London — 2023
Mission log · 21–25 September 2023
VIEWSCREEN // LOG 2023
LONDON — 22/09/2023
Five days in London, from 21 to 25 September 2023: from the Tower of London and Sky Garden to Camden Market and a boat trip on the Thames. Log below, day by day.
Day 1 — Thursday 21 September 2023
Arrival in Sector 01
We fly out from Eindhoven Airport to London Stansted, take the Stansted Express to Liverpool Street and walk on to our apartment. After checking in, we have the rest of the evening free to get our bearings in the city.
Waiting at the gate
11:37
We stood at the gate at Eindhoven Airport, ready for the flight to London.
One more photo before departure
11:37
We quickly posed for a photo just before boarding.
On board to London
11:57
On flight FR2538 we flew through the rain on our way to London Stansted.
Arrival at Liverpool Street
13:33
We arrived at Liverpool Street station on the Stansted Express.
Out and about in London
15:24
After checking in, we headed out to explore London.
Down into the Tube
15:40
We took the Tube to explore further into the city.
Dinner out in London
16:21
For dinner we pulled up a chair at a restaurant near the apartment.
A British burger on the table
16:43
We ordered a hefty burger with cheese and pickle.
Enjoying the steak
17:40
We enjoyed a juicy steak at our first dinner in London.
Day 2 — Friday 22 September 2023
The Tower and a tour past the icons
After breakfast we visit the Tower of London, then take a hop-on-hop-off bus past Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery and St Paul's Cathedral. In the evening we round off the day at Flat Iron for a steak.
Breakfast at De Vine
08:09
We had breakfast at De Vine, a little café just round the corner from our apartment, ahead of a long day through London.
A hearty English breakfast
08:16
Salmon, scrambled eggs and toast on the table, a hearty breakfast to start the day right.
Arrival at the Tower
08:56
We arrived at the Tower of London, where we went in around half past eight.
Together at the Tower
09:05
Liek and B'Elana posed together at the entrance, with the Tower's clock in the background.
Caught in the cage
09:33
B'Elana climbed into a historic prison cage at the Tower of London, just for fun.
View over the Tower walls
09:41
From the battlements we looked out over the Tower's walls, with London's skyline behind them.
Looking out at the Shard
09:41
From the Tower wall, B'Elana looked out over the city, with the Shard clearly visible in the distance.
Henry VIII's armour
09:43
In the Tower's armouries we admired the impressive armour of King Henry VIII, displayed on horseback.
A samurai armour, given as a gift
09:52
Among the suits of armour stood this Japanese samurai armour too, given to King James I as a diplomatic gift in 1613.
A dragon among the barrels
09:55
A surprising artwork of a dragon, built from old weapon parts, towered high above a collection of barrels in the Tower.
Tower Bridge in the sun
10:21
Right by the Tower, we saw Tower Bridge standing out beautifully against a clear blue sky.
The dome of St Paul's
13:52
On our route with the sightseeing bus we got off at St Paul's Cathedral, where the impressive dome had us looking straight up.
Details inside St Paul's
14:01
Everywhere in the cathedral we found beautiful details, from golden mosaics to towering columns.
At Trafalgar Square
14:46
At Trafalgar Square, Liek and B'Elana posed together, with a church in the background.
Nelson's Column from the Gallery
14:48
From the National Gallery's colonnade we had a great view of Nelson's Column in the middle of the square.
Art at the National Gallery
14:51
Inside the National Gallery, B'Elana took in the large paintings, including this striking nativity scene.
At the fountain on Trafalgar Square
15:13
By the fountains on Trafalgar Square, Liek and B'Elana posed once more, with the fountain and the column behind them.
Steak at Flat Iron
17:36
In the evening we went to eat at Flat Iron, where the famous steak came served on a wooden board.
Enjoying dinner
17:36
B'Elana enjoyed her steak at Flat Iron, at the end of a long and busy day.
Day 3 — Saturday 23 September 2023
Westminster and a boat trip on the Thames
We explore Westminster and the area around the London Eye, and later in the day Tower Bridge and the Thames from the water. For the third evening in a row, we end up at Flat Iron.
Breakfast to start
09:05
We took our time over breakfast before heading into the city.
Eggs benedict on the table
09:10
Breakfast was a generous spread, with eggs benedict that looked delicious.
B'Elana's pancake with icing sugar
09:10
B'Elana went for a hefty pancake with icing sugar.
First glimpse of Big Ben
10:20
Between the buildings we caught our first glimpse of Big Ben.
Selfie with the London Eye
10:23
On Westminster Bridge, Marc and B'Elana took a selfie with the London Eye in the background.
Liek and B'Elana by the Thames
10:23
Liek and B'Elana posed on the bridge too, with the river and the wheel behind them.
