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23 - 25 June : London Surprise

Final Days in Europe

Trippin'.
Back in London-- third- most expensive city after Tokyo and Osaka-- boy do we know how to pick them or what. After our debacle of a rat hole stay 3 weeks prior, we were determined and prepared to pay for a more decent and memorable stay in London. In London, where hotel rooms under $250 a night are scarce to none, imagine our surprised when we came across The Tower on Expedia for $150 a night. At $150 a night, we weren't expecting much; just better than the first time around. Color us confused when we came upon a 4 star hotel overlooking the London Bridge. We certainly didn't pay enough for this hotel, we thought, the entire time we were in line to check in. While others were in business suits and formal attire, we embarrassingly donned our crummy clothes and backpacker's backpacks. As out of place as we felt, we were assured we were in the right place. Jackpot! And while we respectfully declined the $50 room upgrade, we got one anyway! Whether it was out of courtesy or technical error, we weren't complaining about the upgrade-- St. Katherine's Suite!

Check out the ice cream truck we came across while roaming London. "Mind That Child!" Love the on- the- curbside parking.

Tip-- Make sure to "Look Right" when crossing the streets.

Once checked- in, we had dinner reservations at Cafe Spice Namaste-- a contemporary Indian restaurant near the hotel. Indian food in London is about 10 notches hotter than back in the States, but sOoo good! We had to ask for a side of yogurt just to cool down our palettes.

The next day, Buckingham Palace was first on the agenda, particularly because at around 11am, it's a huge spectacle to see the Changing of the Guards. After all the touristy mayhem and the hopes of getting a glimpse of the Royal family, with no luck, we proceeded to Harrods. Not your typical department store indeed. A must to be seen and experience. After Harrods, we strolled over to Hyde Park for an afternoon walk. There was a live concert going on but we didn't have access to the concert premises so we just walked along the walls and listened. It's our last day in London so we made sure we got our souvenir shopping in before we left.

The last 3 weeks has been an experience neither of us will ever forget. A few mishaps along the way but, nonetheless, Europe has treated us well and we'll definitely be back very soon. (slated for Oct 2009)

Sleeping: The Tower. Could not have ask for a better view-- The London Bridge.
Eating: The Georgian Restaurant (at Harrods), 87- 135 Brompton Rd. 4th floor, 020-7225-6800, an endless buffet of tasty morsels of delectable goodness!
Attraction & Destination Checklist:
Buckingham Palace
Harrods
Hyde Park
Tower of London
London Bridge

More Photos.