London Thursday: Platform 9 3/4, British Library, and Abbey Road

So we woke up Thursday morning, got ready to checkout with our bags but then got stopped at the desk by the lady who'd helped us with the Eurostar debacle the previous morning and she insisted on us leaving our bags with her  because of all of our troubles (we had planned on renting lockers at King's Cross, 16 pounds which was a little: read, lot steep). That hotel's definitely got a good review from us!

So off we went, but not on the Tube this time! We snagged a red double decker bus! I was beaming! and yes, we rode on the top, the only true way. Those bus drivers are seriously magicians, we swerved through narrow streets and intersections like we were a mini cooper.

We got off at the naked statue of Sir Isaac Newton and went to the British Library where we saw the Guttunberg bible, Magna Carta, Wycliffe Bible, Shakespeare's first folio, Mozart's marriage license, Handel's score of the Messiah, and handwritten songs and doodles by the Beatles(John used his son's birthday card to write the lyrics to a song as it came to him).

From there it was photo opp time! First was platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross, where Harry Potter store employees provided scarves and glasses to take pictures with :)

 

Then it was on to Abbey Road, where it's a miracle more tourists mugging for the camera don't get pancaked by cars each year. We saw a few nominees for Darwin Awards in our short 10 minutes there. We saw the studio and the wall outside where you can sign your name :)

People waiting to cross

Pieter and Darwin award nominee #1 (she kept running out in front of traffic)

Then we headed back to the hotel to pick up our luggage, stopping first at Baker Street Station (Sherlock Holmes, anyone?). It actually was one of the first 7 underground railroad stations (precursor to the Tube) in 1863 when it began. Yes, this year is the 150th anniversary of the system. The Queen, Prince Phillip, and Kate stopped by there about a week after we were there to commemorate the anniversary.

Anyway, then it was farewell to London. We went to the train station, got our passports stamped for the 4th time this trip and headed to our train where we were met with huge comfy, reclining seats, glass, china, and real silverware. First class really is the way to go! We got soda with lemon and gourmet peanuts and were totally happy with that but then came dinner with an appetizer of white fish on a cucumber salad, dinner of ham, grilled apple, french cheese, chutney, and a meat pasty of some sort (me), broccoli, white fish, potatoes(Pieter), and dessert of chocolate, une tarte aux pommes  There was also unlimited champagne and wine but we declined. Anyway, definitely enjoyed the experience but probably won't be able to justify actually ever paying for it (245 pounds). Definitely the best way to get back to Paris.