakfast this time. It was very nice. While there were many choices, I ate sparingly since I was meeting a friend for lunch later.

I headed to an Indian food place and met up with a friend named Arthur, whom I had not seen since I could remember. We had a nice meal and as the weather was nice, we could eat outside.

Afterwards, I used the time to see different photogenic places. I had heard about a place where a Tardis was located, so I took the Tube over and sure enough there was one just outside the station. I took many photos and hopped back inside (the Tube, not the Tardis) and travelled to King’s Cross Station to take a photo of ...

Yup, you guessed right, the shopping cart in the wall. I didn’t actually know where it was, but I asked a worker and he said Platform 9. Oh, yeah, I guess that made sense. He also noted there was a long line for photos. Ooh! Not good to hear, but I had come this far. I would find out.

There was a long line ... but only for special photos holding the cart and leaping into the air holding a stick. No, I didn’t need all that; I just wanted a photo of the cart protruding from the wall, which I was able to take in between people paying good money for those other photos.

Then I was back on the Tube and I headed to Tower Station for photos. I got the old Roman wall photographed and then pictures of the Tower of London from the outside. I’d been inside years ago and once was enough. I got new Tower Bridge photos. The skies were blue and clear.

Afterwards, I visited a local pub for a beer, which was cheap and okay. The barkeeps were not too chatty though. I left and headed west along the river Thames.

I passed by the former London Dungeon, where I had visited 14 years prior with friends. There still is one, but it’s in a new place (no idea where--again once was fine). I walked by the Globe and got more photos of it in the daylight.

Since I had time before needing to head back, I visited the Tate Modern. I’m not a modern art fan by any means, but I do go sometimes and can usually find a couple of things that I like. Again, not much, but a couple of exhibits were pretty cool and interesting and worthy of being called “art.”

I crossed the millennium bridge and shot St. Paul’s a few times. I returned to the Tube and headed to Westminster station, where I got my favorite type of photo: Westminster Tower in the evening light. It was golden and beautiful as always when the skies are clear. It’s the sight the first tempted me in returning to England repeatedly.

Back at the hotel, I got ready, had a beer, and went to my final show. It was in Piccadilly and very close. The show was “The Comedy About a Bank Robbery.” This was fantastic and humorous from start to finish. I found it much funnier than “39 Steps,” which I’d seen a year prior, although I might have caught it on an off night.

But the Bank Robbery show was fantastic. I even bought the script at intermission to glean ideas for future dinner shows--mostly by examining the structure of the jokes and plot devices.

When it was done, I decided to do some walking around and take some night shots. It would be my last night in London (and Europe) for a while. I grabbed my camera from the hotel and took the Tube to Tower Station again. Now, I could take night shots of Tower Bridge, the Shard, and the London Monument.

I walked along Fleet Street a long ways and soon was back at Westminster again, where I got photos of the London Eye at night and Westminster Tower, though it was too dark to really capture.

I did more walking near St. James Park. It was eerily deserted, and I found it so strange that a place so crazy and crowded eight hours earlier was now a veritable ghost town.

Finally, I reached the hotel again. I packed up and then crashed.