London Calling
 

Today we booked our flight to London. We'll be there March 13 through the 21st Staying at a B&B in Belgravia - near Victoria Station.

Neither of us have ever been there before, so were excited and eager to hear what some of you UK veterans might recommend. Tell us what sights, sounds, eats, and atmosphere you think we ought to consider. We're there for 8 days, and we're planning on really getting to know the city.

Cheers,

€

Yay! I'd heard thru the grapevine that you two were pining for an adventurous getaway. Congratulations on jumping in with both feet and venturing across the pond to Jolly Old.


I have no recommendations to give, since I've never been. But I can't wait to hear all about it, post. And I'm very happy and excited for you guys.

Hip Hip, and all that rot.

Congratulations on making this journey! Our resident car expert has been there several times.

H & I will come up with a bunch of suggestions... but the first and best one I can think of is to grab Time Out London the minute you get off the plane. It is hands down the best guide to where to go and what to do every week.

I can't believe we're actually going! I've now dedicated myself to books and maps and internet research when I can get it. I bought a small journal that I can copy key information into and, now that flight and hotel ressies are made, we can start planning our days.


The early list of things to do:

Tate(s) (and the Tate to Tate boat)
Highgate Cemetery
British Museum
A Show - Probably Mary Poppins
Westminster Abby
Tower of London
Saint Paul's
Saatchi Gallery
White Cube
London Eye (weather permitting)

Other things that may make the list:
Kew Gardens (or another park area)
National Gallery
Victoria & Albert
London Zoo
Royal Observatory
A palace or two, perhaps.

I have half of mind to look up my old friend Maia Norman, now wife of Damien Hirst, but they're probably miles away at their Gothic Manor.

I've wanted to go to England for YEARS!

Cool! you've got three of my favourite places on your list: The Tate Modern, St Paul's and Westminster Abbey. Definitely check out the National Gallery if you have time too - it's wonderful. If the weather is okay, you can walk from St Paul's over the Millennium Bridge to the tate Modern, which is fun. A day trip to Windsor is always a good time too:)

Westminster Abbey
Tower of London
National Gallery
Portrait Gallery
Tait Museum
Covent Garden
Hampton Court Castle
Leister Square
Trafalgar Square
Victoria & Albert
Madame Trousseau's Wax Museum - for kitch factor
Take one of the ghost tours of london
Tower Bridge
Buckingham Palace - changing of the guards, all that
Harrod's - see the Diana memorial... it's cheesy!
Diana Memorial Fountain
Kensington Palace
Go see a show with someone famous in it. Ian Holm, Dame Judi, Diana Rigg, Maggie Smith, Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart etc often star in productions in the theatre district...

I'd go see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang instead of Poppins... if you just had to see one.

Since my favorite record store (Beano's in Croydon) is closing. I'd make sure that €uro gets to spend some time at Music and Video Exchange at 38 Notting Hill Gate.

Also, remember that London, like NYC or Tokyo, is a living city. While tourist attractions and museums are mainstays and "musts", you should also try to get out and do lots of nighttime stuff - get yourself to where the action is...

agreed. Windsor is a must see. a wonderful country inn serves the best scones and high:coffee:

:snap: if that can't fit into the schedule, try to at least get to some tiny little village pub in the countryside somewhere. a pint of guiness and a game of darts you will not forget!

stop by Harrod's. at least to see the amazing lower level food department, oh, and take the lift.

avoid the LIVE sex shows in sojo. a friend of a friend of mine says they get you in, lock the door, and after you get a £175 check for a :cheers: and pleasant conversation with a "companion" expect you to pay up.:eek: there is no show.:mad: er, i mean:rolleyes:

For a theater visit, be sure to take advantage of the half-price ticket booth in Trafalgar square. Good seats are always available, dirt cheap.

If you have time for day trips, Bath is fascinating, as well as Stratford and, of course, Stonehenge.

If you'd like to go to the tower, get there early, the lines get atrocious.

For a good meal at a swanky hotel, check out The Carvery buffet at the Strand Palace Hotel. Mmmm.

If you get a chance, read this book, it will enhance the trip. I was there about 15 years ago and had a great time. You guys will love it. I agree with GD, a trip out to stratford and stonehenge is well worth it. I enjoyed watching the bus driver navigate the roads in and out of London without hitting anyone, it's much more entertaining when you are in something big, and don't have to worry about it. One of my favorites was to go down to Greenwich and visit the prime meridian, and see Harrison's clocks, along with the National Maritime Museum.

Nobody ever takes my travel advice so I won't give it. Just make sure you leave a day or two to just randomly wander, take the subway, get off at a random stop, walk into a random bar or otherwise see real Londoners and not just other tourists and the Londoners who cater to tourists.

(Haven't been to London, but that is my truncated advice for traveling anywhere.)

Hit the London Dungeon. It's a short walk from the Tower, across Tower Bridge. It's like the Goth Disneyland.

No advice, since I've not been. Dying to go.

So, my words of wisdom, have a wonderful time! That's given. :D

We try to do a bit of this where ever we go, hit a market and make a picnic, stop and hang out at a park wit the locals, get recommendations from our waiters for places that would never be listed in a travel guide.

