London 2015 (April Trip)

As you may know, if you are follower of my Twitter, I've been in London last week. It was amazing week, London is great city and I was very happy that I could re-visit London after three years. And I was also in good mood because Square Enix revealed new Deus Ex game but that is another topic.

I was in London for four days. It may sound like a very little time I spend in London but it is because in May I will be travelling again to London. So, last week, at Thursday I was traveling in Airbus A320 British Airways from Prague to London. Flight was really cool, after take-off I was able to get stunning view on Prague and Prague Airport, also I got cool view at Vodochody Airport, and a half hour later I was able to saw Frankfurt Airport from almost 10 000 Km altitude.

Frankufrt Airport from almost 10 000 KM altitude.

During flight we get a very cool sandwich. It was some kind of very good British ham, chees, salad and some other stuff that I can't even recognized but it tastes amazing. I'm not afraid to say that it was best food that I've ever eaten on board of plane. This sandwich was maybe even better then food on board of Emirates planes which is also pretty epic. I can't wait for my May trip with British Airways.

When you see this sandwich, don't wait, just eat

After a smooth hour and half flight we've safely landed at London Heathrow. During taxiing on to gate I've get a very good view on airport buildings, mainly on Terminal 3, 2 and Control Tower. Getting from airport was really fast, we get really fast our baggage and really surprisingly fast we exited airport and get bus to AVIS, for rent a car. We get a nice Hyundai and went to our hotel. We've chosen the same hotel as in 2012, it was named Comfort Hotel back then, now it is a part of Mercury Hotel. We went to dinner, I take prawns in some sauce and it was amazing but a not much and it was really expensive dinner. Next day, breakfast in hotel wasn't good enough for high price so we quickly left breakfast and went to plane spotting to Heathrow Airport. Why am I talking so much about food is a fact that if you are on holiday somewhere else than in your native country you want to find something new, that means that you want eat something new and if you get some cool food that you never eaten before your holidays will be much better because food will get you into better mood. That is like me in plane on my way to London. That little sandwich changed the way I was looking at flight. After I've done that sandwich I was in much better mood, I take a shot walk in plane and went back to my seat on my tablet to play some cards and I was happy. But anyway, back to London. Spotting was good but morning sun was shining from bad side so photos from that time are bad, planes are all in shadow. After an hour of spotting we want to see one particular plane on London City Airport. British Airways operate special flights - BA001/002/003/0004. These flight numbers are former Concorde flight numbers on line between London and New York. These flights now operating from London City to New York with Airbus A318 - completely in first class.

Main trick of that flight is that you can check-in only 20 minutes before take-off and you will proceed through passport controls on refuel stop at Shannon in Ireland. That mean that plane will land in New York as domestic flight and you just go straight to exit at New York JFK Airport. But also, price for this flight is very high. We were able to go really close to runway and we would be able to see take-off from close spott but after a few minutes police arrived. Police van arrived and seven policemans get off that van and went straight to us. It seems like we are in big trouble. Two policemans went to check our car, other started to ask questions about who we are, where are we from, where in London we have an hotel. They wanted to see our passports and ID cards, bad thing was that my ID card was back in Czech Republic, I left it in car at Prague airport. Plane took-off on time and we went to see Thames Barrier near London City.

Me and Thames Barrier

The Thames Barrier is located downstream of central London. Operational since 1982, its purpose is to prevent the floodplain of all but the easternmost boroughs of Greater London from being flooded by exceptionally high tides and storm surges moving up from the North Sea. When needed, it is closed during high tide, at low tide it can be opened to restore the river's flow towards the sea. Park near Thames Barrier was full of people, it was hot noon, we stayed for drink in near bar and went to see Tower Bridge. We wanted to cross bridge by car and then go to MI6 headquarters.

Tower Bridge

We fastly crossed bridge and get stucked in traffic jam, after a long time of going through short streets of Central London.

Occasionally we were able to see The Shard - is an 87-storey skyscraper in Southwark, London, that forms part of the London Bridge Quarter development. The Shard's construction began in March 2009, it was topped out on 30 March 2012 and inaugurated on 5 July 2012. Practical completion was achieved in November 2012. The tower's privately operated observation deck, The View from The Shard, was opened to the public on 1 February 2013. Standing 309.6768 metres (1,016.000 ft) high, the Shard is currently the tallest building in the European Union. It is also the second-tallest free-standing structure in the United Kingdom, after the concrete tower at the Emley Moor transmitting station. The glass-clad pyramidal tower has 72 habitable floors, with a viewing gallery and open-air observation deck on the 72nd floor, at a height of 244.3 metres (802 ft). It was designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano and replaced Southwark Towers, a 24-storey office block built on the site in 1975. The Shard was developed by Sellar Property on behalf of LBQ Ltd and is jointly owned by Sellar Property and the State of Qatar.

The Shard

We finally arrived at Vauxhall Bridge and get a good look at MI6 Headquarters and then headed back to airport for some spotting. During way we have seen old Nine Elms power station. Then another few hours spent at Heathrow airport. Nect day we went to see Wimbledon, calm part of London and All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

Central Court of All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club

After that we went back to airport, left our car at parking place near Hatton Cross Underground station and went by metro to heart of London - we left underground at Green Park and took a walk around main sights in London - Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and parliament, London Eye, Charing Cross railway station and Trafalgar Square.

Buckingham Palace

Big Ben and parliament

Charring cross railway station - indoors

London Eye

Trafalgar Square

Rest of day after returning from Central London we have spent at Heathrow airport. Next day was very sad because we had to leave London and go back home. Our trip has come to end. We left hotel, returned car and by AVIS shuttle went to Terminal 3 - departures.

Terminal 3 with our AVIS shuttle

After two hours we left London, and went back to home - to Prague. It was sad but at 7. May, we will return to London for another four days. I cant wait.

#Traveling