just back from a recent stay around trafalgar sq/london

i recently had a great visit to london, staying at the club quarters at trafalgar sq. it was one of my best london visits. i enjoy the museums around trafalagar, as well as a number of theaters-particularly the national. so it was great to have my hotel be right there, so i could drop things off or whatever. plus the AC was good, which was nice during the heat wave. adn the room was quiet adn there was free internet in the lounge.

on monday i went to a small antique market at covent garden at 9-ish where i picked up some gifts. i then went to the courtauld gallery (free on monday til 2) and the tate, which until the end of the month has the rothko seagram series, which is interesting to see next to turners. i discovered a nice breakfast spot near covent garden --a place called the "All Bar" at the corner of bedford and henrietta. you can slice yor own piece of bread and make toast. I got a groundling place at the globe--i didn't totally understand that one has to stand all night with a groundling ticket. so i didn't make it the whole play, but it was fun to see the globe. there is a lovely place to eat dinner just outside the tate modern on the thames where you can watch the thames and all its activity--quite reasonably priced too.

on tuesday i went to the british museum. I had not been there since the redo. it is great. so many interesting things. i was taken by the egyptian stuff particularly. then i went to the national gallery, which is always a pleasure.. the big treat was that during the evening that evening's royal opera performance of la traviata was broadcast in trafalgar square. Renee fleming in all her glory. quite fun and very special.

for dinner before the opera i ate at bistro 1 on southhampton just up from the savoy hotel on the strand. pretty good and reasonably priced--they have a fixed price 2 and 3 course meal. i think 9 pounds for 2 courses and 10 or 11 for 3.

another thing that made this trip special is that i made an effort to take buses rather than the tube places. buses are slow but you get to see the sights and londoners on the street. the oyster card was a geat help-just swipe it and jump on.

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rogeruktm on Jul 5, 09 at 10:37 AM

Sure would make better reading if you used the upper case as called for.
yk on Jul 5, 09 at 03:10 PM

Was it some special exhibition that the Rothko Seagram murals got moved to Tate Britain? That was curious.

You saw Renee Fleming singing her Traviata debut - you one lucky person!

The location of Club Quarters is great. 2 years ago I stayed right next door at the Northumberland House (an LSE dorm).

thanks for the report.
Seamus on Jul 5, 09 at 04:10 PM

rogeruktm you are tipping your hand as being from a pre-text message generation!
rogeruktm on Jul 5, 09 at 05:33 PM

Seamus, you think? Only 70. Still, it's about showing respect to the reader. Just a pet peeve.
Cadgirl on Jul 5, 09 at 06:58 PM

Youngtom, could you go into more detail about your stay at the hotel? I'm staying there in November. Details Man! Thanks!
Apres_Londee on Jul 5, 09 at 08:06 PM

The ROH broadcast must have been wonderful and a lot fun in Trafalgar Sq. So many people enjoy taking the bus in London, I should remember that next time instead of automatically thinking "tube".

Thanks for the report, youngtom.
youngtom2910 on Jul 6, 09 at 01:52 PM

someone asked for more info about the club quarters-trafalgar. it is just off the square on northumberland. It's only 3 floors. My room was pretty large--had room to do a little yoga while watching wimbledon between the bath and my bed. The TV was nice-big flat screen. check -in a breeze-- not a big hotel. there is a small exercise area with some machines. Free internet is available in the lobby lounge on hte 2d floor. only one machine but wasn't a problem when I was there. My room as very quiet, which is surprising. the bed was great.

want to know anything else?
youngtom2910 on Jul 6, 09 at 01:54 PM

oh yeah--the rothkos were moved from the tate modern for a show (ending in july i think) comparing them with turners at the tate.

nona1 on Jul 7, 09 at 08:40 AM

hi youngtom,

glad you had a great trip and enjoyed yourself.

can i point out my little peeve...please don't abbreviate street/squsre names when you are discussing a European city (Trafalgar, Northumberland, Southampton etc). Unlike the US, which has modern 'planned' cities with sensibly only one place with each name, European cities will have a whole array of places with basically the same name, quite often next to each other, so using the full version, including 'Street, Road, Terrace, Square, Mews,whatver' is essential to avoid confusion.

Besides...it just REALLY grates to our ears...

thanks

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