Arrival in London

Day 1: London
We left on 9/4 and arrived early at LHR on 9/5.  Customs, immigration and bag retrieval were very quick.  We refilled our Oyster Cards, then grabbed Paddington tube to South Kensington and walked the short block to the Ampersand.  We were at the hotel by 930am.


Of course the room was not available but would be, the receptionist said, in 45 minutes.  We stored our bags then found a place for breakfast, Café Floris, which was across the street and where the cabbies and local business people were eating. 


After a good breakfast, we walked around the area a bit and discovered really cool old car dealerships in the Mews nearby.  Back at the hotel, our room was ready and our luggage was already delivered to it. 

A lovely Deluxe Room (prepaid 3 for 2 rate) with large king sized bed and comfortable pillows, so nice.  We unpacked a bit, laid down for a few minutes, then decided to get out and STAY AWAKE!!!

Our first stop was the Natural History Museum, which we'd never been to before.  Its stars are the dinosaurs but we also greatly enjoyed the mineral rooms.  The whale was incredible.  It's like the biggest thing ever.

Next up was the Victoria and Albert.  Top on my agenda were the Jewelry Rooms and they did not disappoint.  Spectacular pieces displayed chronologically so the evolution of design was clear to see.  We perused some of the other rooms before having drinks in the gorgeous café. 

Next we walked to the Albert Memorial.  I'm sure it's been said many times, but that thing is HUGE and gaudy.  We were pretty tired so didn't wander in the park but crossed over to the Royal Albert Hall where people were lined up to get in.  I think it was Proms time.

A few pictures later, we headed back to the hotel, unpacked, and decided on a nearby pub for dinner.  It was decent and filling. They had a "Louisiana Burrito" on the menu that was just so weird and not Louisiana at all.  We didn't try it.

It was still kind of early and since we still had a bit of energy, were close to a tube station, and our destination was also close to a tube station, we tubed over to Blackfriars Pub.  We'd met up with the folks from the tripadvisor London forum there last year and really liked it.  After a pint, we tubed back to South Kensington and our hotel for the night.

Takeaways:
1. Having a tube stop very close to the hotel opened up lots of options
2. Big beds are fantastic, especially after a long flight
3. Premium economy is worth it
4. Thank you, London, for your awesome free museums!