London: Day 6

Recapping my last day on my trip.  So much has happened in the meantime that it’s hard to believe that I flew out of London EXACTLY ONE MONTH AGO. 

I woke up in the morning at 7am to get my stuff ready.  My train to London would depart at 9am so I asked the concierge the day before what time should I get to Gare du Nord.  “Um, about 40 minutes you should be fine.”  I was skeptical if anything.  I remembered how chaotic the station was when I first encountered it coming into Paris.  Plus I would have to go through passport control; a line that I’ve seen over the years as nerve wrecking.  I wasn’t going to chance it.  I checked out at 7:45am and was directed to a metro station down the street that would take me to the Gare du Nord by the concierge.  I was waiting and waiting on the platform that felt like an eternity.  Technically it was about 10 minutes but my anxiety got the best of me.  I didn’t see my train approaching anytime soon and more and more people were starting to gather on the platform.  I asked around to see if my train would be coming to this platform but people had no idea.  They were going elsewhere.  I couldn’t take it anymore and ran out of there.  Once I got out I flagged the first cab I saw and off we went.

I got to the station in less than 10 minutes.  I have to say, Paris looked beautiful early in the morning.  Hardly any people were on the streets.  It was then when I realized I wished I could stay longer.

At the station I ran to get in line.  Sure enough, check-ins were long and then we still had to get through passport control.  I saw other people joining in with anxious looks on their faces.  I’m glad I avoided that feeling. 

I knocked out for a bit before I got to London.  I knew once I got there I had to find a hotel to book.  Most Europeans go through  Booking.com and that’s what I did.  I even found a cheaper rate than the one I originally had a few days earlier.  Maybe it was the timing…

I settled for the Best Western Victoria Palace near the Victoria Train Station which was a few stops away.  Once I got off, I got lost of course.  I am TERRIBLE WITH DIRECTIONS.  I knew I was nearby but there was construction going on which threw me off.  My suitcase now was heavier than before since I added my souvenirs.  I was exhausted.  After about an hour of going in circles, I finally asked a cab driver to take me, but he ended up giving me directions.  No wonder I couldn’t find this place!  The office to check-in was around a corner and then a bellman would walk you to your hotel which was 2 blocks away.  I would have never have found it on my own. 

I was so glad to see my room!  My hand was sore from pulling my heavy suitcase.  I dropped off my things and ran down the street to this restaurant I kept passing up.  St. George’s Tavern was running a brunch special, but of course I missed it from getting lost.  I settled on Gloucester Old Spot Sausages (aka bangers and mash) and devoured the whole plate!  I was starving, but at least I had a traditional English dish.

I went back to my room and dozed off.  I got up an hour later and knew I had to take advantage of London before I left the next day.  I went back to Parliament Square and saw a group gathering outside of Westminster Abbey.  I thought it was a tour group, so I waited in line as well.  At one point a priest came up to everyone in line and handed them a program.  I was confused.  “What is this?” I asked.  “It’s for tonight’s service.  It’s why you’re here.”  Oops!  I had no idea they were about to have Sunday mass.  I couldn’t turn this opportunity down.  I walked in along with the other surprised patrons.  We all took a seat inside.

I did not take any pictures but I have to say Westminster Abbey is definitely one of the most beautiful churches I’ve ever been to.  I even got emotional during mass.  I was extremely grateful to experience a church that has so much history in London.  Afterwards I headed back to my hotel but stopped at an Indian restaurant that was nearby.  I knew this might be my last time having some Indian cuisine, so I ordered chicken tikka masala and it was delish!  I was very pleased but knew I had one more thing to do to call it a night.  I wanted to go out before I headed back to my life.  I looked online to see if I could find a good club to go to, but was disappointed to see that not many clubs were open on a Sunday night.  I decided to checkout Café de Paris once more and headed to Leicester Square.  This time I rode the bus instead of taking the tube.

Well you can imagine my disappointment when I saw that it was closed.  Great.  Now what?  I walked around the square and saw a large group outside of a bar.  This was the only happening spot around there so I figured I’ll check it out. 

Zoo Bar caters to a younger crowd.  Maybe too young for me because everyone in there looked like they had been drinking for 6 hours straight.  Considering it was barely midnight, people was either slobbering all over each other or taking shots at the bar.  I tried to ride it out as much as I could but decided to leave once this drunken guy kept trying to talk to me.  The scene from the outside was just as chaotic.  People were staggering and I heard ambulance sirens non-stop.  I think I got more than I bargained for and couldn’t wait to get back to my room.  In the morning I checked out and had one more brunch back at St. George’s Tavern before I took off.  I had the eggs royale which was a perfect way to end my stay in London.