Day 3 Wimbledon Championships

This is an ultra exciting day for us, our first Wimbledon Championships!

None of us play tennis but we are definitely fans of the sports. Each year we will fly back into Melbourne slightly ahead of time to be at the Australian Open and usually when the tournament progressed into the final rounds. Today shall be our second Grand Prix, the Wimbledon Championships, creme de la creme of the circuit, one of the most presitigous tournament in the tennis world and we couldn't be more excited.


This afternoon we hope to watch the semi final match between Rafael Nadal up against  Andy Murray.  A big turnout is expected for this match for it was a while since a British won the Championships. We do not hold any tickets so we needed to start early.


But before we could get to Wimbledon, this morning we are to check out  to a hotel at Gloucester St, near Kensington and Knightsbridge. With four luggages, one hand carried bag and two backpacks, I was skeptic if those London cab which I've yearn to ride since our arrival could take us and the stuff but amazingly we fit in nicely. So yes, we've  now done the London cab.


It was only mid morning when we checked-in to our new hotel and as anticipated, our rooms will not be ready till about 2pm, however leaving our luggages with the concierge while we are away was not a problem. We also found out that the train station is just 50 meter away from the hotel and takes us direct to Wimbledon. Now that our accommodation and travelling plan were all sorted and organised, we  decided for a quick coffee at Paul, a french patisserie. 

Wimbledon Village

From Gloucester station, it took about 20 minutes to reached the Southfield Station in Wimbledon Village, a quaint town on the east of London. It was mid day and the sun was directly on top of us, it is another hot and humid day. From here onwards, it is a 15 minute walk to the venue or two pounds per person on a bus ride. Considering the heat, we opted for the bus and more importantly we want to be early for the tickets.

Bus Ride

We knew it was near impossible to get to centre court and when were told only general admission tickets were available, we were more than happy to purchased them. We have travelled this far, we wouldn't want to miss this opportunity.

So here we are, we made it to Wimbledon Championships...

Inside almost everything looks green from the buildings, the fixtures to signages and pertunias of white and purple, were everywhere  in hanging basket, on flower beds, sidewalks, on the walls ... everywhere.

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Green, white and purple, this are the colours of Wimbledon, gorgeous...

We wandered the ground for a moment, and take note of the refreshment tent, souvenir shop and the rest rooms. 

At this stage of tournament, most matches are now in held indoors, hence not many activities were happpening on the open courts.

It was not in about two hours before Nadal and Murray match started but our instinct told us to take our position at the big screen on the Henman hill before the crowd start to build up.

Big Screen on Heinman Hill

The ground area directly in front of the big screen were crowded and we could not find any space to sit. Shasha and I decided to secure our spots on the side ground next to the staircase.  The view was not terrific but with more people coming our way, it was the best spot we could find. Tim and Adam on the other hand had some other ideas...

It was almost 2pm and the match everyone came for was about to start. On the big screen both Nadal and Murray were seen ready to enter the centre court. In the crowd, royalties, celebrities and sports personalities were spotted. David Beckham came with his son to rally on Murray, the next place to be after England was eliminated from the world cup... and the crown prince of Spain for Nadal before he's off to South Africa, the next best place for any Spainard to be, obviously... 

Nadal on way to centre court

David Beckham 

The sun is now in our eyes and the heat is pricking our skin. I thank god I happened to have a folding fan in my bag to at least keep me cool but how I wish I had bought a sun screen.

The match finally got underway and the crowd grew triple fold. An hour into the tournament, Nadal was ahead and the mood around us were rather sombre and not until when Murray clinched the third set, the spirit were uplifting again.


Unlike at the Australian Open where the crowds are more enthusiastic with their cheering, Wimbledon lots are pretty subdued. Since Shasha and I were rooting for Nadal (now that Federer is out of contention) we too feel compel to be polite and modest with our cheering.

Nadal in interview after match

When the fourth sets resumed, it was without doubt Nadal will be victorious. Murray with the nation hope on him to recapture the title may perhaps was under an immense pressure and Nadal was not an easy prey either. Nadal won the match and went on to win the Wimbledon Men Single title...yeah, yeah!


It was almost 7pm when the match ended and the weather was much cooler. None of us wanted to stay for the remaining matches and decided to leave. Enduring a day under the hot sun was exhausting but I was convinced a slow walk to the train station would be good after the all the seatings on the ground. 