At the Houses of Parliament
10:26
In front of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Liek and B'Elana posed once more.
A walk along the Thames
10:29
We walked along the river, with the London Eye drawing closer and closer.
Arrival at Tower Bridge
12:57
By the end of the morning we stood before the imposing Tower Bridge.
Liek poses on Tower Bridge
12:58
Liek posed proudly on the bridge, with its distinctive towers in the background.
View over the Thames
12:59
From the bridge we had a beautiful view over the Thames towards Canary Wharf.
A wedding shoot at low tide
13:00
Down on the river beach at low tide, a wedding photo shoot happened to be underway.
A souvenir from a fall
13:37
Liek slipped while crossing and came away with quite a graze.
Third evening at Flat Iron
17:15
For the third evening in a row, we closed the day out with a steak at Flat Iron.
Day 4 — Sunday 24 September 2023
Sky Garden, Brick Lane and Covent Garden
By way of the British Museum and Leadenhall Market we work our way to Sky Garden for the view over the city, and spend the afternoon among the stalls of Brick Lane and Covent Garden. And once again, tonight it's Flat Iron.
Arrival at the British Museum
10:21
We stood before the imposing façade of the British Museum, ready for a morning full of history.
At the museum entrance
10:29
At the great colonnaded entrance we quickly posed for a photo before heading inside.
An impressive winged artwork
10:35
Inside we admired a spectacular winged artwork that reached almost to the ceiling.
Looking at woven textiles
10:39
We took in the impressive rows of colourfully woven textiles in one of the galleries.
The Great Court
10:50
Under the famous glass roof of the Great Court we walked on to the next gallery.
The turquoise mosaic mask
10:54
Just for fun, I held the striking turquoise mosaic mask right up to my face.
A mummy in the museum
11:11
We stood face to face with a mummy thousands of years old, beautifully preserved.
A row of ancient sarcophagi
11:12
A whole row of colourfully painted sarcophagi stood lined up one behind the other.
Two golden sarcophagi
11:13
Two beautifully painted golden sarcophagi caught our attention right away.
Passing an old church
12:14
On our way to Sky Garden we walked past a charming, centuries-old church.
Through Leadenhall Market
12:17
We strolled through the elegant, covered Leadenhall Market.
Looking up at Sky Garden
12:31
At the entrance we looked up along the gleaming façade of the Sky Garden tower.
Arrived at Sky Garden
12:47
We'd visited the free viewpoint once before, but enjoyed the view for a second time all the same.
View over the Thames
13:15
From Sky Garden we had a beautiful view over the Thames and the skyscrapers around it.
Skyline towards Canary Wharf
13:22
In the distance we saw the towers of Canary Wharf rising above the city.
The Tower of London from above
13:23
From up high we could take in the Tower of London and Tower Bridge in a single glance.
Crowds on Brick Lane
13:59
On Brick Lane we wandered among the stalls and the bustle of the Sunday market.
Past the famous Beigel Shop
14:01
We passed the famous Beigel Shop, a Brick Lane institution for years.
A living statue
15:00
Along the way we stopped for a moment at a living statue dressed as a yellow robot.
Flowers at Covent Garden Market
15:07
We wandered among the flower stalls through the covered Covent Garden Market.
The colonnade at Covent Garden
15:07
We walked past the stately colonnade at the edge of Covent Garden Market.
Steak at Flat Iron
17:26
In the evening we ate at Flat Iron again, a delicious steak as the main event.
Photo with the team
17:57
After the meal we happily posed with the team behind the bar.
Back through the Tube tunnel
18:09
Down the long Tube escalator, we headed home again.
Day 5 — Monday 25 September 2023
One last loop of London, and home again
We spend our last morning in the centre, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and Chinatown, before heading back to Eindhoven via the Stansted Express and a flight from London Stansted.
Luggage in storage
09:47
We dropped our suitcases off at Luggage Hero, so we could spend our last morning in London free of baggage.
Last photo at Piccadilly Circus
10:20
The three of us posed once more in front of the colourful screens of Piccadilly Circus, just before we left London behind.
Posing in the phone box
10:25
Near Leicester Square we squeezed into a red phone box for one last playful photo.
Past the magic shop
10:25
Along the way we passed a window full of magical souvenirs near Leicester Square.
The clock monument on Leicester Square
10:27
We walked past the striking clock monument with its coats of arms on Leicester Square, on our way to the station.
One last walk through Chinatown
11:07
Through Chinatown's colourful gate, we walked our last streets through London.
On the Stansted Express
12:23
On the Stansted Express, B'Elana sat quietly waiting as the train carried us to the airport.
Waiting at the gate
14:18
At Stansted Airport we waited among dozens of other travellers to board flight FR8282.
On board for home
15:08
Once aboard the Ryanair flight, we found our seats for the journey back to Eindhoven.