Last of London, Day 1

2008, 4.13 Sunday, Mom arrives in London

This morning, I picked my mom up from Heathrow Airport in the morning. After exchanging some American dollars for GB pounds and getting her set up with an Oyster card for transport, we rode the Picadilly line from Heathrow to Russell Square in Central London.

At the time, it was pouring rain, but we made our way from the Russell Square tube station to the nearby Brunswick Square to get brunch at one of my favorite breakfast restaurants in London, Giraffe. Thankfully, by the time we were done with catching up (though honestly, we kept in touch really well for the time I was gone, so it didn't seem like I hadn't seen her for as long as it was) and enjoying our food, the rain had mostly stopped.

From there, we made our way to the BUNAC Hostel so I could pick up my bags and then we went to check into our room at the Arran Hotel off of Gower Street and Store Street--just around the corner from the hostel. We got settled into our very small but comfortable room and relaxed for a bit of the afternoon--Mom needed some travel recovery time from her flight and journey. I appreciated the down time, too.

Later in the afternoon, Mom and I headed out of the hotel to explore London. We went for a very long and winding walk through different areas of Central London and eventually ended up walking along the Thames by Embankment and seeing the London Eye, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, and other famous London landmarks. Here are some photographs from the journey...

Telephone Booths

Street Sign for the Embankment area

Big Ben and Clock Tower of the Houses of Parliament



Charing Cross Road Underground (The 'Tube') Station Sign

After getting our fill of admiring London landmarks for the day, Mom and I stopped for dinner at a very charming and comfortable pub called Garrick's. It was a very English dining experience, which was the perfect way for mom to begin her English adventure. She ordered the Steak pie with mashed potatoes and green peas and I ordered a Greek salad with lettuce and sun- dried tomatoes, olives, tomatoes, and served with wholemeal pita bread. It was a good meal and overall pleasant dining experience.

From Garrick's Pub, Mom and I went towards Trafalgar Square and then headed back to the hotel to relax and get some rest for the next adventurous day in London.