On the platform the crowd were buiding by the minute, mostly from the tennis and it was getting dark before a train finally arrived 30 minutes later. Just 10 minutes into our journey, our train came to a total stop and we were informed that a major rerouting of destinations were underway due to a breakdown in the northern London line after a fire broke up. There were more stops and more announcements along the way, and after much confusion we finally got off two stations away from our destination and dragged ourselves a couple of miles back to the hotel.


What a way to end the day, it was a very tiring, it was chaotic with the train incident... but somehow it was also a very fulfilling day for us. Getting to the Wimbledon Championships was a long time ambition and being able to realised that ambition was truly gratifying. We hope one day we will have the opportunity to come back again... perhaps after we had the chance to tick the boxes of the French and the US Open too.

Day 2  The Big Bus Tour

It was wee in the morning when a ray of light escaped the night curtains and lit part of the bedroom. If it was in Melbourne, I would get off the bed, re-draw the curtain and back to  sleep, but I'm in London... and losing some sleep is worthy the sacrifices. So there I was, waking up in London as early as 4am in the morning.

By 10am everyone was up, all ready and excited to the day's event. First on the plan was to go on a sightseeing tour of London on board one of those open double decker bus and on to the Thames river cruise later the day. So we headed to the nearest tube to Piccadilly Circus and were amazed with the numbers of tourist visiting London in summer. You know those armed with maps and camera.  Thank god for Tim, we can do without the map but we can't do without the camera.

We proceeded to the Tourist Visitors Centre and purchased our tour tickets and there on to Pall Mall St. to catch the bus. On route, as we scanned the surroundings buildings, we were pleasantly surprised to spot a Malaysian Restaurant, Jom Makan just opposite our stop. Adam who could not live without rice and in spirit of patriotism suggested we have lunch after the tour and I thought why not.

When the bus finally arrived, we immediately got on the upper deck and managed to get seats at the rear. For an open and unobstructed view, the top deck is a must and for this reason most of the sightseeing buses are top filled and almost empty on the lower deck.  Adam seated with me while Shasha and Tim were together. Camera in hands, we are now ready to tour. 


Our guide an English gentleman perhaps in his late 40, came on the PA system and  welcomed us the new comers and we were all ears trying to absorb every bit of info we could. A typical Englishman, he was witty and humorous, the sort of tongue in cheek manner and was delightful and entertaining.

The first two landmarks we saw were the Trafalgar Square and the TATE museum just at end of Pall Mall St and it was buzzing with activities as the Canadian National Day celebration was held here.

Admiralty Arch, gateway to Buckingham Palace

Horse Guard

10 Downing St

Moving along we passed the Admiralty Arch the gateway to Buckingham Palace, the Horse Guards and 10 Downing St, the official residence and home to the British PM. 

Westminster Palace or Houses of Parliament with Big Ben

Onwards as approached the river bank, we came to perhaps to the most iconic building off all, the majestic Westminster Palace or the  Houses of Parliament and of course the most recognisable Big Ben, the symbol of London and a fine example of Neo-Gothic architectural.

London Eye and London Aquarium

We then cross the Westminster bridge to London Aquarium and the London Eye towards the Waterloo bridge to the old part of London. Known as 'City of London'  this is the where London is originally lay within the ancient city walls built by the Roman.  A statue of a 'Griffin', a mythical creature of lion body with wing opposite the Royal Court of Justice can be seen marking its boundary. 

London City with Griffin Statue 

St Paul Cathedral

Streets are much narrow in this area with old buidings sandwiched us on both sides. Some notable buildings are The Bank of England and St Paul Cathedral, the church Prince Charles wedded Lady Diana. On seeing the grand staircase, I remembered watching Lady Diana on TV walked those steps in her bridal gown with trains gracefully flowing behind her. What a lovely fairytale wedding it was.

The Tower bridge with its central span raised to allow a ship pass

Moving along we now cross the London Bridge passing Southwalk Church and to the Bridge Tower, the structured that was looming out in the distance from our hotel apartment. It was rather thrilling to be on it. And in a twist of fate later that evening on our back to the hotel, we witnessed the central span raised to allow a ship passed (pic above). It was a sight.

Tower of London

Nearby, is the Tower of London, a mediveal structure built by William the Conqueror where the Crown Jewels are kept today. Over 1000 years it was used as the royal house, Royal Mint and Armoury. Interestingly it was here, three Queen of England was beheaded.

After more than two hour into our ride, we hopped off at the Ritz Hotel and on foot we strolled the area for a moment before we make way back to Pall Mall for lunch at Jom Makan. By now, I was almost certain the scorching sun was responsible for the glimmering look on us. Seating in restaurant and cooling down was a break we needed before we start our river cruise.

