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On July 3, 2011, our family left Kansas City for nine days in London. This is our story, written in installments. (I intended to write the whole thing and post, but it's pretty long!)
A little background: My husband is a fund-raising consultant, and he was traveling to London to participate in a conference of the Institute of Fundraisers, England’s professional association of fundraisers. He had to be at the conference part of Tuesday and all day Wednesday. The rest of his stay was play time.
All of it was play time for us, his family. That includes the wife – yours truly; our three kids – DS15, DD13 and DS8; and my husband’s parents, whom we invited because they wanted to take a trip with us, and we didn’t want to take another cruise (the inlaws’ preferred mode of travel.)
I couldn’t have planned this trip without the help of those who contribute to the Fodor’s forums. I took your suggestions and worked them around our schedule and interests, and we had one of our best vacations ever. Thanks so much.
That said, some of our most wonderful memories were made when our original plans fell through or had to be tweaked because of various pitfalls.
After I planned the itinerary, I took Big Russ’s advice and went to http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/, where I searched for coupons we could use. I printed out several, and they really saved us!
Here we go!
Sunday/Monday: We left Kansas City Sunday, connected in Detroit to a London-bound flight and landed at Heathrow around 7:30 a.m. Monday. Luckily, we slept a little on the flight. A year earlier, our DD8 was so excited on the way to Paris that he talked nonstop all the way to the poor sap sitting next to him – that would be me. This time, DD8 knew the drill and took a snooze.
The first glitch – one bag didn’t leave Detroit. It was my mother-in-law’s toiletry bag, which contained her meds for a chronic health condition. She, of course, had a couple days’ worth in her purse, but it was a little stressful. And it made for a late night, since Delta didn’t get it to us until about 11 p.m. But everything turned out OK.
We had booked a car with Addison Lee, and the driver was waiting outside the terminal when we arrived. In about an hour, we arrived at our flat in Kensington. http://www.vrbo.com/303500 What a great location! It’s on Edge Street, a dead-end street that runs into Kensington Church Street two blocks south of Notting Hill Gate and the tube station. The owners’ agent met us there. The flat was being cleaned, so he gave us a tour before we stowed our luggage and headed out.
First stop: some place to eat. Just by the Tube station entrance we found Eat, one of a chain of sandwich bars http://www.eat.co.uk/pages/where_78.shtml. Everyone found something to like there, where the food is fresh and healthy and prepared daily. After a bite to eat, we were ready to tackle the city.
Notting Hill Gate Tube station turned out to be a great base, since three lines go through there: the Central, District and Circle lines. We bought one-day passes and took the Central line to Waterloo Station, where we then bought the paper Travelcards Big Russ recommended – we needed these Travelcards to use the two-for-one deals from the Daysout Guide. We bought zones 1 and 2 and only had to buy extenders for outside these zones twice during our trip – once to go to Salisbury and once for Hampton Court.
Afterward, we left the station and went to the South Bank. Our intent was to ride the London Eye. It was a great day – sunny, warm. So everyone else was in line to ride the Eye, too! We decided to catch the Eye another time, so we started walking west along the Thames. The kids loved the performers near the Eye. We just enjoyed the scenery. Our destination was the Globe Theatre, but we just meandered. We walked past a book sale and people fishing off wharves. Not far from the National Theatre, we came upon some huge oversized furniture. It was the perfect place for a rest.
At Caffe Alba, we paused for another break at some bistro tables outside. Most in our party enjoyed a gelato while we watched a fisherman reel in eels, which, he explained, he serves with mash.
With the Olympics coming to London in 2012, there’s lots of construction going on. So we had a slight detour up and over the Queen’s Walk to get to the Globe Theatre, but no worries. We walked around outside the Globe, taking photos. We considered taking the tour, but our kids weren’t into it. My mother-in-law had been before, and my father-in-law, husband and I decided we’d rather spend our time elsewhere.
Next on the itinerary was walking across the Milennium Bridge. This was awesome! I was really nervous because I have a bridge phobia, but I faced my fear and plowed ahead. The view of St. Paul’s as we walked across was worth it, not to mention the views up and down the river. Lots of great photo ops for my in-laws, who are voracious photographers.
