London is Cold!

Yes. We are in London, after a 12 hour flight in pitch darkness becsuse the flight crew decided that it would be night all the way. It wasn't!

Caught the train from Heathrow to Ealing Broadway, and then hopped on the tube to St Pauls. Worked well and took less than an hour.

Our hotel, just across the square from St Pauls Cathedral, is excellent. Great value, very comfortable and just across the river from Shakespears Globe Theatre. Thoroughly recommended.

We've been out into the blizzard to just walk along the river, have a meal and generally get our bearings. Looked in on the Globe Theatre but Easter crowds prevented a tour, and we had booked a "flight" on the London Eye. You can see pics of the Eye if you look on the blog and open one of yours (eyes that is!).

The Eye is excellent, but the queues are long and the occasional typhoon makes it interesting. We were lucky enough to be under shelter when the thunderstorm hit and the Eye was stopped for safety reasons. You don't want to be up there when lightning strikes! After a short wait we were up and away and it was very good. Recommended.

We've eaten at our hotel, the pub across the river and a little Italian restaurant across the road from us. While not cheap, cheap they've all be very good and we've both been impressed with the standard and value in London these days. Alan even got a Lobster, Coriander and Lime sandwich for lunch - excellent at two pounds forty.

Saturday and we're off into town, Camden Lock (one of our favourites) and serious shopping.