Spain, France, England 2025: 9/17/2025 Breakfast, train to London, Carlyle Serviced Apartment, Sainsbury-groceries, dinner-Steak & Company

9/17/2025 Breakfast. Our last here in Canterbury. From the menu card on the table we got orange juice, tea, coffee. Richard did the smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on toast. Also granola with fruit. I did the fruit bowl, one Danish pastry, and scrambled eggs with toast. Good start to the day!

Check out. Easy-no problems. Luggage in reception. Last minute look around the area by the Cathedral. At the Cathedral gift/souvenir shop I bought 3 stained glass window decorations. Cost 40.50£/$55.39

At the extreme right is the Corona Tower built 1184.

Canterbury Cathedral Cross, Pilgrims to Canterbury, Tudor Rose with Chaplet

Taxi to Canterbury East Station. Cost? Train to London leaves 12:47 pm. Arrives Victoria Station 1:47 pm. Cost 24.00£/$32.31 for both of us. There was a lift we used to get to platform #1. Comfortable journey. Several stops.

Taxi to train station

Canterbury East Train Station

Train ticket

Approaching London Victoria Station

London. This is a return visit for us. We were last here in 2008 as add on to our East Africa Safari trip.

Postcard

Victoria Train Station. As soon as we arrived we were taken to a taxi that would take us to the apartment we have booked. I think we were approached by train staff who observed my husband using his cane and us trying to maneuver with our luggage. Truth-I really wanted to have some time to check out this huge train station. I had intended for Richard to sit with the luggage while I explored the train station. Unfortunately that didn't happen and during our time in London I never got back to Victoria Station. Taxi to the apartment. Cost 25.00£/$34.19 We drove pass some interesting sights. Harrods, Apple Store, Boots......... The taxi dropped us off at 75 Kenway Road as instructed by Nestor Stay-apartment we have booked address is 171 Cromwell Road which is steps away from where we got dropped off. Reason for this is that Cromwell Road is very busy-too busy for taxi to stop and let us out, etc.

Taxi dropped us off here at 75 Kenway Road but our apartment address is steps away at 171 Cromwell Road

Carlyle Serviced Apartments. I have booked a 2 bedroom apartment for us for 11 nights. We will stay here from 9/17-9/28/2025. Cost 4375.04£/$5916.37 I chose this place mainly due to its location in the same general area where we stayed back in 2008. This place is very close to Earl's Court tube station. The building also has an elevator if our apartment happened to be on a higher floor. I have received information from the managers about the main building code to enter and the code for our apartment. When we arrived and entered our apartment #1 which happened to be on the first or ground level staff from Nestor were in the apartment. They said they needed to change out the batteries in the smoke detectors, etc. They were off to get the batteries and would return and then show us how to use the stove, the washer, etc. I am really surprised at how large this place is! And not only 2 big bedrooms but 2 bathrooms as well. We are going to be very comfortable here. Just wish Richard was feeling better. After we have had our tour of the place and shown how to work the stove and washer we're left to unpack and settle in. No sightseeing planned for today. Just get some groceries and relax.

Our building is the one in the center by the traffic signal

Kitchen. Full size fridge. Stove-cook top and oven. Microwave. Dishes, glassware. Pots and pans. Silverware and kitchen utensils. Plenty of counter space. And a great treat for me is that the sink is under a window! Washing machine is hidden behind a kitchen cabinet door. And bonus-this machine also has controls for use as a dryer! I took video of how to operate the cook top and the washer/dryer. Paper towels. Salt & pepper, sugar, some other spices. Dish washing liquid. Very well stocked kitchen. I was impressed.

Washing machine

Paper towels

Dining room area. Glass topped table and 4 chairs.

Living room area is very spacious. Sofa, chairs, flat screen TV, large windows let in the light. The kitchen, dining room, and living room are one huge open area.

Bedroom #1. King bed. Has ensuite bathroom with shower.

View from bedroom window

Wardrobe

Desk area

Bedroom #1 bathroom

Heated towel rack

Bedroom #2. Full size bed. Room is smaller than bedroom #1 but still a good size. Small desk area by the window. Wardrobe has plenty of space for clothes

Wardrobe

Hall bathroom. Good size. Shower.

Sainsbury's on Cromwell Road. We walked from the apartment around 10-15 minutes. Medium size grocery store. Produce, dairy, meats, etc. We bought bread, eggs, butter, cheese, and orange juice. Mainly things we'd need for breakfast. Cost 12.10£/$20.65 (Turns out the bread we had bought in Paris was better)

Steak & Company. Our reservation is for 7:00 pm. Uber to restaurant. Cost 15.98£/$21.85 Drinks-pina colada and lemonade. We both chose the fillet. The 6 oz. for me cooked medium well. Butter-I chose the garlic and parsley. Salt-steakhouse secret seasoning. Sauce-green peppercorn. I chose the salad-field greens, soy sesame dressing, sesame seeds-for my side. The 8 oz. for Richard. His cooked medium. Butter-horseradish. Salt-same as mine. Sauce-red wine jus. Richard selected the fries for his side. Our steaks were perfectly cooked. Meat was so tender. Great steak. I was a bit disappointed that my husband did not want the experience of cooking your own steak. Dessert-nothing too heavy. Pistachio gelato. Cost 110.81£/$151.54 Fantastic food and spot on service. Good start to our stay in London! Uber back to the apartment. Cost 7.93£/$10.85