It was really warm that day – in the upper 70s, low 80s. We were hot and getting tired. So in a little green space across St. Paul’s Churchyard, we collapsed! Collapsed, I tell you. We took a little respite there, maybe 15 minutes or so. By now, it was mid-afternoon.
Our destination on this side of the Thames – the Museum of London. It’s not far from St. Paul’s, but for the kiddos, it seemed like a haul. However, there were so many sights to see – our first red telephone booth, intriguing little side streets, pubs with colorful names. As we strolled down Aldersgate Street, we found a plaque explaining what the alder gate was – one of the ancient Roman gates. As I read the plaque, I said aloud that this must be close to where John Wesley founded the Methodist movement. I looked across the street, and there was a little courtyard with an ancient church surrounded by ancient tombstones. And inside the cool courtyard was a plaque explaining that this was the spot where Wesley had his conversion experience. For a family of United Methodists, this was a surprising and somewhat spiritual experience.
We lingered a bit before continuing on down the street to the Museum of London. Outside is a piano begging to be played, and our three musical kids obliged before we headed inside. What a cool museum! It’s free, and it tells the story of London from prehistory to present day. Our DD8 fell asleep, and my mother-in-law was exhausted, too. So they warmed a bench while the rest of us toured the museum. Later in our visit to London, my husband thanked me for pushing us to visit this museum on our first day, as it gave us an overview of what we’d be seeing later. Especially interesting to me were the bits on the plague and the Great Fire. One of the coolest things at that museum were the benches you could carry through to sit when you needed to.
We left the museum and headed down Aldersgate to the St. Paul tube station, when is on the Central line. That took us right back to Notting Hill Gate.
Our flat was not only two blocks from the tube, but two blocks south of our flat on Kensington Church Street was the Churchill Arms (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d718509-Reviews-Churchill_Arms-London_England.html), a great traditional pub with the most awesome Thai kitchen in the back. We ate there that first night, and we felt instantly at home. In fact, all of us remarked that day that London felt so right. We were so happy to be there!
More later…
Nine days on the ground in London: A trip report
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KSBeem, you certainly had a full day for starters! Thank you - will continue to follow...
ksbeem, another traveler already looking forward to a great trip report thread.
The first glitch – one bag didn’t leave Detroit. It was my mother-in-law’s toiletry bag, which contained her meds for a chronic health condition.
Oh, dear! Glad to read it turned out okay in the end. Was there a reason she didn't have all her meds in carry on? Or will they be in carry on from now on, eh?
She takes a lot of medications. She travels a lot, so I guess this is what works for her. Some might be liquids, too. I don't really know why she packed them that way.
Loving the report so far - cant wait for more!
A good trip report! Looking forward to read more ..
My family and I will be in London next week. I tried to print (claim) coupon (2 for 1) from Day Out Guide but failed. I was asked to fill the form but there is no choice to pick the city in Canada where I live. What did I do wrong?
Ooopsss sorry .. my fault not to read carefully. I found the option to pick "other". Thanks!
Thanks for the answer, ksbeem, and apologies if my question sounds critical. I was very surprised to read of necessary meds in a checked bag.
Looking forward to many more posts of your report.
Brillian work, ksbeem! And that refers to the planning, attitude, flexibility, and your reporting. Looking forward to the rest.
Montyesther, make sure you print as many as you need and for whatever you think you might be doing. I printed some we didn't end up needing but better safe that sorry.
We used them on the Chelsea stadium tour, the Tower of London and Hampton Court. Saved quite a bit of money.
Ksbeem,
Looking forward to the rest. We spent 10 days last year and also loved it!
ksbeem - thanks! looking forward to the rest.
Great beginning! Can't wait to read more! London is about my most favorite European city. I loved the Museum of London as much as you did.
Thanks for sharing!
Great beginning! Can't wait to read more! London is about my most favorite European city. I loved the Museum of London as much as you did.
Thanks for sharing!
Our departure date is rapidly arriving, also 10 days to see London for the first time. Doubt we will be as active as you on the first jet-lagged day!
Looking forward to more.
Churchill Arms is a great boozer - glad to see you found it!
