For my last day in London I only had two trips planned, a visit to the Natural History Museum and afternoon tea at the John Lewis Department Store. I went back to the South Kensington neighborhood for the Natural History Museum. I arrived early and had to wait outside the gates for a half hour but at least I was first in line. By the time they opened the gate there was a very long line. I was eager to get inside because it was raining. While I waited I saw some very modern tour buses including some Wettels German buses. I was able to read their slogan “Reisen mit Stil” (Travel With Style). I also took a photo of the Lycee Français Charles de Gaulle across the street, further proof that South Kensington is home to many French expats.
I saw Dippy, the large Diplodocus cast which dominates the vaulted central hall and the statue of Charles Darwin. I managed to see most of the museum’s highlights; the Cocoon, the Blue Whale model, the animated T-Rex, the giant sequoia, the Vault, and the giant sloth. I deposited my umbrella at the coat check and then lost my claim ticket while filming the animated T-Rex. I had to go back through the entire dinosaur hall to find my ticket. Fortunately I saw it on the floor. I had a sliced egg with mustard cress sandwich and a cup of coffee in the Darwin Center Café.
While on the way back to my hotel I passed the Institut français du Royaume-Uni again and took some more photos of the building. As long as I was in the area, I decided to visit another French book shop, The French Bookshop. The store staff asked me what I was looking for so I said something easy to read “facile à lire”. I bought four books;
- Le Fantôme Mène L’Enquête par Jacques Asklund
- Zoé calamité par Chanteal Laborde
- Nouvelles chute
- Nouvelles chute 2
When I got back to the hotel and freshened up I headed out again to the John Lewis Department Store for afternoon tea. Unfortunately I arrived a little too early at 2:30 p.m. They don’t serve afternoon tea until 3:00 p.m. so I went to their coffee shop on the floor above and had a Danish pastry, a scone with cream, and a pot of tea.
Since I still had some time to kill I decided to visit another book store, The European Bookshop on Warwick Street. It took me awhile to find the bookshop. In fact I found Carnaby Street before I found Warwick Street. At The European Bookshop I bought two more French books; Le Ping-Pong by Arthur Adamov (a rare avant-garde play) and Le Malade imaginaire by Molière. According to my receipt it was 15:28 or 3:38 by then.
When I returned to my hotel I decided to spend my last few hours in London walking in Hyde Park even though my feet were killing me. Eventually I walked clear across Hyde Park and saw the Serpentine, the Diana, Princess of Wales memorial, and the Serpentine Bar & Kitchen. I walked until I came to the Albert Memorial and the Royal Albert Hall where I took lots of photos. The Albert Memorial is a grand monument and something I had wanted to see so I was glad I made the effort.
That concluded my trip to London. It was a grand experience and I managed to accomplish all the goals I set out for this trip. I wish I could have stayed longer and seen even more of London but my feet could not take the punishment.
There are a few details about the trip home that I want to record for the sake of future travel. I had to lug my three pieces of luggage back up Edgware Road to Paddington Station in the rain without an umbrella. I had to leave my umbrella behind because it was too large to fit in any of my suitcases. Then I had to pay 19 pounds again for the Heathrow Express. At least I used a luggage cart when I got to Heathrow. I had to find the United Airlines counter where I used a self check-in machine to print my boarding passes. It cost me 44 pounds to check in my excess baggage, the Marks and Spenser luggage I bought just for the books.
Fortunately my flight to Washington Dulles Airport took off on time. The seat next to me was empty so I had plenty of space. I put my coat on the empty seat. The flight was long enough for me to see four movies; My Week with Marilyn, The Woman in Black starring Daniel Radcliffe, Young Adult, and Chronicle. As we approached Washington Dulles Airport I was able to see the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center out the plane window. I filled out a customs form on the plane.
When we landed I had to go through customs and then collect my checked bags. Basically I collected my bags, walked through immigration, and then re-checked my bags by placing them on a conveyor belt. Collecting my baggage was sort of a pointless exercise but you have to do that when returning from an international flight. I just had time to walk through the airport to find the gate for my connecting flight to Philadelphia. I remember I had to take a train from terminal C to terminal A. Fortunately the flight to Philadelphia only took 25 minutes of actual airtime. When I arrived in Philadelphia I just had to collect my baggage. It cost me $4.00 for a baggage cart though which I only used to get to the Economy Parking bus. The bus dropped me off near my car in the Economy Parking. The Philadelphia Parking Authority charged me $88.00 for parking! It may have been cheaper to fly from our regional airport after all. Then I had to find my way out of the airport to the PA Turnpike. Unfortunately my directions weren’t very good and I had to drive around until I saw a sign for Interstate 76 which eventually led me to Interstate 476 and the PA Turnpike. I didn’t remember the number of the correct exit on 76 but fortunately the signs were clear enough when you know what exit you need.
I stopped at the Allentown Service Plaza where I refueled and used my electric razor. I also used the restroom and had a slice of pizza, a large cup of coffee, and an espresso for even more caffeine. It was the caffeine shot I really needed after that long flight. The PA Turnpike cost me $6.30, something to remember.
