Wednesday, November 22nd
I went up around 4:00 am to get ready. Around 4:30 am we drove to Billund. I was in Billund around 6:00 am. I handed over my luggage at the bagage drop and came through the security check easily. Then I just had to have time to go for the next 1½ hours. I walked around and looked into the tax free section. I couldn't figure out if I had to buy something to eat. I ended up buying a soda, some chips (crisps) and a magazine so I could pass the time till I could go to the gate.
Around 7.50 am the gate I was supposed to go to came on the screen. So I went to gate 13. I needed to go through a passport control before I reached the gate. I hadn't waited for long by the gate before we started to board the plane. I found my seat on the plane and sat down. Within a short time all of the passengers were in their seats and we were ready to taxi out. We actually took off a bit before we should.
The flight itself was quiet. I didn't expect we got food on the plane, but there was both roll and yogurt, juice and coffee. So it was nice to have something to eat. And then I thought it was good I hadn't bought anything to eat at the airport.
I arrived at London City Airport a bit before time. I got out of the plane, found my suitcase at the luggage belt and then went to DLR (Docklands Light Railway) so I could get to my hotel. There was already a train on the platform that went the right way. So I walked in. 3 stations later at Canning Town, I got out. Now I had to find the right train so I could get to the station at my hotel. I found the right platform and waited for the train to come. When it came, I went on. One stop later, at Royal Victoria, I got out. I just need a little time to figure out which way I had to go. When I found the right route I went to the hotel. About 5 minutes later I walked through the door of my hotel.
When I had checked in, I got up to the room. When I got into the room I unpacked a bit, and then I got ready to get out and experience London. When I walked out the door it was about an hour since I had landed in London.
I went to the station and waited for the train. I went to Tower Gateway (hint: The station is near Tower Bridge and Tower of London). I didn't have to go very far before I could see Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. It was a little strange walking in London and experience the city as an adult when I last was in London as a tourist when I was 16-17 years old. I took some pictures before I just walked around and saw Central London. I saw St Paul's Cathedral from the outside, then Piccadilly Circus. I walked through Oxford Street and Regent Street. I went into Madame Tussauds. Since Baker Street was in the same area as Madame Tussauds, I went up to the street to see where Sherlock Holmes lives in the stories. I also walked through Leicester Square, and then the christmas market which was there.
When I had been walking for some hours, it was about time to have some dinner. I ended up choosing a pub called The Minories, close to the Tower Gateway station. If I'm ever in that area again I wouldn't hesitate to go eat there again. Lovely food and there was a nice atmosphere in the pub.
When I had eaten, I thought it was time to go back to the hotel. After all, I had been up early and I started to feel tired. So I took the train back towards the hotel. When I came back, I went for a walk along the marina and recorded some video. At one point, I didn't know that there were any level differences where I walking because it was dark, so I hurt my right foot by taking a wrong step. Which you can see on the video I was recording. I decided that it was about time I went back to the hotel and get up to the room. Which I did.
My foot hurt quite a lot in the evening, actually so much that I began to think if I my vacation was ruined because of it. But I did fall asleep though.
Thursday, November 23rd
I had a bit of pain in the foot when I woke up. I got up and got ready to go down and have something to eat in the restaurant of the hotel. I hobbled a bit on the right foot, but it did not hurt so much.
When I had eaten up, I got up to the room and got ready for another day to experience London City. I had decided to see the area around Westminister this day. I decided to go to Canning Town, where I was going to take the Jubilee line. The reason I wanted to go to Canning Town and not take the DLR from Royal Victoria to Canning Town was that I would like to pass the hotel I had stayed at when I was in London in 2008 when I went to hear Bryan Adams at the O2. And the hotel was on my way from my area to Canning Town. It was a little strange to go past the hotel after 9 years.
When I reached Canning Town station, I found the right platform and waited for the train. When I arrived, I went on the train. When we reached the Westminister station, I went out. When I got up the stairs up to the street, I saw one of the "famous" red phone boxes that I just had to take a picture of. As I turned around, I discovered Big Ben and the Parliment. At the moment you can't see much of Big Ben as it's being renovated. I walked down to Westminister Bridge and recorded some video of London Eye, located on the other side of the bridge. I then crossed the bridge and down to London Eye. I walked along the Thames and past the Christmas market, which is in Southbank. When I had walked far enough, I turned around and went back to the bridge. I walked over the bridge back towards Big Ben and the Parliment. I just went for a walk past Downing Street. So I could just see what the street looks like in reality.
I decided that I would like to see Westminister Abbey. So I went to the church. It was great experience to walk around Westminister Abbey. I was handed a "phone like" device, where there was a guided tour on with Jeremy Irons. It is a very big and beautiful church. Since you can't take pictures in Westminister Abbey, I bought a book of pictures, so I had a memory from there.
When I finished there I walked up to Buckingham Palace through St. James Park. From there I walked up to Trafalgar Square and saw Lord Nelson. From there I went to Harrods. I wanted to see the memorial that was made for Princess Diana and Dodi Fayad. When I had seen it, I just had to go find their regular Christmas department. I love Christmas. So I had to see if I could find something I could buy and take home. Which I did.
