Here There and Everywhere

British Isles: Day Two in London

We slept. We slept and slept. We didn’t want to get up. My body ached. It got to be eight and we knew we needed to get up and get going, but our bodies said it was still the middle of the night. Coffee. Coffee would help.


We went down to breakfast, and it was lovely, very lovely, hot and cold things but no oatmeal, and I am diabetic. I keep it controlled, but I need my oatmeal. So I treated myself to smoked salmon, and to oat cereal with fruits, and hoped for the best. 


After breakfast, we took the Metro to Kensington, another new experience, where we didn’t buy tickets, just used our credit cards like everyone else was doing, remembering to tap in and be sure to tap out so we wouldn’t be charged for a whole day. We walked to the Museum of Natural History, where AdventureMan spent a lot of time with dinosaurs, and I focused on the beginnings of the earth, and found a fabulous display of earth minerals, sparkling minerals. It must be my Scandinavian blood, I love gemstones, and I found an exhibit that captivated me – there are gems I didn’t know about!

This museum quickly became packed with families and groups. By noon, once again my feet were tired. Texted AdventureMan who was also ready to leave. We love these museums but their floors are hard, harder than the pavement and sidewalks in London.

We walked to Herrod’s, getting there late in the game – we had to fight the crowds going in. Every designer of luxury goods has displays on the ground floor, so lovely, so tempting, but we have a mission – we head straight for the food halls, where we find something for dinner and some cheeses to take with us for when we board the ship; we like to have a small stock for wine and cheese as we sail away, or for before dinner celebrations. Just sitting on our balcony as the sun sets is a celebration. Any excuse will do, and having cheese and wine makes it even more special. 


We found a wonderful man who knew a lot about cheese, who helped us find two we wanted to try, a Leicester Red and a Black Bomb. I found a smoked salmon salad for dinner, and AdventureMan found a wedge of quiche, and we picked up forks and knives as we headed out. The only souvenir I have bought here that was not edible was a Herrod’s canvas bag for foodstuffs with a leather strap. I love it and I will use it with a smile.

We saved so much money on little stuff that as we left Herrod’s and were trying to figure out whether we wanted to walk back or take the metro. We were right by the long line of taxis lined up to ferry Herrod customers where they needed to go, so I said, “Let’s grab a taxi!” and AdventureMan and his feet agreed heartily. 


Our taxi driver was Dominique, from Nigeria, and we had a lively conversation on the way back to the hotel. I had never met a Nigerian Catholic before. I know many Anglican Nigerians, we went to church with them in Doha and Kuwait, but he was Ibo from near the coast. He told us Nigerians do not gather as Nigerians in London, but as communities along tribal lines, so he gathers with large numbers of Ibo in London. 


We reorganized and rested briefly, then headed to take a river cruise, which was part of our Big Bus Hop On Hop Off package. We’ve been on these before, like in Paris, the Bateau Mouches, and they can be very crowded and uncomfortable, but it was still early, not crowded and we got good seats. I could get up and down as I needed, and a lot of the things I had seen and photo’d yesterday, so this was all very relaxed. We went from the Westminster Pier to the Tower Pier, got off, grabbed sandwiches at Pret a Manger, then found the HoHo to take us back to our hotel, where we need to pack up to move to our ship tomorrow morning.

We have two more days in London, and already we have had a wonderful time. We are feeling very relaxed, and happy to be here. 


Back at the hotel, we got our bags packed for our six a.m. pickup, I took one last luxurious bath in the generous tub the room provided, we had a great conversation with the Polish woman who took care of our room and was married to a Pakistani, and we settled in for a good night’s sleep.

December 30, 2025 Posted by intlxpatr | British Isles Viking Jupiter, Travel | London, Museum of Natural History, Thames River Cruise | Leave a comment