Quick Stopover in London

Just as we had booked a car to take us to the Cardiff bus stop, the home owners returned from their cruise. The timing was perfect because we quickly filled them in on how we had enjoyed our stay, said our goodbyes and we were off. Mitzi cried as we hopped into the car with our bags – she obviously was sad we were going. As house sitters, you want the pets to be happy and comfortable with you, but you definitely don’t want them to prefer you to the owners. But we know she is fickle – we’d be well forgotten by now!

The bus trip from Cardiff to London went without a hitch. The weather was perfect. We had been told there could have been a delay due to roadworks, but that did not eventuate. I had booked our tickets on a National Express bus and got a great deal – £6 each plus an extra £2 to select our seats. Buses really are the cheapest way to travel in the UK.

We needed to catch a cab from the Victoria Coach Station to our hotel in Kings Cross, near St Pancras. It took us past Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and other famous locations – filled with lots of people enjoying the sunny Sunday afternoon. While Mick was watching the meter increase, I suggested he think of it as if we were on a ‘tour’ of London. When we pulled up at the hotel in Argyle Street (just behind the building pictured to the left here), the fare was £25.60, much more than the bus had cost us it get from Cardiff to London – but I was very happy not to have to drag my bags to the Underground.

Our hotel was very well located and well priced, and included a full breakfast. It was next door to the Central Hotel which was closed “Due to Circumstances” – see the note on the door. Mick did like that!

But I’m getting ahead of myself…it was Beer O’Clock!! We had been told there was a pub about 200m away, called O’Neills, so I sent messages to my brother and my son to let them know where to meet us.

So off Mick and I set. What we did not know was there was a major soccer game being televised and the pub was packed – not a seat to be had. We had spotted a smaller pub around the corner called The Dolphin, and we soon relocated there for a quieter ‘meet-up’.

The Dolphin was not serving dinner, so we returned to O’Neills for dinner, once the soccer was finished – and it certainly was much quieter. We had a great time catching up, despite some of the meals, and the wine, not meeting our expectations.

Before catching our train to Ely today, we took a walk around Kings Cross. It was a real eye opener – there were many modern high rise buildings and new constructions underway. And look what I found – even without using Google Maps!!

I later read that..

“King’s Cross is one of the largest and most exciting redevelopments in London. The 67-acre site has a rich history and a unique setting. What was an underused industrial wasteland is being transformed into a new part of the city with homes, shops, offices, galleries, bars, restaurants, schools, and even a university.”