Meet up with Chananja in London

I got the train down to London, tube across to Golders Green (not been there since my interview for the kibbutz back in the 1990s) and checked into my hotel, Hotel Unique, above a pub.  Was a strange set up, I never saw any staff - but I had a decent sized, triangular room on the main road, opposite the overland tube but there must have been special glass in the windows as it was almost silent in the room and it was spotless. 

I dumped my stuff and then went out to find Chananja's hotel, I was just on google maps trying to find them when I heard an 'accent', looked up and there was Chananja, Raimo, Reni and Roan.  They were coming to find me! 

So, we hooked up, and went for dinner at a middle eastern restaurant as everyone was starving after travelling all day. 

I then went to see their room - wow, it was very cramped - with 2 double beds and an ensuite and no room around or between them.  I was glad of my room in the other hotel.

The next morning we met up, grabbed some bacon butties and then headed into London for a sightseeing day.  We were lucky in that the weather was good: clear blue skies but very cold!

We headed into Charing Cross and then walked to Trafalgar Square, to Pall Mall waited to see the changing of the guard - new one for me, I had never seen it before.  A good bit of English ceremony but we did hang around for ages to see it.  

Then across St James Park to Westminster Abbey - another new one for me - never been there before.  

Then Big Ben and back up past Downing Street (all completely closed off these days with armed guards, not a chance that Joe public can get near the PM these days - in a 'democracy' - I'm sure there is some irony there.  

We saw the horse guards at Horse Guard Parade and then back to Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square where we had lunch.  I had to wrack my brains to try to remember English history - Battle of Trafalgar etc - thankfully there is always Google, discovered that I sort of know about mosts things, but not in any sort of detail and everyone was full of questions. 

It was Raimo and Roan's first trip to London so they were curious about everything - which is great, but I didn't know everything - for example why are the soldiers in grey and not red - I hadno idea!!!!

After lunch we headed up Regent's Street to Hamleys to enjoy the toys.  Roan was looking for some specific figures that he collects and Raimo wanted some Pokemon goodies - both of which I had no knowledge, but we enjoyed wandering around the store and of course all of the soft toys.  We then headed up to Oxford Street where we went to the Disney Store - there aren't any Disney Stores in Holland, so they have to visit when they see one.  Chananja as expected bought some toys - including Chip and Dale in silver coats which she split and gave me one - Dale a memory for me of our time in London.  

By now we were flagging, so we headed back to Golders Green for a spruce up and then some tea.  We decided to  go for a longer walk down the road to find another restaurant, but they got more and more Jewish.  We decided to try one out, but boy it was the most unfriendliest of welcomes we got - the family next to us glared at us and the waiter didn't really treat us with any warmth.  The prices were on the heavy side as well.  After a little debate, we decided to up and leave - funnily no-one tried to stop us.  We were obviously tourists but really there is no need to be so unwelcoming - our money is as good as others!  

So we ended up back at the same restaurant we went to the night before.  They seemed to like us more.  

The next day, the kids had requested a good old English fry up for breakfast, not the easiest thing to find in Golder's Green, certainly nothing on Google, so I got up early and walked around the neighbourhood to see if I could find anything - bingo, there was a greasy spoon place just outside the station.  It wasn't the absolute classic fry up, but the best I could find.  They seemed happy enough.

 We then headed back into London.  This time we were exploring further East - so The Tower of London (we didn't go in as it is so expensive) and Tower Bridge which we did go into, cost £5 each must be the cheapest tourist attraction in London!  It was interesting, you get to walk along both sides of the bridge at the top and you can visit the pump rooms too.  We all enjoyed it - especially the bit where you can walk on glass above the road.

We then walked alongside the Thames to Southwark Cathedral where Chananja lit a candle to remember her Dad.  She does this everywhere she goes.  I looked into it - you have to pay to enter Westminster Abbey, St Paul's, well pretty much everywhere.  Southwark was the only place which was free.  It was a nice place too.

After there we headed to Borough Market for lunch - everyone chose their own meals and then we all headed to the crumble wagon after I explained what it was, however, there was a huge queue so gave up.  We continued walking up the South Bank, across the wobbly bridge to St Paul's.  Then after a drink break we headed over to Leicester Square for a look around the Lego Store before arriving at Her Majesty's Theatre to see Phantom of the Opera.  Chananja has been trying to see Phantom of the Opera for many years.  She went to New York to see it, but there was a writer's strike so all theatres were closed.  It has now closed in New York and she was worried it would close in London too, which is why she came across to London.  It was a good production - some magic occurred, but it was quite difficult to follow - I wonder what Raimo and Roan made of it.  They both said that they completely lost the plot in the second half of the production - I wasn't surprised.  I'm still a Les Miserables girl.

We then went straight back to our hotels. 

The next morning we met up for breakfast and then we all got the tube together.  I headed to Kings Cross whilst the others went to the Natural History museum which they enjoyed, especially as Chananja and Raimo were coming back to the UK for their Spring break to go looking for fossils in the Jurassic Coast.

Was a lovely break - and even though I don't know Reni or the boys very well, we had a lovely time, the boys were easy to get on with, it was time well spent.