First full day in London

My first full day in London began with a great buffet breakfast at the hotel before heading back to Terminal 3 to see if I could fix my return flight with Emirates. Turns out… no. Just a “call this number” situation. Even Booking.com seems to have trouble with Emirates. Oh well, time to head into London and find the new accommodation.

I caught the Elizabeth Line to Tottenham Court Road and carted my 20kg backpack a short distance to the new digs in Soho. Access was fairly easy, and the apartment was in a fantastic spot—literally across the road from the famous jazz venue Ronnie Scott’s.

Once my gear was settled, I had about six hours to kill before Jake arrived. Time to explore!

First stop: Soho Square, a well-known location in TV and films. Then, by complete fluke, I stumbled upon Trident Studios where David Bowie recorded many of his iconic albums. A short walk later brought me to Leicester Square and the Shakespeare monument, followed by the famous Piccadilly Circus and the Eros fountain.

I continued down to St. James’s Park and faced a choice: head to Buckingham Palace or check out Big Ben? I knew I’d be seeing Buckingham Palace when Jake finishes the London Marathon, so the choice was easy.

Heading toward Big Ben, I stopped at the Churchill War Rooms and museum. Remembering Uncle Andrew’s fascination with the legendary man, I decided to check it out. The war rooms are a massive basement bunker beneath a huge slab of concrete in Whitehall, with tight corridors and cramped rooms that twist through some truly impressive history. I learned all about Churchill—from his early life, to his family, his failures, and triumphs. It felt quite humbling to walk through the same tunnels he once did.

Back on my way, I passed the heavily guarded Downing Street and finally turned a corner to see the iconic Big Ben and the House of Commons. My second time seeing it—and still just as impressive.

After a few happy snaps, I made my way back to the apartment and got ready to meet Jake at the station. He arrived safe and sound. We headed back so he could freshen up after the long flight, and then went to a nearby pub, the Dog & Duck, for dinner. A brief stop at Tesco for supplies, and we called it a night.

Tomorrow: catching up with cousin Meg!