Check out the bookstores on Charing Cross Road. Bibliophile heaven.

My advice is to take me with you guys. :)

My favorite part of the LD is the plague room, which actually smells like plague!

Do the nerd thing and look for that Harry Potter platform (9 3/4) at King's Crossing. :)
I did...
:D

Next time I go over, the V&A is at the tippiest most top of my list.

Stuff my Mom and I did in London (and England) that I highly recommend:

• See a West End show
  We saw 10 in two weeks, but my Mom and I love theater.
• London Dungeon
  Very cool if you're into "dark" things.
• Tower of London
  Where else are you gonna see a diamond the size of your fist?
• Stonehenge
  Not that it's actually interesting for more than 15 minutes, but still worth a visit.
• Visit Stratford
  Take the Globe tour and see a Shakespeare show in his home town.
• If you plan on going outside of London at least semi-frequently, get a BritRail pass.
• If you love CDs, especially hard to find cast recordings, you must visit Dress Circle!
• Have sex with an anonymous stranger you meet walking down the street in King's Road. :evil:
  Okay, I did that on my own, Mom wasn't with me that time. ;)

If he looks like Hugh Grant, I may just do that!

No advice here - just have a friggin' blast! :cheers:

Just some recommendations:

Get a London Travel Card here in the States. This allows you unlimited travel on the Tube(subway) - 7 days - $80.00

London Pass - 6 days - $89.00

London Tour Attractions:

Museums & Places of Interest
Historic Buildings
Tours Cruises Walks
Art Galleries
Restaurants, Cinemas, Theaters and more
Other Services and Savings

Depending on time / $$$ a day vist to Paris via The Chunnel.

www.visitlondon.com

Don't forget to see The Queen,

and Alton Towers
Park Link
Travel Link

We need to get both of these. I've also been reading about the Oyster card. I need to sit down and do a comparrison of options.

Our biggest question is how to get to the hotel from the airport.

We'll probably stay in London since we've been to Paris twice in the past few years....unless I get a hankering for some sparkley costume jewelry that I always find in Paris. ;)

It just occurred to me - you'll be in the UK for St Patrick's Day! What a fun time to visit Belfast...

Heh, we'll be staying in London this time around - maybe next time...

Tori said your sig pic is ....disturbing, €uro. I had to explain about Speedos, tyvm. ;):p

Speedos?

I panicked.

According to a dream I just woke up from, it's very difficult to find a rain forest worth visiting in England, so don't bother trying to find one. You'll only waste a day searching, then wind up visiting the home a some deranged video game character. Also, I suggest not bringing your dementia-suffering grandmother along. More trouble than it's worth.

I need to start getting to bed earlier.

Maybe you were reading the guide with us when they suggested going to a Rainforest Cafe.


We won't be doing that, BTW.

How about seeing some of the sights that involve the Beatles? Isn't Abby Road there?

Oh, don't do that. I'm sure we would all rather hear about the strange dreams. :)

Not to mention, keep an eye out for parked vehicles that just might contain a overly stoned George Micheal slumped over inside! I hear he does this with some frequency.

I've always loved the Pre Raphaelites and their friends. I'm searching out sites, in addition to the Tate, that has collections. The V&A has a William Morris Room which I'll have to see, but I'm sure there are other collections in London. They did live there after all.

Heh, we've actually noted some Sex Pistol & David Bowie sites, as well as Ian Flemming's house - more our speed ;)

Cool...I'm sure there's more than a days work of places to see in that regard. Lots of history - would be nice to see where that whole movement began. :snap:

Alton Towers! Alton Towers! Alton Towers!

In that case, you probably won't care that the McDonalds in London charges for those little ketchup packages (at least they did when I was there).

Hey guys, sorry I'm late to the party.

I've been to London twice in recent years (meaning since 1999) and have some suggestions:

1. Do go to the Tower, but do get there at opening, and get on the first or second tour with the beefeaters. There will be a somewhat more manageable mob, and will leave you a good deal of time afterwards to poke around on your own. When I was there, the beefeaters also offered lectures in the afternoons. I went to one on the history of imprisonment and torture in England, which was fascinating and horrifying.
2. I found pretty much througout England that the guided tours offered at sites are highly worthwhile. For a couple pounds or something like that, it makes the visit to the place a lot more rewarding. I would say that the tours at the Tower and at Westminster Abbey are musts (the Abbey one takes you to places that are not open to the non-touring public). I didn't try the ones at the museums, so not sure about thoise, but I highly recommend them for historical sites.
3. Many (most?) of the museums have no admission charge, which makes it easy to see them in more than one visit. I saw the British Museum over parts of three different days when I was there. Whenever you find yourself with a spare two hours or so, you can pop into a museum.
4. As GD mentioned, the half-price ticket booth is an excellent option, though when I was there it was in Leicester square, not Trafalgar. Perhaps it moved? I went to a different show essentially every night I was in England, and they had tickets for just baout everything available there. I got tickets there the Royal Shakespeare doing Measure for Measure which was the best production I have seen of anything, anywhere.
5. The one sort of out of the way place I got to and recommend is the Old Operating Theatre Museum (http://www.thegarret.org.uk/oot.htm). It is an actual operating theater, dating from 1822, that has been turned into a museum about pre-Victorian medicine. Also fascinating and horrifying (actually, those are recurrent themes in England).
6. Day trips could be a lot of fun as well. Canterbury and Oxford would be manageable day trips from London, and well worth while. Cambridge and Stratford might be as well (I haven't been to either). Stonehenge, I think is a little farther away, and I'm not sure how day-trippable it is. You can check my geography on this. When I went there, I had a rental car and I got to Stonehenge in the morning as it first opened. I was the only one there for a while (two or three people showed up before I left), and there was a lot of low-hanging fog around and in those conditions being with the stones was a fairly awesome experience. Then I was able to drive to Avebury and see the stones there as well. Anyway, what I'm saying is that I'm not sure a bus from London would get you to Stonehenge in the right time or frame of mind to appreciate it fully. Maybe I'd leave that for the next visit. Bath is also surpassingly lovely, but I would want more than part of a day there. I also recommend York and Edinburgh, as long as we're planning your next trip.
7. It doesn't get as uch attention as some others, but I really enjoyed the Museum of London (which covers the history of London).

