Luggage Malfunctions and Souvenir Acquisition
Sunday morning, I had to check out of my hotel because I was checking in to the tour group hotel in the afternoon. As soon as I left the hotel, the strap on my purse broke right off!
A quick plan change was required to fix this! I hustled over to the Washington Mayfair hotel, where the tour was staying, and dropped off my luggage.
Then, I went out to seek a replacement day bag. I ended up at the London Transport museum gift shop. I had been looking for souvenirs online from their online gift shop before the trip. I got this tote bag, large enough that I put my old day bag inside of it, so that I could have access to pockets and zippers. And I got a multi colored mug, representing the various Tube lines, that I use all the time!
Holland Park and Hyde Park
After solving that problem, I headed over to Holland Park and walked to the Kyoto garden.
It was fairly busy, with many tourists taking selfies by the koi pond.
I walked through the Dutch garden also, but it was not the right time of year to enjoy that garden. The plants were at the end of their lives, and many beds had been taken out to prepare for the next planting.
I walked from Holland Park to Hyde Park and past Kensington Gardens.
Hyde Park was very well attended. There were people everywhere, laying on the grass or walking their dogs, or playing football with their kids.
In the Serpentine pond, people were playing around the river on canoes or peddle powered boats. I brought lunch with me and stopped by the pond and watched the people for a while.
Then, it was time to head over to the Washington Mayfair, to meet the group.
Tour Begins
I met up with the group in Madison’s restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel. We received drinks, and Steve, our guide, handed out his contact information.
We chose our buddy for the trip. Your buddy has to be someone you aren’t traveling with, which I felt was a good safeguard for not losing any couples or families.
We received an audio device that would let us hear the tour guide during walking tours, even if we weren’t standing next to them, which was great and so useful to me! I have reduced hearing, so I was worried about missing information if I couldn’t be close to the guide when he was speaking, or if we were in a situation with a lot of background noises.
After we all introduced ourselves, we set out on a double decker tour around London. Most people sat on the upper level, because wouldn’t you? I think we did a loop near Hyde Park as we saw the Royal Albert Hall, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Harrod’s, and the Animals in War memorial.
Next we went to dinner at The Market Tavern on Shepherd St. We each chose from 5 or 6 entrees, and 5 or 6 deserts, and 4 beverages. I got the fish and chips with the chocolate ganache desert, with the light lager.
After a great dinner, making friends with Linda, Sarah, and Sherrie, I went back to the hotel to unpack and get some rest before the next day.
I spent the remainder of the evening watching re-runs of British game shows, with inscrutable rules, whose trivia questions skewed heavily with British politics and football. It turns out that I AM the weakest link.
The room was very nice and clean, and I felt safe. The bathroom was at least three times as big as the bathroom at my first hotel, and it had heated tiles and a bath. The hotel staff were friendly and helpful through the trip. Kudos!
Total steps: 17,890
Staycation No More 