We returned to London in the evening of Day 9 at the same train station that took us out to Paris, St. Pancras Station. We walked to our hotel for the evening, checked in, and then went out for a bite to eat. That was more difficult than we had anticipated. Many of the restaurants close by were either closed or remained open (like pubs) but their kitchens were already closed. Who knew the area of London we landed in would be like small-town America?! We got a recommendation from a local pub employee to try the area around Brunswick Square. We lucked out and found a restaurant called the Hare and Tortoise which served Chinese and Japanese dishes. The portions were generous and the food was tasty. What more could we ask for?
The next morning, we did something different. We did not have pastries for breakfast. I know, you must be in shock, too! The place we were staying at had a cafe downstairs that served organic fare and gave a discount to people who stayed at the hotel above it. Our breakfasts at the Bloomsbury Cafe were delicious and filling. We checked out, took advantage of the on-site luggage storage facilities, and were regular tourists of London for the day.
Matt led us on a walking tour of London’s downtown. We saw the London Eye, the Thames River, Big Ben, and Buckingham Palace to name several famous landmarks. After a few hours, we returned to the hotel to collect our luggage and then made our way to the car rental agency.
The next two hours were probably the most stressful hours of Matt’s life. But he was the perfect candidate for the challenge. London’s roads were highly congested and it was extremely stressful for him to pay attention to driving on the left and everything that comes with having to re-thinking driving habits. Bart’s efficient navigating and Matt’s awesome driving skills got us to our hotel in Ipswich safely, on time, and without incident. I personally would have given up or had a traffic accident within the first 2 minutes behind the wheel. Matt described the stress as “ten times worse than riding the Million Dollar Highway at speed”. I know not everyone will understand that statement. I for one am extremely grateful that he took on the challenge and conquered it, hands down.
We checked in at our Ipswich lodgings and then went out for dinner. We found a fantastic pub with great food and drinks at very affordable prices. It was recommended to us by a fellow who was working the bar at another establishment we walked into and their kitchen was already closed. Now we are ready for our next adventure. Are you ready? We are!