LONDON, H.E.AT and more....

Me and my collegue Elisabeth in my room

Since I last wrote so much has happened. This will probably be a long post.

We started very early on Friday 23. I went up at 3.50AM and out to the airport at 5.45AM. We arrived safely to London before scheduled time which meant our transfer weren't there. So I had to call and you can imagine how astonished I was when the man in the other end of the phone said: Hi Mia, how are you today? Did your flight went well.
It turned out he was the one I had been "talking" to when booking. After a while we got our cars and in a beautiful sunny weather we went to our hotel.
As we were very early 10.30AM our rooms wasn't ready but I and one other in my group got ours so we could store are luggage there. My room was gorgeous. A big spacious room, which is rare to get in London. On the other hand my contact at the hotel, chief manager of front desk, had arranged an upgrade for all our rooms! She and I had been "talking" a lot the last month since I booked more rooms and there were some troubles which she solved in a great manner.

My "little" bed

The hotel we stayed in was a 5-star luxurious hotel situated just across Hyde Park by Speaker's corner. Oxford street and Picadilly street just 200 meters away. Very close to Buckingham Palace, St James Park and theatreland.
When I booked this, in August last year, I got a great deal and that's why we could stay in such a posh hotel. If I would have booked it just before the price would be quite different and so much higher.

My collegues at lunch at JW Steakhouse

Anyway after a wonderful lunch at the JW Steakhouse (at the hotel) we went to John Soanes architecture museum which was stunning. He was a collector of lots of things, some very strange like a sarcofagus from Egypt. The museum is very popular and I had to book 3 months in advance to get a tour. When we after 2 hours left we took a walk back to the hotel, some of us. And what a walk that was, I mean long. Nice but long. When returning we all checked in and I had to run up and down to the lobby to help them with this since I was the group leader and held the credit card ;-)

In the sunshine outside John Soanes museum

In the evening we went to a Gordon Ramsey restaurant, The Maze, which I also booked several months ago. We got a wonderful table, the Butcher's block, which is a table at the end of the restaurant and raised so we had stairs to go. A big rustic table and we could see right into the kitchen and how they prepared the food. Even though Gordon Ramsey himself wasn't there the chef had the same attitude and only the best would do. He looked at every plate and gave his permission to serve. But we saw at one time he shouted: Too small chicken, out and make new ones!
We had at least 4 waiters helping us out, one being a Frenchman and very nice. I had one of the best fillet I've ever had! Perfectly done. We took all the sideorders they had and shared so they kept them coming ;-) Delicious!!

Our French waiter taking orders

The kitchen

My perfect piece of fillet with some sideorders.

After that we were quite tired and went to bed.

The Olympic swim stadium

Next day up early, breakfast and then off to Stratford station where we were to meet the architect who would show us Olympic London. 10AM was booked and we were all there in good time - but no architect guide! Luckily I had all my papers with me and called them - no answer. By then it was 10.10. After a couple of minutes a man called me and said they were sorry but they hadn't got my confirmation and thus hadn't sent anyone and they couldn't send anyone either. You can imagine how angry I was. I said: I have 11 very angry architects here. How can you solve this?
He just answered that he apologized but couldn't do anything. Luckily I hadn't paid anything in advance.

The Olympic arena and the sculpture which is interesting but not beautiful

 

So we went for a walk around the sights. We saw a lot of the arenas being built and it's very interesting. After walking for almost an hour I and 3 of my collegues decided to go on the hightrain to Greenwich. The others wanted to walk more so we split.
We had a lovely ride through the Docklands which is almost like NY Manhattan.
At Cutty Surk we went off and decided (I wanted to) to take a boat trip on the Thames to Parliement and Big Ben. What a lovely trip that was. Sunshine from a clearblue sky (we actually had that all the time in London) and 20C. We had like our own little deck. Everyone else sat in the front where there is a lot of wind. We had a calm, warm trip.

Boat trip on the Thames

When back on land we walked to St James Park and had something to eat and drink. The cherry trees were in bloom as were the Magnolia trees. Lots and lots of flowers in the parks. It was just wonderful.

My collegues and also owners of the company in front of Big Ben

Back at the hotel we had afternoon tea in Park room which is an awardwinning afternoon tea-place. Live pianomusic, a huge variety of teas, delicious sandwiches, gorgeous scones with Cornish clutted cream and marmelade and pastries. It was so good and after eating all that we were ready to take on the Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's theatre and with a Swede Peter Jöback in the lead role as the Phantom. What a night, what a musical (my 6th time I saw it), what good places we had. I had goosebumps on several occasions when Peter sang. Also the girl who sang Christine had such a beautiful voice.

Next day after a lovely breakfast and a long walk in Hyde Park where we listened to two men at Speaker's corner, went to the Serpentine and just enjoyed the Park we left our lovely hotel for the airport and trip back home to Stockholm. We came home at 8.20PM which was nice because next day I went up at 5AM as usual. Then went to work, went shopping, made waffles (it was waffle day on Sunday), did a Skagenröra, whipped cream and then went to a meeting without tasting any of it :-)

Tuesday I saw my Doctor and it turned out I had an inflammation in periosteum. No wonder really since we walked around 10km every day in London.

Wednesday it was finally time for release of H.E.A.T's much anticipated new album "Address the Nation". They celebrated that on a cruise to Finland Thursday-Friday where they also played.
I couldn't go since I'd just been to London and I had a meeting with my friend in Norrtälje and also were invited to lunch at Marhomen which is a wonderful conference center just outside of Norrtälje, surrounded by water.

H.E.A.T cake in Väsby centrum

Jona Tee

H.E.A.T singing Livin on the run - their hit single

Yesterday my hairdresser and today to Väsby centrum to watch H.E.A.T play and sign their new CD. Lot of people and a lot of people I know since before. It was so nice to meet the H.E.A.T family again.

Next week is Easter week. On Tuesday I'm going to the Opera and on Saturday we celebrate Easter evening and also Hasse's birthday.

Have a good week everyone.