A Dream Come True

LONDON. An impeccable October Weekend. Indeed, my 3 days in London were magic.  

We left home early on Friday morning and arrived in London at noon. We had already booked our plane tickets (with Wizzair) three months in advance and had a hotel reservation at Rose Park Hotel (Talbot Square, Sussex Gardens)- both excellent choices. From the airport in Luton we bought our National Express return ticket and arrived in London. The city made a very strong first impression on me. I was absolutely spellbound.

We arrived at the hotel, checked in and went out for a walk in Paddington, then had fish and chips with mixed salad and pickled olives, radishes, green hot peppers and garlic for dinner at an Arabic restaurant called “Halal”. To our surprise, my husband received a complimentary baklava at the end of the meal. Then we spent an hour in an internet place answering our e-mails and doing the online check-in of our return flight.

On Saturday, we woke up early, had an enormous traditional English breakfast (bacon, eggs, sausages, beans) at the hotel and left for the underground station. Paddington is only 3 minutes away.We got off in Westminster and, as we came to the surface, we were simply amazed by the sight of the famous Big Ben.
                                             
We bought tickets for a ride in the London Eye, watched a 4D video with images from the wheel then we embarked on an unforgettable adventure above the city.
                                

Then we took the Queen’s Walk - a pleasant stroll along the river Thames past the Queen Elizabeth Hall, The National Theatre, The Globe Theatre and St. Mary Overie’s Dock (from the 16^th century).

                          

Eventually, we arrived at the famous Tower Bridge.

                           
We crossed it and got to see the thousands of visitors buzzing around the Tower of London. We were discouraged by the crowds and decided to take the tube to Holborn. We had lunch at a very nice restaurant ( The Penderel’s Oak) where each of us drank a pint of British beer.

In the afternoon, we spent a few hours visiting the British Museum.

                                              

Later, we bought souvenirs for family and friends and spent the early evening walking in Hyde Park.We were delighted by a water bird show by the lake border: lots of seagulls, swans and ducks being fed by a very kind passer-by.

                                             

In the evening, we got back to the hotel after we had eaten a delicious dinner (Scottish salmon fillet with potatoes) at a nearby Angus Steakhouse.

The next morning we had breakfast, validated our National Express return journey to the airport from the hotel reception computer and took the tube to Victoria Station where we got on the coach back to Luton airport. There we bought a few more duty-free souvenirs and some food for the flight.

                                             

I smiled all the way back home, even in my sleep. I am so grateful to God and everyone/ everything that made this dream of mine possible.