Tuesday: We slept in a little later than we intended to on Tuesday, which meant we got a later start than my itinerary dictated. Turns out my mother-in-law needs a full two hours to get ready in the mornings. That was one of many truths we learned about each other on our trip. My husband, kids and I are accustomed to a quick turnaround in the mornings, but we quickly learned to be flexible. I used my yoga breathing to calm myself down and remind myself that even if we deviated from schedule, we’d see thing we’d never seen before!
So the plan Tuesday was to tour Stamford Bridge (http://www.chelseafc.com), the famous stadium where the Chelsea Football Club plays, in the morning. Then my husband would go to his conference in the afternoon, and we’d meander toward Kensington Gardens and the palace. The Chelsea tour was a last-minute add-on to our trip itinerary but one the kids were looking forward to. They all three play soccer and particularly love Chelsea. In fact, our somewhat-jaded DS15 wore his Didier Drogba jersey that day and spent more than an hour inside the team museum after our tour.
Armed with our 2-for-1 coupons, we struck out for Chelsea that morning. It was our second day on the Tube, and we quickly learned that some lines split off and that you need to pay attention to the terminus when you hop on a train. Luckily, we only went one stop before we realized we needed a different District line train. So we waited at the High Street Kensington station for the next train bound for Chelsea. There a very nice gentleman explained the Tube system a little more to us and gave us his advice on sites to see in and around London.
This was one of the highlights of the trip for me – meeting people. The level of civility we encountered in London was so refreshing from other places we’ve visited. Never when we asked for assistance did we encounter rudeness or impatience. That was especially nice considering my mother-in-law’s hearing loss.
We finally made it to Chelsea. The stadium is very near the Fulham Broadway Tube station, and outside the stadium on the surrounding walls are larger-than-life photos of Chelsea players. The kids were in heaven.
The tour was interesting, even for a fair-weather soccer fan like myself. We visited the press room and the home locker room. The kids got their photos taken in front of Drogba’s locker before the group headed for the pitch. We couldn’t go on the field, but the nice tour guide explained a little of Chelsea’s history as we sat and stood near the seats where the players spend the games.
After the tour ended, we visited the museum. It has excellent exhibits on the Chelsea club, which has a rich history. The young woman greeting folks in the museum asked where we hailed from. We said the US, and she asked where. Thinking no one knows about the middle of the country, we nevertheless told her, “Kansas City.” Turns out she had worked for our hometown professional soccer team , formerly called the Wizards (and now named Sporting Kansas City.) The kids thought that was pretty cool!
On our way to the team store, the hubs split to go back to the flat and then on to his conference. I entirely underestimated the amount of time my kiddos and their grandmother, a shopper extraordinaire, would spend in this store. It was after noon, we were hungry, but she kept going, like the Energizer bunny. I had to do some more yoga breathing, but what really calmed my nerves were the prices on merchandise! I don’t know if it’s because we were hitting the July sales or the down economy, but prices on items were very reasonable. The same jersey my son was wearing, which he had received for a birthday present, was about 20 percent less expensive there, even when I converted the price to USD. We found this to be true in many other venues. So that was nice.
After everyone had found their perfect Chelsea souvenir, we headed back to the Tube and took it back to Notting Hill Gate. We got off and began walking east to Kensington Gardens.
Right here, I will recommend a really awesome book of maps, the Knopf MapGuide: London (http://www.amazon.com/Knopf-MapGuide-London-Mapguides/dp/0307263878/ref=pd_sim_b_7) The book divides London into zones, with a fold-out map for each zone. They’re not large, so you can walk down the street with this really detailed map that you can read without looking completely touristy.
Anyway, we were using this map, so we cut up Kensington Palace Gardens and found ourselves on a street of embassies. So neat, strolling along in the beautiful weather and gazing at the lovely homes, some officials residences of ambassadors to the U.K. Apparently, this street is often referred to as “Billionaires Row.” Who knew? Well, lots of people, but we didn’t. Wasn’t on our list of things to see, but it’s cool that we saw it. Love those kinds of surprises.
It was kind of sprinkling when we walked into the gardens. The palace (http://www.hrp.org.uk/kensingtonPalace/) is being renovated right now. There’s an exhibit on called Enchanted Palace, and the state apartments are still on display. However, despite our 2-for-1 tickets, we opted now to spend the time visiting, since we couldn’t see everything. We decided it was just another reason to come back for a visit after the palace’s renovation is unveiled in 2012.