Anyway, that's my several cents worth.

Nope, you're right, Tom. Leiscester Square, my mistake.

"Oranges and lemons" say the Bells of St. Clement's
"You owe me five farthings" say the Bells of St. Martin's
"When will you pay me?" say the Bells of Old Bailey
"When I grow rich" say the Bells of Shoreditch
"When will that be?" say the Bells of Stepney
"I do not know" say the Great Bells of Bow
"Here comes a Candle to light you to Bed
Here comes a Chopper to Chop off your Head
Chip chop chip chop - the Last Man's Dead."

link

I used to play this !! :D

Sorry if this is late, but I'm new to this cool pad! :snap:
My suggestion is to contact this walking tour company.
website: www.walks.com or e-mail: london@walks.com
Get a brochure and check it out.
They have tours with many different themes and locations. They are great because you don't have to book them ahead of time. You just show up at the desired location (usually just outside of tube stops), pay right there and join in with the tour. They usually last about 2 hours. You can fit them in anywhere that you might have time.
My (grown) daughter and I took the "Jack the Ripper Haunts" tour. Cool and creepy!
It started at the tube stop just north, across the street from the Tower of London, so it was very handy for that evening, after our tour of the Tower.
I wished we'd had more time. Some of the other tours looked interesting.

We did a day-trip to Stonehenge which also included stops at Salisbury Cathedral, Old Sarum, Avebury and lunch at a great roadside pub/restauraunt called The Wheat Sheaf. We were in a small bus (about 18 passengers) and our tour guide Robert pointed out sights and other interesting things along the way. A magical day despite the weather. (We went at the end of November 2006)

We did do the London Dungeon. Dark and sorta cheesy, but fun. Not to be missed if you're into that sort of thing. BTW the plague room smells like plague because it smells like the rats. :eek: --P.U.!--

We saw "Wicked" at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. Way, WAY cool. :cool:

Don't do what we did and let jet-lag get the best of you and sleep almost a whole day away. It happened because we said "we'll just rest for a little while". Ya right! :rolleyes:

Whatever you decide, have a wonderful time!! :cheers:

hi

i may have March 17 off and those fares for the Eurostar to London are cheap on that day .

I'll arrive at 8.30am and leave at 7.15pm . Nice schedules to spend a wonderful day in london .

PERFECT! The only set plans we have so far are tickets to see naked Harry Potter on the 16th so we'll have stories to tell...

I can't wait to meet you!

Where would you arrive? I can't remember which station the Eurostar comes into. We are about 5 minutes walk from Victoria Station.

This is so exciting! I swear, I'm going to live vicariously through NA next month. (Especially for Naked Harry Potter. ;) )

Honey, you get to see naked Harry Potter every day. ;)

So true. :evil:

Hey, If you are right near Victoria station then take a day trip to Canterbury. Its such a nice little ride on the train and its such a quaint place, I fell in love with it...

Have fun...

So, Lisa, how many more days? ;)

NOT ENOUGH and TOO MANY are the common answers. 16 days is the reality. I have SOOOO much to do in those next 16 days. (Not to mention work is incredibly busy, I'm working on a business plan, I'm planning an Alpha Event and doing a week's worth of overnights with doggies.)

But, any last ideas? Jesse??? ;)

The only thing I can think of is don't forget to sneak a camera into Equus. ;)

I forget, is Les Miserables still playing at the Palace Theatre? If so, do not miss it - that production was designed for that theatre, and it shows. The stage is ginormous. Seriously.

Also, have dinner one night at the Ivy in Covent Garden.

Definitely catch the London Dungeon, as I said before, it's a short walk across the bridge (and a couple blocks) from the Tower of London, so you can see those in the same day.

BTW: you cannot carry a backpack in Harrod's. I know you're not really the backpack type anyway, but just FYI.

Wait. I thought they were married now? :confused:

Aw, bad luck. Looks like you're going to miss the Michael Ball concert in London by about 10 days...

(like you cared, right?)

I'll expect English accents for at least a month following your repatriation.

Are you kidding? I look forward to going to someplace where our normal speaking voice will come across as something charming.

