Travel to London & British Library
Miles walked: 6.4
I was pretty happy to leave the AirBnB in Newcastle. Like I mentioned earlier, it was not great. I felt like there wasn't a clean surface to set my clothes and toiletries on while I showered. You never feel truly clean in a situation like that. Blech!
I was about 15 minutes early for the 8:25 train to London, which was perfect timing. I had booked a few days before online, which I learned is why my ticket from Cambridge to Durham was so expensive--I didn't buy that ticket early. The nice thing about booking beforehand is you have an assigned seat and free wifi for the whole ride, which was needed because this journey was over 3 hours.
Even though that sounds long, it really flew. I read a magazine, edited photos, and finished my blog early. A group of four traveling together sat next to me and I noticed their non-English accents. Canada and Arizona. They were reading their guidebook for London out loud with reckless abandon, not even caring that those around them were probably snickering about the "how to hail a taxi" section. Precious.
First order of business at King's Cross: find Platform 9 3/4 and board the next train to Hogwarts. The platform was just around the corner where I was let off, so it was an easy find. The line was long, but not absurd. It took 30 minutes to have my turn at a photo. Personal space was an issue with the people behind me, but other that that, it was a fun time because the kid directing photos was fun. They had the four scarves of the different houses, so you picked which color you wanted to wear. He was a Ravenclaw, so anytime someone was also Ravenclaw, he would high-five them a couple times. If there was a group of two or more, he'd set them up in sort of a dueling pose. It was just cute and nerdy.
Of course I paid for my two photos. You didn't have to, but I had no one to take photos on my phone, so I didn't have a choice. I was not letting those photos go! The store at the platform had every kind of HP memorabilia you could want. I was pretty happy being there.
Next on the agenda was to drop my bag off at the hotel. This was about a 15 minute walk from the train station.
I was too early to check in and my room wasn't ready yet, but they had a room where I could leave luggage. I had a little over an hour to kill and needed some food, so went downstairs to the Bloomsbury Coffee House, right below the hotel.
I wanted some sort of cheddar roll, but they were out, so I just went with what the guy suggested, which was a vegetarian patty thing with chili sauce. I actually have no idea what it was because he had a really thick accent. He also had on a shirt with American flags and western cowboys. When I told him I liked his shirt he asked where I was from and that he has a cousin living in Michigan? I think that's what he said. Something about Michigan. Anyway, the food kind of reminded me of falafal and was really good. I also had a mocha coffee and a chocolate chip toffee cookie. "Sleeping In" by the Postal Service was playing, so that was neat.
It's really fun to eavesdrop on people's conversations. I'm pretty sure one girl and guy were on a Tinder date or something. Is it called Tinder and do people go on dates from that? Anyway, she was telling him about teaching and surfing and he told her that he was pleasantly surprised with her in person because he couldn't really see her face in her profile. Maybe those two will get married and have kids and I witnessed their first date.
After I sufficiently wasted time listening in on strangers and laughing at my Platform 9 3/4 photos, it was time to check in, so I went back upstairs. I've got to say that after staying in people's homes and sharing bathrooms, it's so nice to have a properly clean and private bathroom.
Unpacked a bit and then headed back out to the British Library, which was back towards the train station with a 10 minute walk. This place was insane; I've never been in such a huge library. The exhibitions were impressive. I got to see original sheet music by Bach, Beethoven, and Chopin. I got to see the handwriting of Sylvia Plath, Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde, and Virginia Woolf. I was especially excited about the last one, because I got to see "The Hours," which I love. Other highlights were the Magna Carta and a declaration of celebration from King Henry VIII after his son was born (the baby died soon thereafter and no other male was born, paving the way for Queen Elizabeth I) and a letter that Elizabeth I wrote. It was so crazy to see their handwriting! The museum also owns precious collections of books, like original Shakespeare, which is housed in the center of the library in this massive, beautiful structure.
Next I walked down to Claremont Square (about 20 minutes) to find where 12 Grimmauld Place is from Harry Potter. This one was kind of anti-climactic, but I'm still glad I went. I guess the hideout of the Order of the Phoenix is supposed to be modest and unassuming, right? There were two people wearing HP robes in the same vicinity, so that made me chuckle.
After that I walked to Russell Square, which is a nice park area pretty close to my hotel. It's good to be in green space after so much city. I like London, though. It's super busy and congested on the main roads, then oddly quiet and calm on the side streets. It's also clean and easy to navigate.
Internet is not working on my phone in London without wifi, so that sucks. I had to go back to my hotel to look up food. I was a wienie, though, and didn't go to any restaurant for dinner. The two places I had wanted to go to were literally jam-packed with no places to sit. Most of the non-pub places close at 5:00 or 6:00. So I walked to a mall type area and into a grocery store that had pre-made sandwiches and got something called coronation chicken, which I'd heard of before but never have had. Also got some crisps (chips) and a green smoothie...and some British chocolate and biscuits (cookies) for later. I sat in a park and ate my sammie and chips.
I'm a little hesitant to be out in London near dark and it was like 7:45 at this point, so headed back to my room and put a plan together for the next day and organized my suitcase. I also watched a little British TV which I haven't done yet and there was a proper soap opera on and it was sooo bad. There was a lot of American TV too--Big Bang Theory (eyeroll), whatever that sitcom is with Tim Allen (not Home Improvement haha), and Property Brothers.
I found out Prince William was in Newcastle yesterday, at a facility next to the Millenium Bridge where I was! I just missed him, darn it!