However, the Orangerie was open for afternoon tea. What an enchanting venue! We had a traditional English tea, complete with finger sandwiches. It was a nice respite and so wonderful to think that the space was once a greenhouse used by Queen Mary II. And later in the week, when we visited Hampton Court Palace, the kids could make the connection between the Orangerie at Kensington and the Orangerie and exotic gardens at Hampton Court Palace.
Again, the civility and friendliness of the Brits was so great. Our DS8 was chasing pigeons as we walked along the gravel path from the gardens to the palace. He chased them right on to the lawn, just in front of a sign that clearly declared visitors must stay off the grass. A gardener walked toward DS8, and I figured he’d get his clock cleaned. Instead, the gentleman gently steered our son toward the gravel, then winkingly chastised him for wearing a Chelsea jersey. Tottenham’s better, he said sternly.
We walked a bit in the gardens, then the rain came. So we walked down the path toward Kensington High Street. From there, it was a relatively short walk to Kensington Church Street, which took us past shops and restaurants to our street and our flat.
We rested a bit, found the hubs, changed clothes and struck out for the New London Theatre and War Horse. The show starts at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays. We had a little family fracas when I found the DD15 reading in his room instead of changing his clothes, but we made it onto the train at a reasonable time. Took the Tube to Holborn on the Central line.
And here’s where everything fell apart. It was a busy time in a busy place, and as we walked west on High Holborn, we missed the split where High Holborn goes southwest and New Oxford Street begins. Pretty soon we were hopelessly lost, and my book of maps was no help. I started to panic. No one else in our party had a clue where to go.
Finally, and I have no flipping idea where we were at this point, we stopped a nice-looking businessman and asked for help. We told him where we were going, and he looked at our map, and then he channeled a Hugh Grant character. There was a lot of sputtering and, “You see, it would be better if this street went straight though, wouldn’t it, but it doesn’t.” Finally, we thanked him and moved on. I was practically in tears, but my husband insisted we flag a couple taxis. Impossible at 6:40 p.m.! But we did it. In a few minutes, we were delivered to the New London Theatre, just minutes before the curtain went up.
We had tickets at the will call window, so everything was OK.
The show was spectacular. (http://warhorselondon.nationaltheatre.org.uk/) I cannot recommend it enough. All three kids loved it, as did the grandparents. World War I changed warfare forever, and the farther we get from it, people tend to forget it. Yet that war of a century ago is still so real for Europeans. As Americans, it’s something we read about, but to be so close was overwhelming. And it really was a great precursor for our Wednesday trip to the Salisbury plain.
The show was more than two hours, so we were starved after. We headed to Rock and Sole Plaice (http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/rock-and-sole-plaice-london ) , which a Fodorite had recommended. The joint was pretty empty, which was lucky for our party of seven – it’s not a big spot. My father-in-law, an easygoing sort, had one request – fish and chips. This was the place. The food was awesome! The tartar sauce – awesome. Everyone tried a different type of fish, which was fun.
Of course, we were very close to the Covent Garden Tube station on the Piccadilly line, which we took back to Holborn and then on to Notting Hill Gate. The downside of that station is the stairs, but the elevator was working, so everything was golden.
We made it home and poured ourselves into bed, ready for Wednesday and our trip to Salisbury and Stonehenge…
rncheryl, I'm trying to type as fast as I can! It's back-to-school time, so I'm crazy busy. But if you've got specific questions, e-mail me at ksbeem@sbcglobal.net.
Ksbeem, thanks for continuing - take your time.
Understand the hectic time, just don't leave us hanging. I am really enjoying your tale. Thanks!
Understand the hectic time, just don't leave us hanging. I am really enjoying your tale. Thanks!
The next installment:
Wednesday: Today, the hubs had to work the entire day! Poor him. We just couldn’t let a whole day go. And everything else was contingent on other things, so this was our only day to go to Salisbury. He was OK with that. He and I will go back again, we promised each other.
So I was a little nervous about this day. I love my in-laws, but they’re accustomed to traveling in large groups led by a guide. My MIL, bless her heart, questioned me at every turn. No matter that I had been researching for months. She couldn’t help it. Thank God for yoga is all I can say.
