Today we say goodbye to Fleet and officially move to London. But not directly: we first drive to Battersea Power Station. The former coal-fired power station with its iconic chimneys, which can also be seen on the album cover of “Animals” by Pink Floyd with a large floating pig, has been converted in recent years into a mix of shopping centre, restaurants, flats and offices (among others, Apple is opening its UK headquarters here). A modern residential quarter has been and continues to be built all around. The shopping centre was opened only eleven days ago. Of course we wanted to take a look inside! Together with our friend Clare, we explore the shops, marvel at the original architecture that can be seen everywhere in the brick building, and buy something for lunch at a Korean bakery, which we then eat on the picnic area on the banks of the Thames. We really like it here and it is impressive how the building has been embedded as a centrepiece in the new quarter.

Yes, and then we head to our new hotel. The drive takes us along the banks of the Thames, and through the area where we used to live. The hotel is a different one than usual and not quite as central. But it has a proper car park instead of the loading bay in the back, for which we always had to get someone from the reception to open the gate. Anyway, the first impression of our room is good. After eating the donuts we bought in the morning and settling in, we go for a walk around the local area. We discover a well-hidden supermarket, which will certainly serve us well in the next few days, and a small pizzeria, where we later get a pizza and Gabi a bruschetta for dinner. They’re ready just in time for us to watch the latest episode of my favourite baking show, “The Great British Bake-Off”, on TV.