Day 81 (Friday, December 17, 2021)
Costs for the Day are in the Table below:
Every few hours in the night, Sydney wakes up and makes a gentle wine to let us know she has to go out. Bi then takes her out immediately and she goes to the bathroom fairly quickly. Bi had to get up several times throughout the night but there were no accidents at all which is great.
We got up at 8:30am and fed Sydney and then Bi took her for a walk to the park. Then we played and did some training in the apartment.
After that, we walked to the bus station to catch the #91 red double decker bus from Crouch End to Trafalgar Square in Downtown London (Cost: 1.55 Pounds Each). We sat on the top level right in the front so we had a perfect view.
We got off the bus in Trafalgar Square and walked down Whitehall Street to see 10 Downing Street, the address of the British Prime Minister’s Home and Office, and Scotland Yard, the original headquarters of the metropolitan police. There were many protesters along Whitehall street for an assortment of issues but they seemed to be orderly and the police were nearby.
Big Ben was under construction but still interesting to see in person.
Westminster Abbey was traditionally the place of coronation and a burial site for English monarchs. It was founded in 960 AD by Benedictine monks. The gothic architecture, cathedral ceilings, and stain glassed windows are gorgeous in their intricacy.
Within the Dean’s Yard of the Abbey is the Cellarium Cafe & Terrace which is a wonderful little cafe. We went there to relax, grab a bite to eat, and feed Sydney. I had the potato lentil soup with bread and tea and it was delicious. (Cost: 9.9 Pounds)
After the Cafe, we went into the actual church for evening song and I said some prayers for our family members.
Then we hiked over to Buckingham Palace which is the official residence of the royal sovereigns since 1837 and now serves as their administrative headquarters. The imposing gates and crests glitter with gold leaf and the palace is enormous with 775 rooms.
After the palace, we walked around the posh streets near Piccadily for a while and took photos of the Christmas lights and decorations.
By that time we were getting a bit tired of walking so we stopped into Sketch at the recommendation of our friend Sophie. Each room of Sketch has a different theme and it feels like you are immersing yourself into another world. The sights and sounds surround you and it is truly a unique experience. I recommend asking to see all the rooms so you can choose which one suits you. We chose the green room and it was delightfully decorated like a twinkling forest. A ballerina danced by in a surreal performance as we sipped our cocktails. The cocktails are very expensive as you might imagine but it was worth it. If you go, make sure you check out the restrooms of which you can get a glimpse in the last photo. (Cost: 40.10 EUR)
After leaving Sketch, we took the Underground (Tube) – Jubilee Line to London Bridge (Cost: 2.4 Pounds Each) to meet up for our Gruesome London Waling tour.
At the London Bridge station, I stopped for a chicken wrap at Londoner Kebabs which was quite good. (Cost: 10.01 USD)
Then, we went across the street to on the Gruesome London walking tour from 7-9pm. (Cost: 20 USD each X 2 people = 40 USD) Beth was our guide and it was just Bi and I so we had a private tour! We learned about the great London Fire in 1666 that destroyed 2/3 of the city. We listened to the fight that began over a sandwich when building the great fire monument and how the two workmen both fell from the tower to their deaths in the squabble. We heard tales of poor health conditions where human waste was shoveled directly into the Thames River and how Richard the waste man drowned in a sewage pit when he slipped. We viewed the Tower of London where Anne Boleyn was held and beheaded and where Guy Fawkes and the gunpowder plot crew were hanged, drawn, and quartered. We went to the area where Jack the Ripper sliced up and disemboweled his fourth victim and we learned about the terrible working conditions in the old match factories where the sulfur would degenerate the facial bones of the workers.
After the walking tour, we stopped at Players Social to get some mulled wine and feed Sydney. (Cost: 7.51 USD)
Then we got on the National Rail – Great Northern Line back to the Airbnb. (Cost: 3 Pounds Each)