My only experience with trains in Europe before this trip was taking the TGV from Gare de Lyon to Avignon. And if you’ve done that and your French is rusty, you know that it’s a bit nerve-wracking.
Not so in London. For one thing, the language is no barrier. And for another, the signage in British train stations is far superior to those in Paris, IMO. So we took the Tube to Waterloo station, then asked a ticket agent there for a ticket to Salisbury. We paid a little upcharge, he explained the drill, and we were off.
The trip by train takes about 90 minutes. Once you disembark in Salisbury and leave the station, you turn left and there’s a bus to Stonehenge. Costs 18 pounds for adults, 15 pounds for seniors and 9 pounds for children. The double-decker bus takes you through Salisbury, past Old Sarum and to Stonehenge, with an audio tour. Then the driver takes you right up to the Stonehenge entrance, where you can walk right up to the site.
Some people have said Stonehenge is underwhelming. We did not find this to be the case. When we first planned our trip, I asked my kids what they wanted to see, and all three wanted to visit Stonehenge. They have been to other UNESCO World Heritage Sites (http://whc.unesco.org/), and they are huge history buffs. They wanted to see this place. I did, too, so I was glad they were so excited. My in-laws had been there before, but as part of a large group. They had a slightly different experience.
My older kids and I discussed the significance of the site in between listening to the audioguide, but my DS8 was enthralled with the audioguide itself. He listened to the whole thing, thus our visit to the stones was more prolonged than some. For us, it was an inspiring visit.
The bus picks up every 30 minutes, so when we were ready to go we only waited about 10-15 minutes for a bus. The ride back to Salisbury was interesting. The landscape is so beautiful, and it’s interesting to see the surrounding burial mounds. We opted not to get off at Old Sarum. It was a blustery day, and my mother-in-law wasn’t sure she could hike to the top of the hill.
We left the bus when it stopped in the center of Salisbury. What a beautiful village! The architecture is just enchanting. We asked a woman pushing a pram for recommendations for lunch, and she directed us to Strada, an Italian chain restaurant. The food was all right; actually, the kids love it. My daughter could subsist on spaghetti. But I didn’t want to take the time to eat there; I wanted to go to the cathedral.
This is something that bugged me during the whole trip. With so many people traveling together, someone always was hungry and demanding a meal. I think we wasted a lot of time eating. But I realize I’m a little neurotic and schedule-oriented. So more yoga breathing for me.
However, I was totally right. By the time we navigated toward the cathedral and DS8 went to the bathroom for the umpteenth time, it was almost 4:30 p.m. Also, we didn’t always move so quickly because my MIL is slightly distracted by any and all shopping opportunities. I practically ran into the cathedral and asked after the chapter house, where we could gaze at an original copy of the Magna Carta. According to my 2011 Fodor’s England, the chapter house was open until 5:30 p.m. So I was crushed when the nice lady taking admission said the chapter house closes at 4:30 p.m. and has for a year. We weren’t the only ones with faulty information, either, because there were about five groups of people behind us who also thought it was open until 5:30 p.m. I was so upset. My DD13 was looking forward to seeing the Magna Carta, too, because she just had studied it in school.
So we just wandered around the cathedral cloisters and close. The cathedral is just breathtaking.
We made it back to the Salisbury train station just in time to catch a departing train to London. Seats were at a premium, so we split up a bit. My in-laws sat together in the back of our coach. My younger two kids fell asleep. And my DS15 and I sat next to two young men returning to London from some military maneuvers. They were great fun to talk to, although when they got going my son and I had some trouble understanding them. They gave us some great advice on sites to see – they suggested Hamleys, for example, which I hadn’t thought of but that my younger son just loved.
On the train to London, I texted my husband and asked him to meet us at Waterloo station. He had just returned from his conference and so had the chance to go for a run in Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. He absolutely loved it and went back later in the week. He wrote about it here: http://www.examiner.net/opinions/x1259739662/Matt-Beem-London-what-took-so-long.
He met us at Waterloo. The weather was deluxe, and we decided to pop over to the London Eye and see what the lines were like. There basically was no line, so my husband and I and our kids bought tickets and hopped on. The in-laws had no desire to go up, so they sat outside and people-watched and waited for us.
