Previous European vacation posts…
Day 1 (London): https://georgegmoore.com/2025/10/18/vacation-day-one-london/
Day 2 (London-Rock ‘n Roll Tour): https://georgegmoore.com/2025/10/26/vacation-day-two-london-rock-n-roll-tour/
Day 3 (London-Harry Potter, Part 1): https://georgegmoore.com/2025/11/02/vacation-day-3-the-harry-potter-experience-part-1/
Day 3 (London-Harry Potter, Part 2): https://georgegmoore.com/2025/11/09/vacation-day-3-the-harry-potter-experience-part-2/
While getting ready for a full day in London, the screw holding a lens of my glasses came loose. I have nothing with me to fix it. I hoped the hotel staff would have a repair kit, but they suggested an optician.
A quick internet search directed us toward Victoria Station underground where we found a Boots Optician, which was open on a Saturday. The technician, Aaranya, performed a quick fix and even cleaned my glasses. I gave her an excellent review for her huge save.
Westminster Church was nearby. Kel and I walked through before mass.
On the way to the underground station, I noticed two more optician shops. Our destination was Forbidden Planet bookstore. To get there we needed to transfer to the Piccadilly line but it was closed. The alternative was the Central line. A young lady heard us talking about transferring at a station (I don’t recall which one) and said it would get us there, but I should keep my wits about me.
Good advice at all times—that was why I carried my phone and wallet in my front pockets.
We finally arrived at Forbidden Planet. It was large with merchandise on two floors. Unfortunately, it was just a big comic book store with everything there easily found on Amazon. I hoped for big section dedicated to Doctor Who and Space:1999 for instance. Maybe something a bit unusual or harder to find.
On the way back to the hotel, we came across Groot painted in a doorway.
The evening’s entertainment was ABBA Voyage at London’s Olympic Park. We took three trains, including the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) to get there. The beauty of it all was the last station was a two-minute walk to the arena.
Whether you’re a huge fan of ABBA music or not, the show is worth experiencing. A live band plays with recorded ABBA vocals. The light and laser show is a step up from any concert I’ve seen. The ABBA members are holograms so realistic that I couldn’t tell real people weren’t on stage.
The crowd ranged from teens to elderly. One family celebrated their grandmother’s 90th birthday—they all wore t-shirts with a family picture on it. Some people wore ‘70s clothing, including capes and lots sparkles.
On the way to DLR station, a group of five or six middle-aged women got into a verbal fight (very loud explicit language included) with one being ostracized.
Walking back to the hotel from Pimlico station, Kel and I spotted a fox crossing the road. He was quick, so no picture was possible.
I’m an author living in northern Virginia with a wife and a cat. In the late ’80s, I worked on the International Space Station project. I recently retired from managing a group of software engineers to focus on writing science fiction and speculative fiction. Learn more.