England through the eyes of a Frenchman - London Part 1 (Camden Town & Tower Bridge area)

A Sunday morning and we were woken up by a red Birmingham’s sunrise (broken curtain rail), which eased the hangover pain. I had pre-booked our train tickets weeks before at £8 each one way with London Midland and the train was on time and there were no delays during the journey.  With the French train services being so perfect  I was so happy this particular train lived up to Monsieur X’s French standards.
 

I love London and it’s been a long time since I’ve done the touristy places.  Usually it’s go straight to the concert/ sporting event/ theatre and then come straight back home. This time I could take in the sites. Sunday afternoon we went to Camden Town (I’ve never been there before and Monsieur X visited Camden 20 years ago), it was so busy and hot, we couldn’t move. For him it brought back memories for me it gave me a headache and couldn’t wait to get the tube out of there. I’m sure a colder day there would have been less people and I could have had a good look around the stalls. For lunch it was another Wetherspoon's, the Ice Wharf and Sunday dinner roast and a drink for £10 - Bargain!

Camden Town: C’est Bon - 'ah oui the market is a lot bigger than in 1988.'

After escaping the market and the hassle of Camden tube station and our particular line to the hotel being closed. We checked into our hotel The Ibis Budget Whitechapel hotel, the room was basic; there was no separate bathroom just a door to the toilet.  The shower was next to the basic bed (with a door) and the sink next to the shower.  The photos on the Internet don’t do this hotel any favours, before we arrived I thought we would be sleeping in a box with everything cramped together and we would bump our head of the sink when we got out of bed, but there was enough room for two people and the shower and sink wasn’t too close to the bed. Not bad for £55 a night in central London (plus £5 each for buffet breakfast).

Now Tower Bridge is my favourite building in London, no particular reason I just like the walk over it and around that part of the Thames and the Tower of London. I have good memories during the 2012 Olympics watching the games on a large TV screen outside the City Hall while waiting most of an evening for Tower Bridge’s lights to change colour (they didn’t until we walked away).  I knew our hotel was close to the Bridge but wasn’t sure of the route and didn’t want to look an idiot following my maps app, so I guessed if we headed toward the Gherkin there should be signs for Tower Bridge along the way.

 

 

That plan didn’t matter this French photographer was very impressed with these glass office blocks especially the Gherkin, so when we walked down another side street and could see the Tower of London and Tower Bridge at dusk he sais ‘Bon bon excellente, merci’. I took that as an approval.

A stroll around the Thames ‘block’- past the Tower, across the Bridge, past City Hall, have a few drinks in The Horniman bar and steak and chips for late dinner/supper at Cote then across London Bridge and pass the Monument before finding our way back the hotel. Somehow it seemed to be easier to our hotel after a few drinks.

 

Tower Bridge: C’est Tres Bon… (for me -not so beautiful without the Olympics rings).