For me personally, riding the London Eye was conquering my fear. I do not like heights particularly, but I really wasn’t afraid. And the views – wow! How could I focus on my fears when there was so much to see? We got some great photos. We bought the little 360-degree map thing sold at the ticket desk so we would have a souvenir and actually know what we were looking at.
The ride took about 30 minutes. When we finished, we all went back to Waterloo and took the Tube to Notting Hill Gate. This night, we ate at a wonderful Greek restaurant called Costas Grill (http://www.costasgrill.com/) on Hillgate Street. It was getting late, but the proprietor welcomed us with classic Greek hospitality. The food was delicious, and there was something for everyone. My in-laws aren’t the most adventurous eaters, but they are great sports and remarked that they never thought they’d travel to England and end up eating more ethnic food than they could imagine!
We basically closed down the restaurant, then went west on Hillgate Street to our flat after another great day in London.
At this point in the trip, I began to worry that I was walking my in-laws too much. They just don’t travel in this way, but I think they enjoyed seeing the things they were seeing (at least, that was their story.) They had been to London two or three times but rarely really saw it. However, they were completely exhausted by the end of the day.
Sorry you missed seeing Salisbury's copy of Magna Carta.
You might be interested in this British Library website
http://www.bl.uk/treasures/magnacarta/index.html
BTW, the good folk of Salisbury would be mildly surprised to find that their city has dwindled into a village
Aha, it looks as though the British Library still has a copy on display
http://www.bl.uk/whatson/permgall/treasures/magna.html
It will not be as good a copy as the Salisbury one but worth a visit.
There's a lot of other wonderful stuff to see in that gallery too. I love the literary manuscripts and the sacred texts. The sacred texts are beautifully illuminated. You can see the actual book and in many cases can "virtually" turn the pages.
Here's some more---
Thursday: Today was our Tower of London day. Contrary to the advice of many on this forum, we went to the tower in the morning, then returned at night for the Ceremony of the Keys. It was a long day, but it worked out in the end.
We arrived at the Tower just as it opened. We used our 2-for-1 coupons to save on admission, then headed in and went straight to the Crown Jewels. So glad we followed that Fodorite advice because when we came out , the line was literally out the door of the building. Then we looked around a bit before heading back to the entrance to catch a Beefeater tour.
Alas! It began to storm. The wind blew, rain started pouring, but a crowd of us stood, huddled under umbrellas, and waited for the tour to begin. Pretty soon a Beefeater approached and told us the tour was canceled until the weather broke. He suggested visiting the chapel in the White Tower for a different sort of guided tour.
I was crestfallen. This was not in my plan! However, we slogged over to the White Tower, went too quickly through the first floor exhibit and hurried to the second floor to the chapel. The talk there didn’t disappoint. And maybe we wouldn’t have done this if the weather had been nicer. We learned about the chapel and some of the famous folk who worshipped there. Again, it was a nice precursor to something we’d do later in the week – namely our visit to Hampton Court Palace.
After the talk, we went through the White Tower. An ongoing issue we had to deal with on this vacation was our DS8’s teeny tiny bladder. The kid had to go to the bathroom at the most inopportune times and always when there was no loo in sight. This was one of those times. The White Tower filled with people because of the storm outside, and the line through the exhibit got longer and slower. Finally, DS8 could hold it no more, so my husband said he’d go with him to find a restroom. They ended up eventually leaving the White Tower and going to the New Armouries Café, where they secured a table for seven.
It’s a good thing they did, since the place was packed with people who resembled drowned rats. The rain was not letting up. Our feet were soaked, and the cobblestones were slick. But the café was warm and dry, and the food was very good and reasonably priced. (http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/cafésandrestaurantsatthetoweroflondon.aspx) The mushy peas were exceptionally good, the kids thought.
Finally, we left the warmth and headed back into the gale. From there, we walked around the Tower, visiting the Tower Green, the Bloody Tower, the Lower Wakefield Tower. We also observed some obnoxious behavior. There was soldier posted next to the entrance of the Jewel House. I think he was a member of the Irish Guard. Anyway, some girls were trying to get him to smile. They were really being ridiculous and shrieky. I don’t know if this behavior is typical; I know the soldiers are famously stoic – but really. Such silly behavior. And then, when I was in the restroom, some teen girls were monopolizing the hand dryers as they attempted to dry out their Ugg boots. I reported them to the restroom attendant, who told me she’d said something to them but they were rude to her, so she let them be. Just kind of put a damper on the visit.