We do sound charming don't we? Tell me it's not like Germany where my Grandmother said English sounds like people trying to speak with a hot potato in their mouths...

Um, sorry ... no. California English may be pure and as unaffected by accent as any region of the English-speaking world. And it's often considered attractive ... but never charming.

On the plus side ... let anyone in the world know you're from Los Angeles, and that little corner of the world will be your oyster. (Never say you're from America ... use "California" for best world-wide results of affection.)

"Canada" works too.

I never say California. I just say Los Angeles and then they say "Hollywood?".

Go with it, babe. (Don't get overly technical about Long Beach)

Hand Luggage - What Not To Pack
DAMN!

What the hell's she supposed to do on an 11-hour flight? Read?

Oh, NA... just thought of something that was a lifesaver when Cherny and I flew to London. Cookies. Not for you... for the screeching child that still hasn't shut up 45 minutes after takeoff. And extras for when he starts up again 15 minutes later. Sure, the mom'll eventually stop taking them and instead subject you and 200 of your closest friends to the banshee wail of her dearest one, but at least she won't be teaching junior that he can have cookies :)

What was I saying? Hi.

You won't need to give a second cookie to the screeching child if you put enough sedatives in the first one.




...and for the overly sensitive, I am really just joking... Please let me through immigration OK. I'm not going to sedate the children of the USA willy nilly.

Hopefully, if the interior plan if the plane is correct, we have 2 seats on the window/aisle that are alone. Not that screeching wails don't carry.

We did some serious planning last night. We're grooping things into areas and designating what is outdoor stuff so we can take advantage of nicer weather (if that happens). There are only a few outside activities we want to do: Highgate Cemetery, Tate to Tate boat, London Eye, and some general walking tours. Most everything else is indoors.

I'm so jealous.

Highgate Cemetery looks like an interesting place to visit. Are you going for the architecture, or a particular person?

Whoa - they don't allow knitting needles? Is that all international flights? Just the airline? Just the UK?

Mostly the architecture. It's a beautiful place - and I have a fondness for cemeteries anyways. I've been wanting to visit Highgate for about 20 years.

George Eliot, Karl Marx, Douglas Adams... all buried in Highgate.

Yes, interesting people there as well, but I'm really going for the fantastic grave markers.

If ever I hit Europe, it will be a graveyard tour. I love looking at old cemetaries; the oldest ones here only go back to the late 1800's, unless you count Native American burial grounds, which are seriously lacking in cool looking crypts and interesting epitaphs.

Oh, NA- Tori is looking forward to hearing about your nekkid Daniel expericence. :D

And yet they allow pens.... go figure. Got any dried-up pens around? You got knitting needles! (only put something on the end of them to keep your stuff from slipping off the back)

Heather brings knitting needles on all the time. I'm pretty sure she uses bamboo needles on the plane - it might be the metal ones that are forbidden.

TSA allows knitting needles - I knit on both flights this past week. That's why I was wondering if it's a UK-specific thing. I usually take small projects on the plane, like socks, and I only use bamboo for socks because the metal is so slippery the work slips right off the ends. A knitting needle prohibition on international flights might just confine me to this continent!

Oh, just like that bank-robbery prohibition has been doing for me, lo these many years.

i'll be here and next week we'll meet up in London .

I suppose I ought to put it on the calendar.

I love visiting old cemetaries. Its fun making up stories about the people buried there. Like this person was having an affair with that person.

The Oakland cemetary in Atlanta was fun. It is run down, but they are slowing restoring it. Margaret Mitchell is buried there, but I was more intrigued by the other stuff: the huge crypts, the twin six-foot-tall urns, the civil war section. Unfortunately, I didn't discover the Jewish section until I was on my way out. I was intrigued by how close all of the graves were together. There was virtually no room between them - almost as if they were stacked up in there.

NOOOOO - I's MY calendar... all MINE !! Bwah hah hah hahhhh !! :evil:

I have no idea what they're showing on our 9 hour flight. I would rather fly Lashbear.

What airline is it? You might be able to look it up.

United.

U.K./Netherlands

United States to the UK/Netherlands

Bobby F/D
Casino Royale F/D
A Good Year F/D
Happy Feet F/D
Man of the Year F/D
Rocky Balboa F/D
Shut Up & Sing E


UK/Netherlands to United States

Deja Vu F/D
Dreamgirls F/D
The Fountain E
Marie Antoinette F/D
Night at the Museum F/D
The Prestige F/D
Stranger Than Fiction F/D


OK, a few options here. I think I can be entertained.


(Thanks, Pru!)

Told ya. :p

Wait, am I reading that right that only one movie either way will be in English, or does that mean that that one move is English-only while the others will have French/German options?

Plus don't forget to plan for any contingency and be sure to bring along your own in-flight emergency entertainment system.

Bon Voyage, you two! :cheers:

Have fun storming the castle!

Cheerio!

Have a jolly holiday, you two!

Think it'll work?

;)

Bye! Bye! Don't forget to bring us all souvenirs!

It'd take a miracle.

Pip Pip, old chaps !!

Have fun !

Just, uhm...no food, okay? We'll all be getting ready for Lashbear's yeast paste and I don't think we could do both British food and Vegemite.

