13-8-2015 London

13-8-2015 London (Grey skies - rain showers)

I have been very lucky so far with the weather but today is "mixed". My plan is to walk to the Science Museum and possibly call into the VA Museum, depending on the length of queues/crowds. This afternoon I will try for the National Archives and genealogy records.

Before starting today I checked out Bus 390 on the Internet, which apparently goes to the Kings Cross- St Pancras Eurostar station and is a 24 hour Bus that runs on Sundays. It is a straight-through trip and maybe a better option than the Tube.

The plan was to check the Bus stand for the 390 Bus. From the London Transport map this should go from Notting Hill Gate station to the Kings-Cross St Pancras Eurostar station in one journey. I was up early on a rainy morning and found the right Bus stand, with a sign showing its route/timetable and that it will get me to the Eurostar at the appropriate time.

Excellent find that somehow was missed by both Google Map and by the TFL trip-planner website. Double checked on the Web and it goes every 10-15 min after 9 am, prior to that it departs every 30 min approximately. I will get the 7.30 am 390 Bus which will get me to  Kings-Cross St Pancras by just after 8.00 am for passport/customs/boarding of the 10.25 train to Paris. [In hindsight I used my Pembridge Hall address as the starting point for the Trip-planner rather than the Notting Hill Gate station, which gave a different set of options.]

After a quick MacDonalds breakfast (I had run out of cereal) I walked across the park to the Science Museum. It started raining so I was damp but the Museum was interesting. The downside was the over-powering number of Mums & Dads with very small children.

I finished up by 3.30 and made my way (by Bus) through the rain to Pembridge Hall for a late lunch. No VA museum due to crowds and that I was very wet. Dried out and used the computer/Internet until Dinner time. Did not even consider the Proms due to the rain (although I could almost guarantee I would have got to the front of the Gallery line; i.e., soggy but with a good view).