I was pretty happy to leave the AirBnB in Newcastle. Like I mentioned earlier, it was not great. I felt like there wasn't a clean surface to set my clothes and toiletries on while I showered. You never feel truly clean in a situation like that. Blech!
I was about 15 minutes early for the 8:25 train to London, which was perfect timing. I had booked a few days before online, which I learned is why my ticket from Cambridge to Durham was so expensive--I didn't buy that ticket early. The nice thing about booking beforehand is you have an assigned seat and free wifi for the whole ride, which was needed because this journey was over 3 hours.
Even though that sounds long, it really flew. I read a magazine, edited photos, and finished my blog early. A group of four traveling together sat next to me and I noticed their non-English accents. Canada and Arizona. They were reading their guidebook for London out loud with reckless abandon, not even caring that those around them were probably snickering about the "how to hail a taxi" section. Precious.
First order of business at King's Cross: find Platform 9 3/4 and board the next train to Hogwarts. The platform was just around the corner where I was let off, so it was an easy find. The line was long, but not absurd. It took 30 minutes to have my turn at a photo. Personal space was an issue with the people behind me, but other that that, it was a fun time because the kid directing photos was fun. They had the four scarves of the different houses, so you picked which color you wanted to wear. He was a Ravenclaw, so anytime someone was also Ravenclaw, he would high-five them a couple times. If there was a group of two or more, he'd set them up in sort of a dueling pose. It was just cute and nerdy.
Of course I paid for my two photos. You didn't have to, but I had no one to take photos on my phone, so I didn't have a choice. I was not letting those photos go! The store at the platform had every kind of HP memorabilia you could want. I was pretty happy being there.
Next on the agenda was to drop my bag off at the hotel. This was about a 15 minute walk from the train station.
I was too early to check in and my room wasn't ready yet, but they had a room where I could leave luggage. I had a little over an hour to kill and needed some food, so went downstairs to the Bloomsbury Coffee House, right below the hotel.
I wanted some sort of cheddar roll, but they were out, so I just went with what the guy suggested, which was a vegetarian patty thing with chili sauce. I actually have no idea what it was because he had a really thick accent. He also had on a shirt with American flags and western cowboys. When I told him I liked his shirt he asked where I was from and that he has a cousin living in Michigan? I think that's what he said. Something about Michigan. Anyway, the food kind of reminded me of falafal and was really good. I also had a mocha coffee and a chocolate chip toffee cookie. "Sleeping In" by the Postal Service was playing, so that was neat.
It's really fun to eavesdrop on people's conversations. I'm pretty sure one girl and guy were on a Tinder date or something. Is it called Tinder and do people go on dates from that? Anyway, she was telling him about teaching and surfing and he told her that he was pleasantly surprised with her in person because he couldn't really see her face in her profile. Maybe those two will get married and have kids and I witnessed their first date.
After I sufficiently wasted time listening in on strangers and laughing at my Platform 9 3/4 photos, it was time to check in, so I went back upstairs. I've got to say that after staying in people's homes and sharing bathrooms, it's so nice to have a properly clean and private bathroom.
Unpacked a bit and then headed back out to the British Library, which was back towards the train station with a 10 minute walk. This place was insane; I've never been in such a huge library. The exhibitions were impressive. I got to see original sheet music by Bach, Beethoven, and Chopin. I got to see the handwriting of Sylvia Plath, Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde, and Virginia Woolf. I was especially excited about the last one, because I got to see "The Hours," which I love. Other highlights were the Magna Carta and a declaration of celebration from King Henry VIII after his son was born (the baby died soon thereafter and no other male was born, paving the way for Queen Elizabeth I) and a letter that Elizabeth I wrote. It was so crazy to see their handwriting! The museum also owns precious collections of books, like original Shakespeare, which is housed in the center of the library in this massive, beautiful structure.
Next I walked down to Claremont Square (about 20 minutes) to find where 12 Grimmauld Place is from Harry Potter. This one was kind of anti-climactic, but I'm still glad I went. I guess the hideout of the Order of the Phoenix is supposed to be modest and unassuming, right? There were two people wearing HP robes in the same vicinity, so that made me chuckle.
After that I walked to Russell Square, which is a nice park area pretty close to my hotel. It's good to be in green space after so much city. I like London, though. It's super busy and congested on the main roads, then oddly quiet and calm on the side streets. It's also clean and easy to navigate.
Internet is not working on my phone in London without wifi, so that sucks. I had to go back to my hotel to look up food. I was a wienie, though, and didn't go to any restaurant for dinner. The two places I had wanted to go to were literally jam-packed with no places to sit. Most of the non-pub places close at 5:00 or 6:00. So I walked to a mall type area and into a grocery store that had pre-made sandwiches and got something called coronation chicken, which I'd heard of before but never have had. Also got some crisps (chips) and a green smoothie...and some British chocolate and biscuits (cookies) for later. I sat in a park and ate my sammie and chips.
I'm a little hesitant to be out in London near dark and it was like 7:45 at this point, so headed back to my room and put a plan together for the next day and organized my suitcase. I also watched a little British TV which I haven't done yet and there was a proper soap opera on and it was sooo bad. There was a lot of American TV too--Big Bang Theory (eyeroll), whatever that sitcom is with Tim Allen (not Home Improvement haha), and Property Brothers.
I found out Prince William was in Newcastle yesterday, at a facility next to the Millenium Bridge where I was! I just missed him, darn it!