Have a great time, you two!:cheers:

Hehe... it might be :

Marmite,
Vegemite,
Promite &
Good-night ! :D




Kinda reminds me of the couple who used to like to come home, sing a chorus of "The Red Flag", have a cheese & pickle sandwich, have a romp on the sofa, then have a very naughty bath together..............

....so every night it was:
Hammer & Sickle,
Cheese & Pickle,
Slap & Tickle,
and Bubble & Squeak.

Have fun € & NA! Say high to the Queen for me.

We named two of our dragons those names!

We've arrived at our hotel safe and sound and know our directions a bit better after taking a walk around Victoria Station and walking past our hotel. It's so great to not be carrying luggage - but it's fricken beautiful today blue skys and much much warmer than we expected. I may have to buy some T-Shirts.

We want pictures!

Glad to hear you're both safe and sound! I can't wait to see and hear all the adventures you're having. :D

So it begins! Have a great time!! :cheers:

Yay! :snap:
How exciting.
Glad you got there in one piece.

I say, Well done chaps. Have fun and God save the Queen!

No Luggage ? Is this the Nudist Tour Of Europe ? :eek:

Maybe Rob & Amber stole it ?

Have fun today and kiss a guard at Buck Palace for me. :D

Oh god, just don't try to bring home any "Branston Pickle". They might stop you at the airport from importing WMD's ;)

There were individual servings of Marmite at breakfast today. I thought if you all. ;)

J loves Marmite toast. :)

Have a great rest of your trip.

Today we decided to take a slow day, enjoy the weather, and get to know our neighborhood. So we took a walk to Sloan Square, walked down Kings Road, walked down to the Thames, looked for Rossetti's house, took the tube to St. James Park, saw Buckingham palace, walked the park, spent time with the black swans, signets, swan-teens, and Pelicans, went to see Lord Nelson in Tralfalger Square, decided to pick up tickets to a show in Leiscester square, walked to the Thames again, crossed the Hungerford Bridge, took a spin on the London Eye, catch the tube back to Hotel to change, tube back to Picadilly, to see the 39 steps (great show BTW), then pick up some pasties, to eat at the hotel.

Goodness knows what our days will be like should we get ambitious.

i had a feeling those pasties would catch your eye~;)

OH! Go check out Holland Park! It's gorgeous!

(very friendly squirrels, if you give 'em a little sumpin' sumpin')

I'm working on a short photo essay from today but I may die from exhaustion before it gets published.

A few highlights of the day included finding a pair of Black Swans in St. James park that had 4 cygnts! Swan heaven for me. They were all happily munching on bread when some Canadian Geese got a little too close. The male swan took off in turbo mode chasing down the geese and sending them away. Then he returned to his family and they did a little happy dance. It was amazing. I captured the happy dance in video but I'll have to post that later.

The other nice happenstance was getting on the London Eye with absolutely no wait. We saw the sun set over London and the lights starting to come on as we were decending the big wheel. It was lovely.

I'm very glad they serve full English breakfasts here. I will need it daily to keep fortified if we keep having days like this one.

It's supposed to rain a bit tomorrow but, otherwise, the forcast looks really good. If today was any indication, it's going to be really lovely.

YAY! PHOTOS ARE PUBLISHED!

Thanks for the reports and photos! Looks like wonderful weather. :)

Too cool! It's just beautiful there, and I am envious! Scout out locales and maybe a London Swanking might be in the future......

Thanks for the pics, NA!:)

I believe "jacket potatoes" are baked potatoes.

Great photos! :snap:

Love it, LOVe the swans and cygnets.

Sleep well tonight and post more tomorrow! ;)

AWESOME!! Swan Heaven, indeed :D

Great pictures! They are really doing the construction, I counted 9 cranes in one picture.

Ooh, scary black swans with blood-dipped beaks! :D

Ambitious indeed. What's come over you two?


btw, thanks ever so for the photos, and for taking the time out from your uncommonly unlikeyou busy travel schedule to post photos and tell tales. Sharing is right cool of you. Continue fun at your discretion.

COOL!! Thanks for the pictures! (Daffodils!!)

I love black swans, so majestic. Enjoy the rest of your trip!

Thank you for the updates and photos. It's as close as I'm going to get for quite a while.

I think we overdid it yesterday. We didn't even remember to mention we also hit the National Portrait Gallery as well. My body was NOT happy this morning.

We slept in a tiny bit, got a healthy (full) English Brekkies (eggs, sausage, bacon, toast, tomatoes and beans with French Press Coffee and juice) then went to check out what was available at the TKTS booth. Nothing tickled our fancy there so we decided to visit the Tates. No, not Larry and Louise sillies.....the Galleries!

The "old" tate is a giant museum space filled with mostly pre-Modern art (although there was quite a bit of comtemporary art exhibited). I got to see TONS of Pre-Raphaelite art that I've wanted to see for over 20 years. It was amazing!!!! We spent money in the bookstore, loaded up on fuzzy water and advil and headed over to the Tate Modern.

They have a Tate to Tate boat that travels on the Thames between the 2 Tates, making a stop at the London Eye on the way. It was a very nice but short respite from our art-looking....plus, we got to sit down! My body thanked me.

