London TR
Jun 27th, 2013, 09:24 AM
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London TR
London TR
Day 1 : 06/25/13. We (wife & 2 fifteen y/o grandchildren) arrived at LHR about 7:30 AM and waited about 45 minutes to clear immigration ( not a good time to arrive). Met our driver and after some rush hour traffic arrived at our London Connections flat on Haymarket St in Piccadilly about 10 AM.
After getting some provisions at a local Tesco market we adventured out. We walked along St. James Prk to Buckingham Palace for some photo ops. We proceeded to the Victoria Train station where we picked up our kids 11-15 YO Oyster cards which we had applied for months ago. We also got cards for ourselves. As we were starting to drag by now, we hopped on the tube & took it 2 stops to Westminster. Coming out onto the street to the view of the Parliament was awesome. We walked on the Westminster Bridge for pix of Parliament and the London Eye. We then proceeded up thru Trafalgar Sq back to our flat. After freshening up we walked to Covent Garden for our dinner at Belgo Centraal (which was better than the raves we read about). We then strolled back thru CG; found a place for delicious gelato and crashed back at our flat at about 9:30.
Day 2:
After a leisurely breakfast in our flat, we were off to Queensway tube station where we met our guide (jamie) for our Fattire Bike tour. It was an exhausting 4 hr bike ride thru Kensington Gardens, Hyde park, on to Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Sq. the a 45 min lunch break then on to Westminster Abbey, Parliament and along the way. Jamie was great with his anecdotes and history of the sites. The evening consisted of a great dinner at Da Mario in Covent Gdn followed by Spamalot at the Playhouse Theatre. A full day.
Day 3:
We're off for a day trip to Windsor. We took the the tube to Waterloo where we purchased combination rail/Windsor Castle tkts. Took guided tour and audio tour of the Castle grounds and State apartments. Very impressive for a summer home. Back around 4:30 to chill with a glass of wine.
To be continued.
Day 1 : 06/25/13. We (wife & 2 fifteen y/o grandchildren) arrived at LHR about 7:30 AM and waited about 45 minutes to clear immigration ( not a good time to arrive). Met our driver and after some rush hour traffic arrived at our London Connections flat on Haymarket St in Piccadilly about 10 AM.
After getting some provisions at a local Tesco market we adventured out. We walked along St. James Prk to Buckingham Palace for some photo ops. We proceeded to the Victoria Train station where we picked up our kids 11-15 YO Oyster cards which we had applied for months ago. We also got cards for ourselves. As we were starting to drag by now, we hopped on the tube & took it 2 stops to Westminster. Coming out onto the street to the view of the Parliament was awesome. We walked on the Westminster Bridge for pix of Parliament and the London Eye. We then proceeded up thru Trafalgar Sq back to our flat. After freshening up we walked to Covent Garden for our dinner at Belgo Centraal (which was better than the raves we read about). We then strolled back thru CG; found a place for delicious gelato and crashed back at our flat at about 9:30.
Day 2:
After a leisurely breakfast in our flat, we were off to Queensway tube station where we met our guide (jamie) for our Fattire Bike tour. It was an exhausting 4 hr bike ride thru Kensington Gardens, Hyde park, on to Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Sq. the a 45 min lunch break then on to Westminster Abbey, Parliament and along the way. Jamie was great with his anecdotes and history of the sites. The evening consisted of a great dinner at Da Mario in Covent Gdn followed by Spamalot at the Playhouse Theatre. A full day.
Day 3:
We're off for a day trip to Windsor. We took the the tube to Waterloo where we purchased combination rail/Windsor Castle tkts. Took guided tour and audio tour of the Castle grounds and State apartments. Very impressive for a summer home. Back around 4:30 to chill with a glass of wine.
To be continued.
Jul 5th, 2013, 10:23 AM
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Tr continued:
Ate locally because of light showers at San Carlo Cicchetti in Picadilly. Excellent food. Then took long walk up Regent St to Oxford St where we made a left and wound up at Selfridges.
Day 4:Friday
We're off to the Tower of London on a drizzly Friday morning. At the Tower we joined a guided tour and after that an audio tour of the State rooms. The immense crowds prevented us from seeing the Queen's Dolls house. After walking across the Tower Bridge we headed back.
After a pub lunch in Trafalgar Square we decided to see the tremendous art at the National Gallery.
Friday night we ate at Da Mario again since it was close to the Dominion Theatre where we saw 'We Will Rock You' which was fabulous.
