A visit to The Shard

We had an early start this morning and were on our way by 8.15am. Luckily the weather was dry, but a little cloudy and we hoped that it would brighten up in the afternoon.

We stopped at the London Gateway services and bought a newspaper before entering our Just Park address into my phone. Google maps got us to the driveway at about 10.15 which was great timing! It didn't take us long to walk to the Imperial War Museum and we were delighted to see a slab of the Berlin Wall in the grounds!

The Shard in the distance.

First up was a cup of coffee and we also enjoyed a slice of cake or a muffin. While Mike and Sophie were looking at things in the gift shop I called my parents who were in Woburn for an Antiques Fair. I said my Dad would love the museum was there was a Spitfire dangling from the ceiling!

We had a look at the WW1 exhibition first and then made our way to The Holocaust floor, which was very sad. I could see why children under the age of 14 weren't supposed to be admitted as there were several very disturbing photographs on display and the collection of shoes and objects left behind at the concentration camps was heart rending. It made for a very sobering experience.

Our next visit was to the WW2 section where we learned about a family's experiences in the war and saw a mock-up of their house. By now it was around 1pm so we decided to call it a day and as we could see The Shard in the distance we walked there rather than take the underground.

It was a very pleasant half hour's walk and the weather had brightened up considerably with glimpses of blue sky through the clouds.

We arrived at The Shard at about 2pm so we were far too early to go in. We decided to look at the prices for the underground to Covent Garden and were horrified to discover that a return price would cost about £40 while a day travelcard (so we could go to another station on our return trip) would set us back over £50! If we took the return option it would mean we would need to walk back to the car which none of us fancied doing.

Taxis, of course, were another option and then Sophie set upon the idea of taking an Uber instead. She downloaded the app onto her phone and looked at prices, which were about £8-£10 for the trip to Covent Garden from The Shard. A much better prospect!

While we were waiting for our time slot we called into The Bunch of Grapes for a drink. It was a lovely pub with white tiles on the wall and scrubbed wooden tables. We enjoyed a very pleasant hour there, soaking up the atmosphere and having a chat.

At about 3.15pm we made our way the short distance to The Shard and had to go through airport-like security which was very reassuring. We then took a lift up to the 33rd floor where we transferred to another elevator which took us up to the 68th floor. The staff member who accompanied us was very chatty and friendly.

From the ground the building doesn't look that high, but when you're at the top you realise it's a very long way down! I felt slightly wobbly as there is glass all around and the views were spectacular.

It was very busy with people but we all managed to get close to the glass to have a good look at London spread out below us. We even saw a plane taking off and at one point it was level with us!

We went up a bit higher where it was quite open and exposed to the elements. The sun was trying to make an appearance but we knew it was going to soon sink behind a thick band of cloud. We decided to descend to street level and Sophie called up an Uber on her phone. We were given the registration plate of the car and told to expect it within ten minutes, which was great. It arrived very quickly and met us outside the Shangri-La hotel. He drove us to Covent Garden and dropped us right in the middle of all the shops and restaurants. The cost? £8! Brilliant!

We found Shake Shack easily and we ordered our burgers and fries. We found a place to sit outside and although it was chilly, it wasn't freezing. I don't think Keith was too impressed with my choice of eaterie but it was great to be able to go back to a place we enjoyed in Florida. I just wish it was a bit warmer! That searing hot day we visited is a distant memory!

The burgers were delicious and after eating we wandered around and visited a very weird public loo set up which cost us £1 to enter. There were only two small cubicles for women and urinals for men but it was all very chaotic with people having difficulty getting in and out!

By now we were all feeling a bit tired so we made the decision to return to the car and head home. We called up another Uber who took us to where we'd parked the car (cost £10) and we programmed Google maps to get us back to the M1. By 7.45pm we were home, cosied up in our pyjamas and relaxing with the Sunday papers. It had been a really lovely day!