That Tate Modern is a new facility for strictly Modern and Contemporary art. It resides in a converted power plant up-river from the old Tate. The space is absolutely incredible!!!! We made it through the permanent exhibition, which is huge and amazing. I could've spend a couple of days in that Tate Modern alone.

We were thinking about heading over to the British Museum to take advantage of their evening hours, but our bodies rebelled. Se, we headed home and stopped at Jenny Lo's Tea House on the way home for some Sicuhan Aubergine, Singapor Noodles, pork dumplings and gunpowder/mint tea. That revived us enough to make it back to the hotel where we promptly turned on the TV and stared into space for a while.

I'm glad we didn't end up with theater tickets tonight. I think we need to have a few minutes of down time, for tomorrow is bound to be another big adventure.

No pics to post tonight. I didn't really take too many. I promise to be more photo-oriented tomorrow.

Thanks so much for the "live" updates. :) It makes it almost like we're there with you.

Well some recovery time means I get to post some more pics - views from another camera can be found here

I love the "Squires in bloom" shot. I think I've got a shot of me in a footrace 12 years ago in almost that exact same spot.

It's really great that you both are sharing with us, it's like we're walking the galleries with you! Hope that you are able to find some good :coffee: and other tasty treats to keep you sated and energized.

Color me green with envy, so far, even though tiring, it's been a great trip so far.

Where are we going tomorrow?

Great reports, guys! Just remember to Mind The Gap!

I want a Pirate Pasty!


(On second thought, that sounds a bit obscene).

i can't wait to meet you on Saturday . I hope the weather will still be that good .

Looks like the weather's holding out so we should have a great day - we're looking forward to it too. I fear our hotel is not as easy to find as it seems and should we chat with you later we might come up with a better meeting place - but if we don't, here's the best directions I can provide:

When exiting Victoria Station, try your best to find Buckingham palace road, and take it in the direction away from Buckingham Palace (go to your left if you emerge in front of a large bus loading area. If you are correctly oriented you'll see the "Thistle Victoria" on your left as you go down the street. It's a long block but when you get to the end of it turn right. You should be on Eccleston Street, proceed to the next light and you'll find Ebury street. Turn left, and we're on the left hand side of the street. The sign B&B Belravia appears etched in the glass above the door but no where else. My marker is the long flower pots on the door step, our hotel is the only one that seems to have that.

Good luck - oh, and Happy Birthday!

Yay for pictures and Trip Report a go-go!

So cool for y'all to share with your Colony-bound brethren.

Keep the fun times coming and chim chim cha reeee!

We saw naked Harry Potter. Nener nener nener. ;)

who's unlicky it's me .

The Eurostar Train Services to London has been interrupted till tommorrow 6pm .

I'll try to make it to London on change it to Monday with the Classical British Rain .

So how big is his wand?

Today was a trip to the Disneyland of Department stores - Harrods - then to the Victoria and Albert Museum. Then we dragged our selves to dinner at at North African restaurant in Soho before going to see Equus.

Daniel Radcliffe was really good in his role as the disturbed boy, but Richard Griffiths as his doctor was fantastic. Will Kemp is still a beautiful human being. I hadn't read this play since High School and I was amazed how well it stood the test of time. The entire production was really well done. It's nice to see some high quality theatre.

Afterwards, we walked out with the crowd and ended up at the stage door where the actors took turns making appearances and signing programs. I didn't get any sigs but I did get some pictures.

The best conversation I had was with an Asian trio who wonderred what all of the fuss was about. Someone said "Harry Potter is there". I showed them a pic I took and told them he had just gone back inside the theatre. They asked me "WHY is Harry Potter inside?" I tried to explain that he was in a play, but I don't think it was understood.

When Richard Griffiths came out, people thought it was Santa Claus, Obi Wan Kanobe or Dumbledore. And I think I have no pop culture knowledge! ;)

Here's the most recent batch of pics.

I think you need to give a more lengthy detailed report about the show. ;)


Oh, and I claim dibs on this one!!!

All I have to say is, that boy's got some cajones!

Well, he appears to be more of a grower than a shower - so since, we never see his wand in full display, I can't comment on it's actual working length. That said I was distracted at the time by the performance of one Joanne Christi, Radcliff's costar - who also appears nude in the classic nude scene - a surprise to me since never seeing the play before, I presumed it to be a homoerotic thriller.

Ah well, great performances actually, I hope the doting girls in the audience enjoy more than his willy, I actually have much more respect for the man as an actor.

Well, we're looking forward to seeing you on Monday then - wet though it may be it seems there's still plenty to do in this town in places that'll keep us all dry.

One more post before I go to bed - but here's the crowd outside the stage door - look close and you'll spot Not Afraid:

Did you get her autograph? Or see her naked?

Not Afraid? Why yes I make her sign things all the time, and well haven't we all seen her naked by now?

OK, enough! Hardly anyone's seen me naked!

I'm about to link you to 89 pictures of the most beautiful cemetery in the world. You don't have to look at them. I understand. But, it's really damn beautiful. There's even one whole picture of Chris in the bunch. He's standing with his buddy Carl Marx. Otherwise, it is just beautiful picture after beautiful picture....of graves.

So, here's Higate Cemetery.