Day 5: Saturday
Decided to do a London Walk of Notting Hill & Portobello Road. We met our guide Richard III at Queensway Tube Station and proceeded with about 15 others to beautiful Holland Park and then onto the streets of Notting Hill. Richard talked about the history and architecture of Notting Hill. He then led us to the street market on Portobello Road. There among thousands of people our walk ended.
Our trip wouldn't have been complete if we hadn't seen Harrod's so we stopped there after our lunch in a Notting Hill Pizzeria.
After a quick stop at Harrod's, we thought we could get a tour of the Houses of Parliament, but by the time we got there the last tour was already under way. So we made our way back through Trafalgar Square where we were met by a million people on Gay Pride Day.
We then separated as my wife & granddaughter did afternoon tea at the National Gallery and my grandson & I went into the National Portrait Gallery.
After a late dinner at on of the many steak houses we called it a day.
Day 6: Sunday
Our last full day, started off by taking a tube ride to Camden Market, where we were able to finish our souvenir shopping for our other grandchildren.
We returned to our flat to drop off our stash and then proceeded to the South Walk and the London Eye. As the queue for the Eye was about an hour long we decided to only do the London Eye River Cruise which was much shorter. The cruise took about 40 minutes.
After the cruise we strolled back toward our flat and decided to stop at the Churchill War Rooms, which we all enjoyed.
Day 7: Monday
Our driver, David , picked us up at ten AM for our ride to Heathrow.
Ate locally because of light showers at San Carlo Cicchetti in Picadilly. Excellent food. Then took long walk up Regent St to Oxford St where we made a left and wound up at Selfridges.
Day 4:Friday
We're off to the Tower of London on a drizzly Friday morning. At the Tower we joined a guided tour and after that an audio tour of the State rooms. The immense crowds prevented us from seeing the Queen's Dolls house. After walking across the Tower Bridge we headed back.
After a pub lunch in Trafalgar Square we decided to see the tremendous art at the National Gallery.
Friday night we ate at Da Mario again since it was close to the Dominion Theatre where we saw 'We Will Rock You' which was fabulous.
Day 5: Saturday
Decided to do a London Walk of Notting Hill & Portobello Road. We met our guide Richard III at Queensway Tube Station and proceeded with about 15 others to beautiful Holland Park and then onto the streets of Notting Hill. Richard talked about the history and architecture of Notting Hill. He then led us to the street market on Portobello Road. There among thousands of people our walk ended.
Our trip wouldn't have been complete if we hadn't seen Harrod's so we stopped there after our lunch in a Notting Hill Pizzeria.
After a quick stop at Harrod's, we thought we could get a tour of the Houses of Parliament, but by the time we got there the last tour was already under way. So we made our way back through Trafalgar Square where we were met by a million people on Gay Pride Day.
We then separated as my wife & granddaughter did afternoon tea at the National Gallery and my grandson & I went into the National Portrait Gallery.
After a late dinner at on of the many steak houses we called it a day.
Day 6: Sunday
Our last full day, started off by taking a tube ride to Camden Market, where we were able to finish our souvenir shopping for our other grandchildren.
We returned to our flat to drop off our stash and then proceeded to the South Walk and the London Eye. As the queue for the Eye was about an hour long we decided to only do the London Eye River Cruise which was much shorter. The cruise took about 40 minutes.
After the cruise we strolled back toward our flat and decided to stop at the Churchill War Rooms, which we all enjoyed.
Day 7: Monday
Our driver, David , picked us up at ten AM for our ride to Heathrow.
Jul 5th, 2013, 10:28 AM
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Our weather from 25 June to 1July was great. The early part of the week was partly cloudy with highs 68 - 70. Friday morning was showery. The rest of the weekend was sunny and 80 degrees.
Jul 5th, 2013, 11:04 AM
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<<Decided to do a London Walk of Notting Hill & Portobello Road. We met our guide Richard III at Queensway Tube Station and proceeded with about 15 others to beautiful Holland Park and then onto the streets of Notting Hill. Richard talked about the history and architecture of Notting Hill. He then led us to the street market on Portobello Road. There among thousands of people our walk ended.>>
Wow, your guide was Richard III? Absolutely amazing, he's been dead for around 600 years, except on Twitter where he's still posting fairly regularly!
Shame he's not working at The Tower...
Wow, your guide was Richard III? Absolutely amazing, he's been dead for around 600 years, except on Twitter where he's still posting fairly regularly!
Shame he's not working at The Tower...
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