I’ve had a special interest in watching the Olympic games from London because we were fortunate enough to visit London a couple of weeks before the games began. I went to London on a mission trip in 1970, but didn’t get to see a lot of the city. It was Joyce’s first trip to London and we were very excited about the opportunity.
We had a non-stop flight from Raleigh to London’s Heathrow airport. It was the first time I had ever traveled overseas on a non-stop flight and it was great not having to worry about making connections and bags that didn’t make it, etc. We departed from the new Terminal C at RDU and the check-in and security were as easy as I have ever experienced. Our flight departed right on time and after a short night, we started to descend over cloudy Great Britain.
Our first glimpse of London was from 10,000 feet up. We broke through the clouds and there it was—a massive city! London has a population of over 7 million, making it the most populous city in the European Union. There was the River Thames meandering through the city. We could spot Big Ben, the Tower Bridge, and the huge Ferris Wheel known as the London Eye.
We landed at Heathrow and after standing in line almost an hour to clear Passport Control, we claimed our bags and exited customs. A gentleman was waiting for us and after a stop at the ATM to get some Pounds, we followed him to a comfortable van for the ride into the city.
Everywhere you looked you saw signs of the Olympics. There were banners and traffic boards informing motorists of designated “Olympic Lanes” that would soon be in force. Our driver took us through Hyde Park to our hotel, The Grosvenor House, located adjacent to Hyde Park on Park Lane in London’s Mayfair section. It was a GREAT location. We could walk to Buckingham Palace, which we did, and could access the Underground through two nearby stations.
It was around 10:00 a.m. by the time we arrived at the hotel and, much to our delight, found out that our rooms were ready! I used to never take a nap after an overseas flight. My theory was that you should push yourself and stay up all day, then go to bed early and certainly sleep well. Now that I am older, I am willing to take a nap if possible. Joyce and I slept for a couple of hours, and then took a shower and we were refreshed and ready for the day!
We joined Doug and Alice Pearson who had been on the flight with us and walked a couple of blocks to a little pub the driver had recommended where we enjoyed our first meal of Fish and Chips! They were excellent.
Our first challenge was to master the “Tube” or the Underground, London’s extensive subway system. In most big cities you can get around very efficiently using public transportation, but every subway system is different. The Underground is the oldest subway system in the world. We had done our homework and decided the most efficient way to pay for the Tube was by purchasing an “Oyster” card. We paid 5 pounds (that was refundable when we left) for the card and then added value to it depending on our needs. The station we entered did not have a ticket window open, so the helpful agent allowed us to take the Tube to the next station where he said we could purchase our cards. This took a few minutes but soon with Oyster cards in hand we were ready to see the town!
We had pre-purchased a London Pass, which I would recommend if you visit London, that gives you access to all the major sites. After traveling on the Piccadilly Line to Leicester Square, we picked up our passes and traveled to the Tower Bridge where we jumped on a ferry. We thought this would give us a good overview of the city, and it did. We rode up the Thames to the Westminster Millennium Pier next to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. My plan was to walk back to the hotel by way of Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace, but the long day was finally catching up with everyone, so we took the Tube back. I thought about going to explore Hyde Park, but fatigue won out and we went to bed early sleeping 12 hours! But early the next morning, we were really ready to go!
We were refreshed after a good night’s rest and waited in the hotel lobby for the members of our group who were arriving that morning. Jim and Beverly Black came in first. They were tired, but said they were ready to go! Then Ashley and Gay Whitfield, Joe and Gail Biesecker, and Kay Hardin and Melba Bridges arrived.
“Is everyone ready to walk!”
It was a pleasant morning, a light London rain was falling as we made our way through Hyde Park, down Constitution Hill and on to Buckingham Palace. We were able to watch the Changing of the Guard and then we strolled through St. James Park on the way to Westminster Abbey.
Westminster Abbey is, in a word, fabulous. From the moment you walk through the door, history unfolds before you. Every British Monarch since William the Conqueror has been crowned here. The funeral for Princess Di was held here and most recently, the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
After being inspired by the grandeur of Westminster, we walked across the street to the Methodist House where we had lunch. London is also home to John Wesley, founder of Methodism. We had a nice lunch and the funny thing was it was like eating in a Methodist Fellowship Hall!
We then went to the Churchill War Rooms, the cramped subterranean rooms where Churchill directed the British war effort. The Map Room was especially inspiring and we saw the telephone that was a direct line to President Roosevelt in Washington.
If we had walked a few yards beyond the Churchill War Rooms we would have seen the outdoor volleyball court that has been featured during these early days of the Olympic Games.
We walked down to the Houses of Parliament where we had a great view of Big Ben. Our London Pass included an admission to Kew Gardens, which is outside of London but accessible by the Underground, so we jumped on the Tube to see the lovely gardens. However, once we arrived we learned the gardens were closing early due to a concert. We pleaded our case to no avail, so we enjoyed a stroll around the little town, then headed back into London where we had a nice dinner at the hotel with the Pearsons and the Whitfields. Jack and Joan Briggs and Joe and Libby Sink also came in to eat. Our group was gathering and we had another full day in London to anticipate! I will report on our Saturday in London in the next blog.