In other news, we also visited Camden Market /C Camden Locks. Miles and miles and miles of stalls with vintage, punk, goth and other cool clothes; used records and CDs, great furniture (here's where we'll go to decorate the SS Swankatania) and other odds and ends. It was absolutely overwhelming. I bought a hat and that's about it. I think if it was 30 years ago, I would have purchased a LOT more. We're going to try Spitalfields Market tomorrow - depending on the weather.

And, speaking of weather, it looks like our great weather is about to be over. We're due for some rain and it is supposed to get a LOT colder. At least I can wear those sweaters I packed. I can't complain. We've been lucky so far.

We bit the bullit and bought tickets to see Mary Poppins on Monday Night. They never had any available at the TKTS Booth and we wanted to see it while we're here. Oh well.

Tonight, we're having a late dinner at Gaucho Grill in Sloan Square. This will be another splurge for us. It is NOT listed in the Cheap Eats guide. :gulp:

Cool pix - that cemetary alone makes me want to visit the Motherland.

Someone's been playing with their camera settings again:

Cool pictures!! I wonder what it's like in there at night!

What beautiful pics!!! Thank you soooo much for sharing!

Awesome pictures. Were you the only ones there? It didn't look very crowded.

There were a handfull of the living among us, but I believe there is over 400K bodies at Highgate.

And I am glad to hear that you did not see any of them.

Today was Spittalfields Market, some S&M and the Tower of London:



I've added photos to my album, Lisa will load hers as soon as she can.

What again??

I'm behind in posting. But, here are a few pics from two days ago - before it started snowing.

Yes, it has been snowing on and off for a couple of days. It's been quite fun, actually, but damn is it cold.

We got most of the big sites on our list checked off but missed quite a few (our list was HUGE). Damn, I guess we'll have to go back. :( ;)

Today, we spent the day with DLRP Bopazot from Paris, saw Westminster Catherdral and hung out in Covent Gardens and surrounding areas. We almost got out of town without buying much music, DVDs and books, but that came to an end today at Fopp. Anyone up for a Russ Meyers Film Fest?

Tonight we're going to pack. Our flight leaves at 11:15 tomorrow and we'll be home in the afternoon. I miss my kitties.

We'll get some more pics up in a bit.

Beautiful photos, thanks again for sharing.

And have a safe trip home.

I'm sure the furry ones miss you too! It'll be good to be home!

Sounds like a good excuse to buy the kind of coat that simply doesn't exist in California.

ETA: Oh, and that's the Tower Bridge, not London Bridge.

Lisa in the snow:

She looks like she is having fun at least! Keep her bundled up and yourself as well. Have a great rest of your trip.

To heck with Lisa, I like what's behind her!

Well, I do hear she's always willing to take it in the tru...oh, the kegs. Gotchya.

Oh… They may miss her on the inside… But being cats, they will punish her for a few days with attitude and dirty looks.

That's got to be the tastiest S&M I've ever seen! I have to try that some day. :D

hey i just got home !

we had a great day in London Today . it was a little bit freezing but that was ok .

that's still crazy to thing i'm living in Paris and was in London for a day to meet NotAfraid and EuroMeinke .

but i made it and that was great .

Have a safe trip tomorrow .

Our European contingent was able to meet up with the West Coast Swanksters- too cool!:cheers:

(Pictures are forthcoming, I hope?)

I'm still kicking myself for dropping the ball on meeting you, bopazot, when we were in Paris. It just fell off of our list of things to take care of as the date approached. We remembered when we got there and hoped that we'd spot you in the park, but we couldn't take our eyes off the park anyway, so we might have walked by you 20 times and never noticed. :)

Wow, I can't believe you're headed back already. OMG, if it went that fast for me, I can only imagine how it must have sped by for you.

I love the shot of Lisa in the Snow, and that's a beautiful photo of bloody Tower Bridge. I look forward to checking out the non-embedded photos when I get a minute ... and to hearing the tales of your adventures upon your welcome return.

Is it just me, or does she look kinda Mary Poppinish in that picture?

Speaking of, how did you like the show? :)

i'll be back in California this year . Of course i'll stop by Disneyland a couple of days .

We're home! The flight seemed long but it was beautiful. We went WAY North to miss the storms over the middle of the US and ended up flying over Iceland, Greenland and the Northern-most parts of Canada. We saw icebergs in the ocean! It was stunning.

I've got some more pics to upload and I will actual post some of the best.

Yesterday was a blast with DLRP Bopazot and another future WDW CM from Wales. I accidently had my camera on the video setting and I can hear us talking in the background. I have an accent, and it ain't Californianian. :rolleyes:

I think I missed posting about seeing Mary Poppins. If you ever get a chance to see it in NY, Londn or if it ever comes to LA (or a neighborhood near you) see it. I LOVED it.

More later as I try to keep myself awake until a decent bedtime.

Welcome home! Are the kitties just going wild? I'll bet they missed you guys tons.

Dexter is in the luggage. He LOVES luggage. The other 4 are running about hopping in and around the piles of crap we've created just for them on the floor. Charles is still at the vet and comes home tomorrow.

I wish I had some shortbread.

I can attest to the fabulousity of the NYC production of Mary Poppins!

Welcome home!!

