After months of planning and deliberation we finally arrived in London, our first stop on our 17 days long journey that includes city of Amsterdam, Rothenburg, Munich, Venice, Montecatini, Florence, Pisa, Lucerne, Paris and finally Rome. We had three full days in London and we were hoping to make the most of the time we had. Our itinerary was pre-planned before we reached London that helped us plan our day as to what to see and how to travel.
Day 1
We reached our hotels early morning and the rooms would not be available to check in till 1 pm. We changed and kept our luggage with the hotels and left at 10 am making sure we do not waste any time in the hotel. First stop was Big Ben. To be very honest seeing it for the first time was a pretty ‘meh’ moment. Probably we were seeing it so close, it was just not sinking in. As we started walking away from it and towards Buckingham Palace, we could not resist turning back and seeing Big Ben and Westminster’s Abbey again and again.
Next stop was the heavily crowded Buckingham Palace. If we weren’t enjoying the cool breeze and light sun with fresh air, I swear it felt like being at a tourist spot in India, crowded and filled with Indians. Some how through the horde of crowds, we got to see the changing of the guards and their parade.
After enjoying a creamy and milky ice-cream softy, we started walking towards 10 Downing street, which sadly has been heavily guarded and all you see is a view from distant though the barred gates.
Next stop was Trafalgar Square and capturing the iconic and much shown square on movies. But the most gratifying thing about visiting Trafalgar Square was our lunch stop and our first encounter with authentic Fish ‘n’ Chips. We found this gem of an English pub, ‘The Lord Moon of The Mall’, right next to the square and we could not stop gobbling some lip-smacking delicacies that were served.
Onward we go and as we had booked a 4 pm Warner Brother Harry Potter tour, it was time to run to Euston to catch the train towards Watford, where our shuttle bus picked us up to transfer us to the studio, some 15 minutes from the Watford Junction. Remember to pre-book the tickets as most of the times they are sold out, especially during peak tourist season. The WB Studio tour is must for any and every Harry Potter fan. The studio houses all the set locations, memorabilia and actual props used in the making of all the 8 films. From the big clock pendulum, castle gate, wands and costumes to Gryffindor common room, great dining hall and Ministry of Magic monuments. Everything you can imagine from the movie, you shall see there. Loved walking through Diagon Alley, visiting Privet Drive and Hogwarts Express. The icing on the cake and grand finale to the tour is the massive Hogwarts Castle structure that they have made, absolutely leaves you spell-bounded.
By the time the tour got over and we reached London, we were all tired and were in desperate need of a shut eye to keep ourselves fresh for the big day tomorrow.
Day 2
It was day 2 and it was time for the most anticipated trip of our travel. A visit to Old Trafford Football Stadium, home of Manchester United. As a die-hard red devil, I was looking forward to the visit of the stadium. On our last tour, we had visited Allianz Arena in Munich, and although I was quite impressed with the 5-star facilities at Allianz Arena, I knew that nothing would compare to a visit to Old Trafford. We had pre-booked a 10:30 am tour along with museum visit. To save on travel cost, we caught the 5:15 Virgin Train from London Euston to Manchester Picadilly. The next train at 6 am would cost us nearly 50% more. As heard from countless United fans, it is always gloomy and rainy in Manchester, we were greeted with dark grey skies as we walked out the train station at Manchester. Lucky for us, rains gave us a miss that day. Seeing OT from a distance and walking towards Sir Alex Ferguson stand, I could not believe my eyes that I am actually there!
Our visit started with the tour of Sir Alex Ferguson Stand with Sir Bobby Charlton Stand in front and the iconic Stretford End on the right. We sat there and soaked in the culture and history as I tried to capture the essence of the glorious stadium. We then started walking towards the Sir Bobby Charlton stand, not before visiting the handicapped seating area which had some of the most spectacular views of the stadium. Not to forget the away spectator area is above it too.
Next up was the visit of the dressing room and press conference room. Unlike Allianz Arena dressing room, we actually got to sit in the dressing room where some of the legends of the club have sat. That was a moment to cherish and remember forever. With jersey’s hanging of the 17 players that last played the premiership game in May, we clicked countless pictures with them. In the press conference room, we got the click pictures in front of the green sheet and were told that we can collect a prized souvenir from the payment desk, albeit for £25. But trust me guys, do click those pics and get your hands on that souvenir.
We then got to walk through the entrance from where the players walk on to the pitch and walked straight to the player’s dugout for a chance to actually sit where the players and staff sit during matches and stand on the sidelines of the pitch. ‘It was a dream come true’ is an understatement.
Our next stop was a visit to the souvenir shop before collecting our souvenirs and heading out to the famous statue of the holy trinity of Best, Law and Charlton.
We then visited the museum, which although quite informative, but nothing like the one we saw at Allianz Arena in terms of layout and interaction.
It was time to sat goodbye and head back to London to continue with the rest of our tour.
Reaching back to London, we first visited the London Bridge with its magnificent views of the Tower Bridge and the Shard. Grabbing hold of some caramelized peanuts and fresh cherry, we walked along the banks of the river Thames to reach the Tower of London. As we had a visit planned for tomorrow, we headed straight to Piccadilly Circus to visit the iconic square epitomized in countless movies, music videos, travel shows and magazines.
Another tiring day was over and it was time to head back to the Hotel before our visit to Madame Tussauds tomorrow.
Day 3
We could hardly keep our excitement to ourselves as we stood in line to take tickets for Madame Tussauds. Although I have visited the one in New York, visiting again did not make it any less dull. Although it was quite packed, it gave us countless opportunities to click pictures next to our favorite film stars, sporting personalities, musicians and politicians. The London heritage ride in the London cab is surely informative and exciting.
Next stop was the Mecca of cricket, Lords stadium. We did not have a pre-booked ticket but thought of trying our luck to see whether we could get hold of them. Alas it was not meant to be as the tour was sold out and we could only visit it from outside. On our way we did visit 221B Baker Street.
We then took a metro to visit the Tower of London. Although quite informative and funny (largely thanks due to the tour guides there), we did not find it that much interesting. Viewing the crown jewels and Kohinoor diamond was pretty ok.
Our London trip has been quite expansive, exhausting but largely enthralling and exciting. We got to cover a lot in three days. It was time to rest before we start our Cosmos Tour with a visit to Amsterdam lined up first. Cheerio London!
A frame at a time 
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