Arrival in London

Here we are in London. Flying in over the city was amazing, you could see the Thames and many different landmarks that London is famous for: the London Bridge, Buckingham Palace, the London eye, the House of Parliament, etc. Heathrow itself is pure chaos. Make sure you know the number of your terminal before you leave because the trains will drop you off in a specific terminal, but all four terminals are distant in relation to each other. All Air Canada flights go out of terminal 3.

From the airport we took the underground to Euston Station rather than using the Heathrow Express. The underground is like nothing that I have ever seen before. It is a mass maze of stations and lines, both above ground and below ground, layered on top of one another. It is as confusing and it took us quite a while to figure out how the whole maze worked. Luckily, dP has been to Paris and the two systems are similar, so we were able to get to Euston station no problem. From there the flat is a 5 minute ride by Black Cab (3 pounds). We found out later that there is a station within walking distance of the flat: the Camden Town Station. Down the way from this station is the Mornington Crescent station and the National Rail Line is on Camden Road; also close by.

The ride by tube was an hour and 15 minutes; however, by using the underground we were able to see all the English style houses, gardens, people, and had the chance to experience the smells of London. The city doesn’t smell like I thought it would. It’s not like Taiwan or India; when you arrive in these countries the smell is overpowering at first.

The weather is what I expected: all over the place. Some moments were hot and sunny, some were overcast and humid, and others were wet because the rain just poured down. I am told this is typical.

Once at the flat we were exhausted and jet lagged; the only option was to crash. The flat is a stones throw from Camden Town and one block from a really busy road; however, we can’t hear a thing probably because the surrounding buildings are all brick and seem to absorb sound. The building is actually a collective of buildings and in the centre is a beautiful courtyard full of trees and vegetation. Looking across the roofs of the houses I am reminded of Mary Poppins and the chimney sweeps. It is almost surreal and I’m happy to be here.