No one told me I needed to get to the Heathrow airport 10 hours early so I could shop in the MASSIVE Duty Free mall that is there. They even have a Harrods! I've never seen anything like it. But, sadlt, no shopping was done. I think, even duty free, things would be expensive due to our lovely and vlauable :cough: dollar.

Welcome home!!!!

Welcome back to this beautiful country......

(I never throught I'd get the chance to say that ! :p )

See ya real soon ! :D

A Few Random Thoughts about London
 

Since my "trip reports" tend to be long winded recountings of days events past and seem more list like, and in my mind boring. I though instead I'll share the random thoughts cross posted from my live journal.


Is it really all that foreign? – After finally making it to London, we were amazed by how many Americans were here. Granted we were doing a lot of the touristy things, which generally means a lack of locals, but still it seems the Brits were in the minority. I suppose next time we ought to leave the city limits, or at least spend more time outside the tourist zones. Perhaps Welsh is just the challenge we need.

Hair Styles – Tousled is the look of London. Blame it on the weather, the movement from indoors to out, the necessity of hats, etc. but by the end of the day everyone’s hair is a mess. So inevitably, those styles made for that look, look best.

Camden Market – What a treat this was, streets full of all kinds of punk and goth paraphernalia. Ah to be 20 years younger and living some 20 years ago – how cool I could be. In a way I’m surprised the style lives on, and poseur or not, it brought a smile to my face seeing the kids decked out in such finery. Truth is, they can pull it off better than I can as the creepy old guy.

Theater – London is definitely a theater town. I’ve been to New York, seen Braodway, but still London seems to own theater in it’s blood. Stages everywhere, productions new, old, big, small, main stream avant garde – there is something for everyone. And beyond that the whole vibe of 20:00 when all the theaters let out and Piccadilly is swarming with people anxious to talk about the performance they’ve just seen.

Globalization – I roll my eyes with every Starbucks, Macdonald’s TGIF, or KFC I see. I’m amused and then saddened recognizing furniture pieces from Ikea. It’s inevitable I suppose, cheap, reproducible, services and products will always do well. But I was also encouraged to see a multitude of small shops, and restaurants – not to mention the creative abundance to be found in the markets of Camden or Spittlefields. There’s hope for the unique and original. Still I recoil when I hear Europeans speak about wanting to go to Wal-Mart in America.

Where are the British designers? – Tokyo was full of Vivian Westwood, but the only reference I saw to her was in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Likewise, we passed Mary Quant’s shop and wondered at it’s emptiness. With all the retro-revivals you’d think people would be clamoring for her designs. It seems the stores preferred designers from across the channel, or even overseas, to their own.

Europeans and Travel – It never fails to make me jealous to talk of travel with Europeans. At home I appear well traveled and adventurous as so many people here seldom cross the border and seem to fear venturing to a place where English might not be spoken. But talk to people in the UK and Europe and they seem to have all been round the world a few times at half my age. To add insult to injury they ask how we can possibly see a place in a week or two, the usual American vacation time. They are right of course. I’d love to spend a month somewhere to really know it. These people do that and for that I am deeply jealous

Minis – Mini’s look so sexy in America, but in London they look commonplace, the styling a bit too similar to that of the traditional London Cab

A Few Favorite Moments:

• After seeing Mary Poppins we watched an usher teaching another usher how to do the elaborate Supercalifragalisticexpialadocious “Hand Jive” routine from the play. I wish we had taken a video.
• Exiting the British Museum and discovering that it wasn’t raining at all – it was snowing.
• Taking a random walk and coming upon the Black swans and their cygnets in St. James Park, watching the father chase down two intruding geese, and his family’s victory dance and call at it’s conclusion
• Being surprised by the actual size of: The British Museum, The Tate Modern, Nelson’s Column, and the Rosetta Stone.
• The music of Camden Market, including the woman DJ spinning a mix in a booth of her own next to other’s selling food and other goods.
• Brother and sister challenging each other to “surfing” on the tube and the smiles of the tube passengers pretending not to notice.
• Emerging from Equus to join the throng of other theater goers, filling the streets on their way to a pub, club, or café to play on till
  the last tube leaves Piccadilly
• Flying home over the arctic, seeing icebergs in the water, cracking ice sheets, the craggy mountains of Greenland, and miles and miles of icy wilderness.

Thanks for once again letting me live vicariously through your travels. :snap: London's loss is our gain, welcome back.

Welsh isn’t all that bad. Here is some helpful info.

Oh, if you go, just wear T-shirts that say “Dwi ddim Sais!” and you’ll be welcomed with open arms! :evil:

Welcome home.

Welcome to California ( hot and sunny state ) compare to here in Europe .

And welcome back to Paris, where I hope you're at least out of the snow

Welcome home you two- see you soon!

Just who was Mickey referring to?:eek:


(Good thing you're home- it's a bit obvious that you missed your babies!)

How is Charles, btw?

Beautiful pictures kids!!! Welcome back! So funny I called Not Afraid on the phone today and she was all sort of dreamy :)

I was like, I wanna see the pictures and she's like DERRRRRR they're up on the web and I smacked my forehead.

Welcome, welcome, welcome home. :cheers:

I've been meaning to reply to this:
It's dark.

Smart ass. :p

Yep :D