A New Journey
Back for another installment in 2025, I’m starting my journey on the Camino Podiensis (also known as GR65, or the Le Puy Route) in early August.
Traveling to Europe is always a challenge because you lose a night's sleep enroute and generally arrive hours before the hotel will let you check in. My flight on Virgin Atlantic into Heathrow arrived early and I was on the Heathrow Express before noon.
I should have made it downtown well before 1 p.m. Unfortunately, the train I was supposed to connect to at Piccadilly Circus was not running, and I didn't have a Plan B ready. Luckily I ran into a gentleman who was heading to the same destination as I was. The route was not as direct or the connections as tight as we switched train lines together.
Around 2 p.m., I got to Kings Cross station, one block away from my hotel. The room was ready and I was happy to unburden myself of luggage. The space was closet-sized and priced accordingly. I already had a more comfortable place arranged for the next two nights. That first day was all about recovery so I could fully enjoy the next two days before leaving for France.
Early the next morning I met up with my favorite London tour guide and friend, Charmian. We met in Spain on the Camino back in 2022. She was with her daughter and I was with a pilot buddy, Spence. Char grew up in London, and during my last visit to town we covered a lot of distance.
We headed for the British Museum and got to see the outside of the building (again), because the lines were incredibly long. We instead chose a more obscure spot: The Soane Museum, with its incredibly eclectic collection. Sir John Soane was a noted architect and his museum was cluttered with items from around the world, exhibited in what appeared to be … wherever things could fit. The architecture of the building itself and his creative use of light was impressive.
Our walking tour pressed on after the museum and Charmian took me through several very old and impressive buildings. This included a visit to the Silver Vaults and a courthouse. We also spent some time back at the National Gallery. From there we headed over to the Chinatown area and a nearby Indian restaurant for dinner with Char’s husband, Julian.
Dinner was excellent, and so was the weather for my 30-minute walk back to the hotel. As I was walking near a park, a nonchalant fox crossed the road about ten feet in front of me. I didn't know London had urban foxes.
I had no problem getting to sleep, since we had walked more than 11 miles. Tomorrow I’ll be meeting Charmian for day two of sightseeing in London.