Soon, we were back on the big bus again. The driver struck a very familiar face and as we got up straits, no prize guessing who our guide was, the same bloke we had earlier. He too was surprised with our appearance and candidly warned everyone to be careful of our presence. We eventually bid him goodbye at the Big Ben stop.

St Catherine Dock with Tower Bridge on the background.

The Thames river cruise was short but adequate. Cruising down the river, we were briefed to the various landmarks perched along both banks. The air by now are much cooler and it was more relaxing. We alighted near the Tower of London and after an entire day of bus ride, we opted to stroll back to the hotel but not before we stop to purchase some souvenirs at the Tower of London and through St Kathrines Dock, Charles Dickens Inn and the medieval banquet on the way.


We had such an eventful day and seen so much. Nothing quite the same seeing some of these places that we have accustomed to on TV and experiencing in real life. Except for the humid weather, it was  enjoyable, interesting and educational day for us.

Finally back at the hotel, after we refreshed ourselves, we sat down to a beriani treat packed from an Indian restaurant nearby...  delicious.

Day 1 Hello London

After almost 22hours of flying and 2 hours transit in KL we finally touched down in Heathrow. The stiff back I suffered from seating for such a long time seems to ease slightly when the PA announcement informed us that the aircraft was taxing to Terminal 4, and although we are reminded to keep our safety belt on till we come to a complete stop, at least this time around it is not for bad weather while suspended on air.

Turning to my kids, I could see the look of relieve and excitement on them. Making our way out from the aircraft towards the aerobridge filled with anticipation, we can't help but feeling rather tickled for a moment when the few first faces we saw did  not quite match to the images of Londoners we had in our minds .... Have we mistakenly boarded a plane to India rather than England?  Oops sorry but we can't help our notion. Suddenly, I recalled a joke by Russel Peters when he mentioned that  UK is Indian homeland.  No offence please,  and darn Peters for putting such ideas in my mind.

Clearing immigration and customs were pleasantly rather easy, and after claiming our luggage we make our way to the taxi line. I was hoping to board one of thosee famous London cab but as our turn came, a merc van was in tow, so riding one of those London cab will have to wait for now.

We left Heathrow and make our way towards the city amidst a humid London weather. It was almost 6 in the evening but the heat was not cooling down and even the van air conditioning could not withstand the outside temperature. We noticed most cars had their windows down, it is a hot summer this year in London it seems.

After an hour in the van and having to endure London traffic during its 'after work rush hour', we finally reached our accommodation for the next two days in east London. The two bedroom apartment was the best available as most of the hotels in the city were booked up due to the final week of Wimbledon Open.

Soon as we stepped into our apartment, we were pleased to find a welcoming retreat. The furniture and amenities were well appointed and every single item is in pristine condition. The hotel apartment has just opened its door recently and although at the edge of city, it is still within zone 1, therefore making our travelling expenses on the Underground tube quite reasonable.

From our living and bedroom windows we were thrilled to discover the ‘gherkin’, an imposing state of art building looking very close to us. I remember watching how the 'gherkin' was documented on the amazing structure series not so long ago and having to see it live was amazing. I even made Adam and Shasha stands next to the window and captured the photo below.

30 St Mary Axe, also known as the Gherkin and the Swiss Re Building, is a skyscraper in London's main financial district, the City of London, completed in December 2003 and opened at the end of May 2004. With 40 floors, the tower is 180 metres (591 ft) tall, and the eight highest buildi

And from the balcony,  out in the distance to our right we could spot the two structures that made up the Tower Bridge and down beneath we could see row of houses, shop and factory buildings. Standing for awhile at the balcony, away  from east London where he used to stay in Maida Vale some 30 years ago,  the surrounding were all new to Tim too.

The kids and I decided to unpack the luggage while Tim head downstrairs for a quick checkout of the area to the local supermarket for some basic groceries and to check out the nearest Underground tube.

It was almost 9pm when the sun finally sets in and what a day it has been to for us. Jet lagged from the long flight and trying to adjust to the new time zone prompted us to stay indoor to rest and recoup.  We must have been pretty weary that none of us had the appetite for dinner and we instead settled for a mug of tea and coffee for nightcap bought from the Tesco round the corner.

Out on the balcony, the city lights beyond us were brilliant and the illuminated 'gherkin' tower were such a sight to witness. Soaking all these views and lullabied by the soothing evening breeze was such a lovely feeling to start our vacation ...