London: First Stop on the High Speed Train

England here we come!  Arriving at our airport the required 3 hours ahead of flight and feeling optimistic. 

Proceeding quickly, we found our airline to check in and a very long line up.

Finally at the Check- in counter we were asked a question we were not expecting.  “Do you have any lithium battery items in your checked bags?”  

Yes, we do have a laptop computer with a lithium battery.  We knew right away that we had given the wrong answer.  We had to remove the laptop and put it into our carryon luggage.  Lesson learned.

For more information on this:  https://www.catsa-acsta.gc.ca/en/what-can-bring/guidelines-batteries

Hurdle one handled: on to security.  The usual belts, jackets, etc and our cameras had to be removed from their bag and be put in a separate bin for screening.  All part of the routine now.

No problem, we proceeded to the closest VIP Lounge for something to eat. 

The lounges are great as they offer food, drink, washrooms and in some, showers, beds, etc.  Access to the lounges is free if you have one of the approved Travel Credit Cards from your bank, or can be purchased if they have room.  Check with your credit card company regarding their rules.  You can also check our POST at:

The Pros and Cons of TRAVEL Credit Cards

We were delighted to finally have a cup of tea, something to eat and just relax.   

From the lounge, we were able to continuously check the boarding time for our flight. 

However, we must have relaxed a bit too long, and it was only due to a fortunate check on the lounge monitor that we saw that the Gate was closing in 10 minutes. 

Grabbing our luggage, we rapidly moved to the designated gate where we found a long line up of people.  10 minutes till closing.. Hmm.  No matter, soon enough we were seated and headed off.

Arriving at Heathrow was the easiest we have experienced in many years.  Because we had already filled out the requisite ETAs, we simply scanned in our passports, the gates opened, and we were set free in England.  A far cry from our last visit during Spring Break.  But that’s another story.

We decided to use the underground train system to get into London.  From Heathrow, we took the Piccadilly Line (underground) to King’s Cross which happens to be right across the street from St Pancras International Train Station as well as our Hotel.  The trip was about 40- 60 minutes. Cost £5.80 or just under $10.00.

We did look at taking a taxi ahead of time, but the cost for that was between £70 and £90. 

My very skilled husband had booked us into the Megaro Hotel, which is a 5-minute walk from the King’s Cross underground metro aand St Pancras International Train Station.

The Megaro is described as “a place of high colours and bold flavours.” Another way of describing the decor is Steampunk: a famous blend of Victorian-era fashion combined with steam-powered machinery and industrial designs. 

Our room was amazing. My favourite part was this fellow who was standing on a small ledge outside our window:  he had attitude. 

In the bathroom, when the overhead light turns on, the writing on the mirror is exposed, which says:  “If not now ….. When?”  A thought to ponder.

 The Megaro hotel offers a signature restaurant called “Voyage” with its Chef Patron, a Michelin Star winner.  We just had to try it and we were impressed not only in the presentation of the food but the taste!!

During our days in London, we roamed and came across Regent’s Canal or as it has been dubbed, “Little Venice”. This was a lovely opportunity to step away from the busy streets and wander down a cool, green walkway.  The canal is 8.6 miles long – we did not go the whole way. It is located near Paddington and Maide Vale. 

Regents Canal where houseboats, gardens and swans share the waterways and paths.

Moored alongside of the canal were a variety of houseboats. These boats looked to be lived-in homes, not just weekend getaway homes.  Gardens adorned the boats.  For some, their garden took up the entire roof with a bit of a forest area. Bikes were hanging from the sides of the boat with BBQ patio’s giving it a feel of a home.

Floating alongside the boats were tranquil swans who were not shy about looking for handouts from pedestrians who frequently visited the cafés and shops for a bite to eat or to just enjoy the calm amid the city

Heading back toward King’s Cross, we passed a large bird cage 9 ft. high with bars wide enough for visitors to walk through and a swing for children to enjoy.  I did a little searching and found out it was created by Jacques Rival. At night, the cage comes alive in bright neon colours, and on special occasions, it gets hoisted up into the air to hang freely.

The Euston Flyer is a typical English Pub in the Area with daily specials and entertainment.

Another interesting item was how they handle the bikes on the road.. They have bike lanes, special traffic signals for cyclists and Bike Boxes. Bike Boxes are designated green areas at intersections that help cyclists turn left and increase their visibility to drivers. 

While we wandered around I saw a lot of bikes on the road in fact when the traffic signal indicated for the bikes to go 20+ bikes set off.  Bikes both manual and electric were very much a favourite mode of transportation.  4.5% of all journeys are by bike. If you want to rent an E-Bikes while in town you will not be alone as it is estimated that there are 25,000 to 30,000 bikes in the city.

Heading back to our hotel we succumb to the time difference and that lovely bed is calling us.

We are experienced travellers, we wouldn’t leave our black camera bag on a black leather couch ? … But we did.   As it turned out, the black camera bag was still on the black couch inside our room! 

It was not long before my husband came rushing back as quickly as possible with the camera, and we rejoined the queue and went through security into the Gates area.

Mural across from St Pancras Train Station offers some some whimsical artistic delight to the area

Eurostar Engine preparing for Takeoff.  Opposite photo reveals how long St Pancras International Station is

I don’t know if the wait for the train was normal that day or especially busy, as the station was full.  Checking with an official, we were told that our train was coming in on Track 8. We had splurged and bought first-class tickets, what a treat.  As we reached our car uniformed chap helped us with our luggage, guided us to our seats, and we finally decompressed from our delightful morning activities.  The seats were very comfortable, and as we headed out, we were offered wine, a variety of lunch options and tea/coffee with dessert. I have to say I liked train travel. 

Curious, we asked the server if he would let us know when we went through the Chunnel – “You are in it right now.”  “Oh”.   At one point, we checked the monitor above and the speed of the train was 334 km per hour.

So we sat back, sipped on our glasses of wine and watched the countryside flash by.

Next stop for us … Bruges.