Today was my last full day and I spent some of it shopping in an attempt to use up the British cash I over-brought. I purchased a few things and got in a good long walk at the same time. After a chill afternoon packing, I decided to take one last walk to see the man in the clock. I had heard about this before coming and realized yesterday that the clock is close by – just on the other side of Paddington station. I’ve walked to Paddington station countless times in the past two weeks but had never ventured on the other side. Sure enough, it was right there!
I continued walking around this part of Paddington and acquired a better appreciation for this area. There are some lovely, residential streets lined with Georgian style row houses and overhung with beautiful trees.
I would have felt much more like I was “living like a local” had we been able to stay in this part of Paddington, but I get it that it would be impossible to secure a block of such rooms to house even our small group. The Apart-hotel we’re in (The Wilde) is located in cluster of tall hotels and office buildings with little greenery nearby. Our rooms/apartments are comfortable and functional but charmless; it’s like living for two weeks in an Ikea room display. I think our coordinators chose well – it’s a good location and has many amenities. But living like a local, it ain’t.
Here's the view from my window
And here's the lobby where the staff members are made to stand around at various laptop stations.
Lastly, here are just a few more photos of spectacular Windsor Castle which I visited yesterday with my buddy, Ann. It really is amazing and was even easier to get to than Wembley Stadium. We were wowed at everything we saw, which included Elizabeth II’s interment site which is in the floor of a small “chaplette” inside the gorgeous (and huge) St. George’s Chapel. After a late lunch at the nearby Prince Harry pub (he has nothing to do with it, but his portrait is inside), we made our way back to Paddington in time for farewell drinks with our larger group.
So, that’s a wrap! I’m looking forward to returning home tomorrow.
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