London Calling

Sunday June 27, 2010

I took a last walk around Bath early in the morning

then we checked out of the Bath YMCA and set off for London.  We filled up on gas just before the airport and returned the car.  They noted that the hub caps on the right side of the car were all scratched up.  Luckily we had the car zero deductible insurance.  I was happy not to be driving anymore on this trip.

We bought a six zone single day travel card good for the underground "Tubes" and the busses. (You have to pay more for more zones and zone 6 is the most expensive which includes the airport.)  Spent some time figuring out the London transit system.

Got out at Oxford circus (a large circular part of the road) and walked a ways to the hotel.  Checked into the hostel:

YHA London Central
104-108 Bolsover St. London
P. +44 (0) 845 371 9154

This room had two bunk beds and a shower and toilet in the room.  The toilet had two flush buttons, one for small flushes and one for larger flushes which I thought was a good idea.  The shower did not have any lip so water tended to get out onto the floor.  We decided to ride around on the busses for a while since we had the six zone travel card for the day.  We got on what was to become one of your favorite busses, the 88 (88 was easy to remember!)  This picked us up 1-2 blocks from our hotel and went past all of the major sites, including: Piccadilly Circus, West Minster Abby, Parliament, Trafalgar Square and especially, the power plant on the cover of Pink Floyd's, Animals album.

Laurie wanted to ride to the end of the line to see more of the outskirts of London.  We got there and the bus driver said we had to get off.  We got off the double decker bus and walked around until we found a bus stop.  Then got on the bus again to go back.  We transferred to the 77 bus to the Eye of London and some of the other attractions.

We ate at a restaurant near Trafalgar Square (the Lord Moon of the Mall) recommended by Rick Steves Best of Europe 2010.  This was the first of a number of disappointing restaurants recommended by Rick Steves.  I had the roast beef which turned out to be just a thin slice of roast beef in brown gravy.  (the roast beef dinner reminded me very closely of Swanson's TV dinner).  The fish and chips were mediocre.  That day England played Germany in the world cup (England lost 4-1)  A bunch of revelers poured into Trafalgar square chanting and celebrating, climbed the fountain and got drenched.  The fountains are rather large and one person fell while trying to get to the next level of the fountain but no one got hurt and the police didn't arrest anyone that we saw.  They just let them wear themselves out:

Around dark we went back to the hotel and went to bed.