Anyway, in early afternoon, we decided to head out. I was still disappointed about the Beefeater tour, but the weather still stunk. So we decided to stop by Harrods on our way back to the flat. My MIL loves that place. It really is kind of a zoo in there. But it was something to behold. The Egyptian escalator was so interesting.
All over that ginormous store were women in full-length burqas, some with veils. They were buying large amounts of merchandise. I stopped into the children’s section to buy a gift for a friend back home who’d had a baby. On my way to the sale racks, I passed through a section with the fanciest dresses for little girls, some priced at more than 1,300 pounds. Women in burqas were buying things from this department with abandon. Just an interesting sight to behold. Here's an interesting story that might explain the trend: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/french-burka-ban-helps-london--to-cash-in-on-overseas-shoppers-2319918.html
My teens discovered a floor with all kinds of athletic apparel, and we actually ended up buying DS15 a new pair of soccer cleats because their sale price, even converted to USD, was cheaper than back at home.
We finally exited Harrods through the food halls and headed for the flat. We wanted to eat quickly so we’d have time to rest before heading back to the Tower. We grabbed some food at the Eat near the Notting Hill Gate Tube stop and went back to the flat to eat.
We left around 8 p.m. to get back to the Tower. I had requested the free Ceremony of the Keys tickets in April, and the accompanying letter stipulated that latecomers would not be admitted! (http://www.hrp.org.uk/toweroflondon/whatson/ceremonyofthekeys.aspx) So we wanted to be early. We were about 30 minutes or more early, but that was OK. The weather had finally cleared and actually was warmer than in the daytime. It was a beautiful evening.
There was a large group of ceremony goers when the yeoman warder finally let us in. He was really informative and funny, ribbing us Americans for leaving England and all this history behind. It really does blow the mind to think of how many years certain things have been going on – the Ceremony of the Keys for 700 years, for example. That was a great take-away for our kids – the longevity of traditions and buildings and such in London, as compared with our Midwestern city where something that’s barely 100 years old is considered ancient. We all enjoyed the mysteriousness and pageantry of the ceremony. My in-laws particularly found it fascinating; despite their many trips to London, they’d never visited a site in this manner.
Again, I extend my thanks to the Fodorite who suggested the ceremony. What a wonderful experience!
ttt
I'm following your days with great interest! Thanks for sharing your tips (2FOR1 coupons, Knopf map guide ...) & stories! I wondered how the trip up on the London Eye was for us folks who do not like heights! Like you, the views might be more compelling than my worry! Looking forward to more!
Thanks, 2010. The Eye is doable, and I'm so glad to be able to say I've done it!
So far, so good. We are planning tea at the Orangerie. Glad you enjoyed it.
Our Tower schedule is a little different from yours. Our tix to The Keyes Ceremony is one night, and our planned tour is the next morning. Lots of tube rides, right?
I am completely ruling out any rain when we are there! I have too much planned to deal with rain. I have done a lot of reading about the history of the monarchy, and will look for the lost princes in the Tower, and cannot wait to see Hampton Court.
Enjoying the report..............Had to google what soccer (football) cleats were though.
Hampton Court was great. We went there on Sunday. I will get to that part soon, I hope!
Good report.
I am enjoying it very much.
I LOVE the Museum of London.
Ksbeem, really enjoying your report. You must be very resourceful to muster three generations on all of these jaunts. You obviously did a great deal of preparation for your trip to Stonehenge and Salisbury. I went to Salisbury in July. Shame of me – I did not realize that there was a copy of the Magna Carta in the museum there. Oh, well!
Loved the cathedral too. Did you notice those statutes/mannequins/ colorful figures of modern day pilgrims scattered about the building? Really brings the experience of the modern day pilgrim into such a sacred place.
Will continue to follow….
We love the Churchill Arms too! Every time we are in London, we have to go there. My son was even on a school trip this summer and brought some classmates for a pint and some Thai food.
