London_27-07-2015 (first day)

27/7/2015

Travel 26-27th : Fly Emirates/QF code share
1. Cairns to Brisbane, QF – wait in Brisbane Qantas Club transfer by T-bus, 1hr 40min
2. Brisbane to Dubai, Emirates Airlines – wait in Dubai Emirates Lounge/QF club, transfer between Terminals by airport train, 3hr 50min
3. Dubai to Heathrow London - QF Luggage was booked through to Heathrow and arrived OK.

Only real problem was the transfer at Dubai airport (which is huge) where I needed to collect my boarding pass for the next leg to London. It took time and a number of false starts to find the QF transfer desk. Although in the same Terminal 3 it is in another concourse (A) that I had to reach by an airport train; i.e., I needed all of the transfer wait-time. This was not fully explained by my travel agent/ticket office and I had a couple of high-stress moments getting the correct directions.

Reached Heathrow just after lunch on a Monday as planned, so there was a minimum “traffic” on the public transport, and I followed the signs downstairs to the “Underground” station. I caught the Piccadilly line train towards Cockfriars and changed to the Circle line at Gloucester Rd to get to Notting Hill Gate station. I walked upstairs and found the Pembridge Rd exit, turned right and walked a couple of hundred meters to Imperial College, Pembridge Hall accommodation. Reception had all my paperwork and issued me with a key and pointed out my second-floor single room. Wi-Fi is available, after paying a 5 pound deposit. Warm but not hot afternoon, and the room has no air-conditioning.

I found a TESCO store around the corner and bought a microwave takeaway plus a salad. I used the Citibank Plus debit card, which worked at the “PayWave” checkout. The Pembridge kitchen has Microwave ovens, hot-water jugs and communal fridges but that is about it. I found the laundry and for 2 pounds plus another 1 pound for a dryer I can do my washing. Major drawback is that although the room has a shower recess it does not have a toilet (i.e. not really an “en-suite”). Finding the working shared/communal toilet(s) was fun in the middle of the night, there is one toilet on each inter-floor landing but my floor is out of order. Tried to stay awake but crashed after dinner at about 6-6.30 pm local time.

Awake again by 9.00 pm and could not sleep until after 2-3.00 am and even then I overheated/slept fitfully.