Topdeck: London

I wrote this blog on the floor of Rome's Fumicino airport on the back of a tatty bit of paper while using two weeks of dirty washing in my bag as a back-rest. I figured I should commit my most recent trip to paper while it was still fresh in my mind - it was one of my best so far after all! So, here we go...

Me and Phil headed down to London bright and early on July 31st in anticipation of the start of what was to be my second Topdeck trip. I always knew my 3 week jaunt from Istanbul to London wouldn't be a one-off - it's just a shame that it took me three years to travel with the company again. Before joining the tour though, we had a free day in our nation's capital. Unfortunately our bags had to come with us too.

After an uneventful megabus ride down, we headed straight to St Paul's Cathedral - the first of many impressive churches we were to see over the next two weeks. The mere fact that Wren's masterpiece survived the Blitz is an incredible piece of good fortune because the place is absolutely stunning.

With no real solid plan for London we decided to follow the crowds across the Millennium Bridge towards the Globe Theatre. Given more time I'd have liked to have gone in, but the queue was full of Chinese tourists.

Our next stop was the newly completed Shard - I wasn't quite sure what to think about it. It's big, but it definitely lacks character.

A short walk later (while still pulling our suitcases) we came across Tower Bridge - the first time I'd ever seen it.

We sat down smack-bang in the middle of some German tourists once we'd seen the Tower of London, so Phil sat back and enjoyed the view over the Thames while I made sure I hadn't forgotten German over the year since I graduated by asking Germans if they wanted their photos taking.

A full afternoon of walking had knackered us, so meeting with Alex at the Parcel Yard (pub) in Kings Cross was a godsend. He regaled us with stories of ethical investment and Blue and Green Tomorrow's recent successes over a couple of pints before we got to reminiscing about our 2010 tour, something which made me feel a strange mix of nostalgia, excitement and nervousness.

The sun had set by the time we'd left the pub, but there was still time to revel in the beauty of Buckingham Palace.

Our last stop before heading back for an early night was the Houses of Parliament. Looking up at the clock tower I couldn't help but wonder what the next 10 days had in store for us. Luckily we didn't have to wait long to find out...

Next Stop: Paris, France