This morning we walked to Paddington Station, where I had a meltdown because porridge isn't the same as oatmeal. So I ended up getting a toasted bagel at the Bagel Factory. We took the Bakerloo line from Paddington Station to Regent's Park, where we enjoyed Queen Mary's Gardens. Laid out in the 1930s, these beautifuly tended gardens lie at the heart of the park's inner circle and are a place of enchanting roses, delphinium, and a more natural setting including dahlias, sedum, sunflowers, hostas, bell flowers, coral bells, ferns and verbena. After walking through Regent's Gate, we took the Bakerloo line to Charing Cross Station. From there we crossed the Thames River, walking on the Westminster Bridge to the London Eye, a huge Ferris wheel that rotates at one revolution per half-hour. Since it was 18.50 pounds per person, with super long lines, we passed on it but it was a supurb location for people watching. Karen finally bought her London, England hoodie, that met her specifications. It was nice to get a different view of the Parliament building and Thames River. To return to the north side of the Thames, we walked north along the Hungerford Bridge back to Charing Cross. Next, we took the Bakerloo line to Oxford Circus, where we changed over to the Central line, to get to Nottinghill.
In Nottinghill, I half expected to see Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts walking around the parks, but what we saw was much different than Hollywood. The police presence was still in the area after Europe's largest street Carnival ended last night. They had over 200 arrests this year, which was less than 2010. We walked around a few shops and then walked over a mile back to our hotel. We jammed all kinds of souvenirs into our suitcases, checked in for our flights tomorrow, and then enjoyed a nice pub dinner (steak, pasta and burger) at the Pride of Paddington. It's been interesting people watching and seeing London on foot. If you're ever in a vehicle stopped at a red light, don't worry about paying attention to the light's color. The guy behind you will honk at you in 0.2 seconds when it turns yellow to green (lights go from red to yellow to green here). At least at home we typically give a five second grace period before honking, and then feel guilty about being so impatient. When walking the narrow streets, you do bump elbows with about every third person and the British politely say "sorry dear."
In Nottinghill, I half expected to see Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts walking around the parks, but what we saw was much different than Hollywood. The police presence was still in the area after Europe's largest street Carnival ended last night. They had over 200 arrests this year, which was less than 2010. We walked around a few shops and then walked over a mile back to our hotel. We jammed all kinds of souvenirs into our suitcases, checked in for our flights tomorrow, and then enjoyed a nice pub dinner (steak, pasta and burger) at the Pride of Paddington. It's been interesting people watching and seeing London on foot. If you're ever in a vehicle stopped at a red light, don't worry about paying attention to the light's color. The guy behind you will honk at you in 0.2 seconds when it turns yellow to green (lights go from red to yellow to green here). At least at home we typically give a five second grace period before honking, and then feel guilty about being so impatient. When walking the narrow streets, you do bump elbows with about every third person and the British politely say "sorry dear."
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