The day started at 7.30am in the morning, way before my alarm was due to go off. Afraid that I would fall back into deep slumber and miss my appointment, I dragged myself out of bed, acknowledging to myself that I was alone in the room as my roommate had long departed for the city of Liverpool earlier that morning. There was no breakfast this morning, but instead, I spent the morning reading yesterday’s newspapers.

Traveling alone was such an exciting prospect. I strode confidently into the station, and subsequently into the carriage, behaving as though I knew where I was going, trying my best to not stick out like a bright-eyed (and usually hopelessly lost) tourist normally would. Navigating the London Underground is quite the feat, but after two days of practice before, it had become a breeze. Transferring at the right stations, covering several pages of the day’s morning papers along the way, I found myself at the Arsenal Underground Station, not before too long.

My first intention of the day was to visit the stadium of Arsenal Football Club, and there I was, at Arsenal station, right at the doorstep. Arsenal FC has the distinction of being the only club to have a tube station named after it. Herbert Chapman, the revolutionary post-war Arsenal manager, lobbied to change the name of the Gillespie Road underground station, as parts of his publicity efforts for the club. It was within a few years of his lobbying, that this was accomplished, and this day, I was using this very station.

As I exited into North London, I was met with strong cold winds. But, it was not long after that I turned into a corner to be greeted by the most amazing sight of the Arsenal stadium amidst the residential buildings. With almost a full half hour to spare before the start of my guided tour of the stadium, I proceeded to explore the perimeter of one of the most modern football stadiums in the world. As an Arsenal fan, the exhilaration of knowing that I was there, at “The Home of Football”, sent waves of excitement down my spine.

My guided tour started promptly at 9.30pm, with our entrance to the stadium via the Director’s entrance. Surely there was no grander way to make an entrance!

We were first brought through the directors’ lounge, to the Director’s Box, where the clubs directors and important personalities (celebrities, politicians, rich people) would sit to watch the match. It was here I got my first glimpse of the much celebrated well-maintained pitch that had been associated with Arsenal since their days in Highbury. I got the chance to sit on the directors’ seats as well – leather, padded, spacious and comfortable – no better way to watch a match! Of course, the guide also explained that The Emirates Stadium has the most spacious and widest seats in all the football stadiums in the whole of England, matched only by one other club. (You are going to have to find that one out yourself – this club isn’t a premier league club. And don’t ask me… I don’t know either!)

After finishing up with some last snaps of the directors’ box and the views it offered, the tour group was ushered down to level one, to the entrance where the players arrived through on match day. From here, we continued on to the Arsenal dressing room, and viewed all of its cutting edge facilities.

Next up – pitch side! The group was led down the corridor, and out through the tunnel, onto the pitch side. Here, we viewed the bench, as well as the stadium from pitch level. At The Emirates Stadium, grass is seeded on a field of synthetic grass, and when it grows, the two bind, forming an ultra-tough surface, which can withstand 5 to 6 football games without showing any damage. State-of –the-art, compared to the pitch conditions at many other Premier League stadiums!

The last part of the tour was the press area. Here, we sat down at the press conference room, where the manager Arsene would give his post match interviews to the press. In the next room was the press lounge, where journalist got free internet access, a free flow of drinks and hot food, as well as a well furnished area. No wonder this stadium was voted the journalist’s favourite last season!

While the guided tour of the stadium was over, a visit to the Arsenal museum was in order. This museum showcased the rich and glorious history of the club, and what it means to be Arsenal.

The visit to the stadium only renewed my pride as an Arsenal fan. As much as the club has not won any trophies this season, what makes Arsenal the illustrious club it is, is the never give up spirit of the team, and the flamboyant flair and class of their game. Not only does the club want to win, but winning in style is just as important. Not many clubs can say that.

I had intended to make my way to the old Highbury stadium, which is now a construction site, undergoing development as part of a residential project, but it started to rain and hail too heavily. Finding shelter after a mad dash to the underground station, I waited for a good 20 minutes, but the cruel skies did not show any sign of clearing up at all. And so I left, heading back towards central London. Do I regret it? Maybe. But then again, maybe I will be back there again in the future. The next time though, a seat in the stands on a match day might be a good addition!

The day was still young, and there was still lots more to see and explore in the metropolis of London. Having already seen the third largest and largest domes of the world, I felt that a visit to respectable number two was necessary. This of course, was none other than St Paul’s Cathedral. The rain had lightened but not stopped when I exited the underground. Walking through the wet weather, I found St Paul’s, and now, at this moment, I can claim to have seen the three largest domes in the world!

In recent times, London has come to be known for its street markets. One of its most famous is the Camden Markets, and this was just my next destination. This large network of markets consists of several small markets, and covers a sprawling area. The markets sold tee-shirts, souvenirs, and other cute little knick-knacks, and also consist a food market where you could find all sorts of ethnic foods. Regrettably, I was not sure I had enough cash to last through the day, and had to settle on a £1.35 cold pasta snack from the nearby Somerfield supermarket.

My next underground ride took me to Temple station, where I caught a glimpse of The Royal Courts of Justice (closed to the public), and tried to find Middle Temple (one of the four Inns of Courts). Sadly to say, despite my best efforts, I could not seem to find it, as much as it was so clearly indicated on my map. In fact, I wasn’t even sure it was much of a tourist attraction!

As I was only in the vicinity, I decided to visit the Wobbly Bridge. No, I’m just kidding, really, its called the Millennium Bridge (surely you know the story?).

Across the River Thames on the other bank of the bridge was the British Tate Museum, which I only looked at on the outside, and did not enter. After all, modern art really isn’t my thing.

A long long walk along the banks of the River Thames and then again across it via the Waterloo bridge brought me to Trafalgar Square. From here, I looked for 10 Downing Street, only to find that the whole street was gated up and heavily guarded by policemen. There was no way I was going to even get a decent view of the Prime Minister’s office. And I didn’t think it was a good idea to put my hands on the gates and peek through it with at so many policemen around.

As it was Spring, the days were long, and I waited and waited in the hopes that the skies would darken so I could get some night views of the city of London. At 8pm, it was still bright, but the sun had just disappeared into the backdrops. They say that the London eye is to London what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. I decided that since I was there, there was no harm in taking the £15 “flight”. I bought my ticket at 8pm, only to find that I had very fortunately, bought the last ticket. Very quickly, we were ushered into the capsules, and off we went.

As the wheel went round, the skies began to darken, and I was treated with the marvelous view of London at dusk, and very soon after, London all lit up in the dark.

30 minutes later, I was back on the ground, but at least, I was thinking to myself, “That was pretty worth it!”

It was dark, and Westminster Palace was all lit up. Numerous photographers had set up shop on the banks of the River Thames across from Westminster Palace to try to capture the beautiful sight. I took my place beside them, and whipped out my Sony DSC-T10 camera. Of course, this paled in comparison to the professional equipment of the serious photographers. Nonetheless, I did my best and got the best shots that I could.

My day of solo adventure ended with the ride back to Gloucester Road on the underground, and then a long search for the one particular kebab stall (recommended by Chun Yang the night before, and I, foolishly, did not ask for clear enough directions). Well, it was… good!