I said goodbye to Cardiff and hired an Uber to the train station. I put my backpack in the trunk and then hopped into the car. “Do you already have your train ticket?” I thought this was an odd question. I didn’t have a ticket and planned on purchasing one at the station. I informed the driver. “Good! The trains are on strike today!” He replied. Welcome to the UK!

My new hotel was on Bina Gardens, in South Kensington. It’s a five minute walk from the Gloucester Road tube station and a short ten minutes from Kensington Garden and Hyde Park. The hotel is old and a tad rundown. The lamp above the bed was broken. It was simply placed on the bed frame. There was no maintenance staff, but the price of the hotel made it worthwhile.

When I first visited London, in 1984, I made my way from Heathrow Airport to Victoria Station. There was an accommodation desk in the station. They asked which area you wanted and how much were you looking to pay. Then, they made calls. The name of your “approved” hotel was written on a piece of paper. You were given directions and off you went. My first hotel was in Bayswater, the area on the opposite side of Kensington Gardens. I shared the room with strangers and (at the time) it all seemed so odd.

On this visit, I made my way through Kensington Gardens to Hyde Park and walked on to the memorial for Princess Diana. Afterwards, I crossed through the tunnel facing The Serpentine. There were so many swans in the lake. It was the perfect day to rent a boat, but I kept walking and exited the park. I crossed the street and made my way to the Green Park entrance. Suddenly, the weather changed and it began to rain.

Rather than getting rained on, I jaywalked and ducked into the Hard Rock Cafe. The young hostess at the outdoor entrance was taking one group at a time, leaving the rest of us in the rain. When the first group in line were allowed inside, I walked in behind them. I’ve been coming to this restaurant since 1984 and I have never been seated at a table. “If you want me, I’ll be at the bar!” (Joni)!!! I took my usual seat and two waitresses remembered me. “You like the cobbler, right?” This time, I just ordered a chocolate sundae, while waiting for the rain to stop. One waitress wouldn’t let me pay!

I left the Hard Rock and headed to Victoria Beckham’s Dover Street store. All of my World AIDS Day tee shirts were purchased there. My final stop should have been the David Beckham documentary premiere at the Mayfair. The hotel is just a four minute walk from VB’s store. But … I couldn’t do it. After walking all day, I had hit the wall, the Camino de Santiago, 21km, if I take another step I’ll die wall. I took the tube back to my hotel. Sorry Becks!

I was fine in Cardiff, but all the restaurants and stops were less than a five minute walk away. Once in London, around old haunts that were so familiar, I just did too much. London at sixty seven is a lot different than London at twenty eight.

Some lessons are harder to learn than others! —GGT