When I finished in Harrods, I decided I would go to Hyde Park and see the large Christmas market Winter Wonderland. It was very large with both stands and various types of attractions. I bought a mug of "mulled wine".
When I finished there it was time to have some dinner. I ended up deciding to go to a place called Garfunkel's which is a chain of restaurants. I chose the one at Trafalgar Square. I got a pizza which was very good.
When I finished, I chose to go to the Westminister station and go back to the hotel.
During Thursday, I started walking normally on the right foot again and the pain was gone, and I didn't feel anything for the rest of the trip.
Friday, November 24th
When I woke up, I relaxed for a bit before I got up and got ready to go down and have something to eat. When I finished I went to the room and got ready to go out. When I was going to the concert later in the day, I chose to stay in the area so I went up to ExCel and just saw the whole area.
A few hours later I went back to the hotel and relaxed a bit until I had to get ready to go to the O2. When I was ready to leave I went to Emirates Airline, which is the direct line from the area I was over to the O2. I took some pictures of the area while I was in the cart (all alone). There was a nice view of southern London from up there.
When the trip was dover I went to O2 to find something to eat. My experiences from the rest of the day with the Meet & Greet and the concert can be read here: Steps M & G and concert.
Saturday, November 25th
Like the other days when I woke up, I got ready and went down and ate breakfast at the hotel.
When I got up to the room, I got ready to go out. This day I had chosen to take a trip to Stratford and see the Olympic Park, built for the summer Olympics in 2012. And at the same time visit Westfield, a mall located at the Stratford station.
I went to the station and waited for a train. I got up and left off at Stratford. I walked out of the station and after a while I found the Olympic Park. What I first noticed was the Olympic station, which now West Ham has as their home ground. I walked around the park / area for a while before I went back to the station and Westfield.
I spent at least 2-2½ hours in Westfield, as the mall was on 3 floors. I was in many of the shops that we don't have here in Denmark. And I also did some shopping. When I was ready to go to the hotel, I found the station and took the train.
When I came back I went up to the room and relaxed for a couple of hours. I had decided that I would eat at the hotel the last night. After checking in to the plane the next day, I went down to the restaurant. I ordered something to eat. The food was very good. This evening I also ordered a dessert. So I sat and enjoyed myself until I thought it was time to get up to the room. I had bought some snacks that I enjoyed in the room before I thought it was time to go to bed.
Sunday, November 26th
I got a sudden awakening when the fire / smoke alarm in the hotel sounded at 7:00 in the morning. I opened the door to the hallway and went out, with the result that I was standing in my nightwear with my phone and had shut myself out of the room. One of the hotel staff came pretty quickly who told it was a false alarm. Apparently one had been bathing with very hot water and had the bathroom door open and so the steam reached the alarm.
I asked him if he could open the door for me since I was locked out, and he did. And I went into the room. I tried to get back to sleep, but I was so awake that I decided I just could get up and get ready and go down and have something to eat.
After I was done having breakfast I got up to the room and got ready to enjoy the last day in London before going home that evening. I had found out that there was a free museum called the Museum of London Docklands not far from my hotel so I would check it out the last day.
Then I walked over to the station and took the train to the nearest station to the museum. The museum was very exciting. It told the story of the Docklands area and how it started and until now. I spent at least 1-1½ hours at the museum. When I finished, I went out and saw some of West India Docks where the museum was, before I went to the station so I could come back to the hotel.
When I came back to the hotel, I decided to go to ExCel to see if I could come in and see how it looked inside. I wasn't inside Friday when there was a lot of school children inside ExCel that day.
It was quite empty, but there were a couple of eateries that were open.
When I had walked in there for a while, I went back to the hotel. I had chosen to have late check out since I had to fly back to Billund at 6:40 pm local time.
So the early afternoon hours were spent in the room getting packed. At 4:00 pm I checked out and went to London City Airport. I arrived at the airport at 4.30 pm and luggage drop opened at 4:40 pm. So I waited about 10 minutes before I could hand in my suitcase. When the baggage drop opened, I handed over my suitcase. I went through the security check. When I waited for my bag, it came down the belt where it would be checked extra. So I waited for the tray with my bag to be picked up by an employee. I went over the to the employee who first asks if he could to check my bag, and I said yes. Then he asked if I could open the bag and I did.
When he took a small bag out of the bag, I suddenly know the reason for it to being checked is because there is a hand cream in the small bag (it should have been in the clear bag instead). And I had to tell the employee that I had completely forgotten about it. He finds the clear bag and puts the hand cream in and checks it through the belt, and that's ok. He came back to me saying that I could take my things.
When I had finished packing the bag, I found out where I could buy a little to eat before I left for the plane.
Around 6:00 pm the gateappeared on the screen and I went to the gate, and around 6:20 pm we started to board the plane. There was little trouble with the number of people on the plane. When it was cleared we could take off. It made us about 5-10 minutes delayed.
We had a little to eat on the plane. And the flight back went easily. We landed in Billund around 9:10 pm. My parents was waiting for me and greeted me when I came out. And we drove back to Randers. And around 10:40 pm I was home. I just wanted to unpack the most before I went to bed. So I ended up lying in my bed around 11:45.
I had a great trip and On the plane before take off from London, I agreed with myselft that it wouldn't take 9 years before I went to London again.
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