I am following your report with enthusiasm. Can't wait to hear about Hampton Court Palace.
One of our favorites was Hampton Court Palace. We caught the live kitchen demonstrations and son loved being able to light the tinder box and turn the meat on the spigot. Not to mention the fabulous gardens. We never got to see a skit or little show but we did see the actors in costume wandering about the grounds a few times.
We also thought both cafeterias--the one at the Tower of London and the one at Hampton Court were rather good and offered healthy options.
ksbeem, I am loving your report. We are leaving for London in a week so will follow some of your advice. Thanks.
Thanks, guys. I am writing when I can!
So sorry for the long delay. Life just got really busy! But I’m back…
On Friday, we slept in a little before heading to the Green Park Tube station to meet our Royal Westminster London Walks guide (www.walks.com.) Our guide was Brian.
***Here I will plug London Walks. Thanks to this forum, we discovered London Walks. The Royal Westminster tour was especially recommended as a great way to see not only the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace but also Westminster Abbey.
There are scads of walks, one for every appetite. They’re the best buy – 8 pounds for adults, 6 pounds for seniors and students, with children under 15 free with their parents’ paid admission. Our group had two senior citizens and one student – me, a graduate student – and three children 15 and under. One caveat: certain walks have a tariff to get into various sites, like Westminster Abbey, Stonehenge, etc. So figure that in if you’re planning one of those tours. It’s a little more, but still a great deal.*****
OK, so we followed Brian quickly across Green Park. He pointed out Spencer House and the homes of other notables along the way and explained how the park came to be. We cut across the park to the Mall. The crowds were thick. It was a nice day with a threat of rain. Brian warned us that if the weather turned bad, they wouldn’t have all the pomp and circumstance. We cross the Mall and waited near the corner with the Birdcage Walk. Soon we heard the drums and saw the horses. The festivities were starting! After we watched the incoming Irish Guard, we sped across St. James’s park to see the Welsh guards and their band marching toward the palace for their ceremonial relief of duties.
So that was that. We starting walking down Birdcage Walk as we meandered toward Westminster Abbey. We cut up to Queen Anne’s gate, where Brian pointed out some interesting architecture and the purported home of one Gordon Sumner – Sting! I snapped a photo.
We walked by pubs and learned what their signs mean. We learned where the term “loo” comes from. We learned lots of interesting tidbits and saw many enchanting nooks and crannies.
Soon we came upon Westminster Abbey. Here’s the coolest part of the tour: We didn’t have to stand in line to get in! We went behind the abbey and waited for someone to let us in, where Brian gave us a guided tour, pointing out tombs, explaining the King Edward chair, showing us Edward the Confessor’s tomb, taking us to the Henry VII chapel and the Order of the Bath crests. Sure, we could have stood in line and toured the abbey on our own, but it was much more meaningful with a guide. After watching the royal wedding in April, my kids paid special attention in the abbey.
After our tour, we headed toward Parliament, where we turned left and headed toward Trafalgar Square. Our target: St. Martin-in-the-Fields church, where we planned to eat lunch at the Café in the Crypt (http://www2.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/page/cafe2010/cafe.html). By this time, we were tired and needing a snack. But the weather was grand, and we enjoyed seeing everything on the way. On the map, the walk looked shorter than it was, and we missed the free lunchtime concert in the church, but later we were able to listen as a wonderful string ensemble rehearsed for an evening concert.
The café was great. It’s a beautiful space, and the food was very good. Again, as at the Tower, there was something for everyone here, and it was loud and noisy, always a good atmosphere if you’ve got kids!
It's late...I will finish Friday tomorrow and hopefully start Saturday...
Thanks for reading!
Hi Ksbeem,
Continuing to enjoy your report. I guess LONDON WALKS lives up to its reputation, eh? Isn't the Abbey fabulous? Glad the kids enjoyed it too.
Just spent five days near Trafalgar Square - STRAND PALACE HOTEL, just a few minutes walk from St. Martin's. Unfortunately, I did not know about the great restaurant you described. Just checked the menue and prices - very reasonable. Oh well, next time...
Hi! ksbeem:
I was so intrigued by the name of St Martin in the Fields Church & your dining/musical experience there, I had to find out more about it! Hopefully, the reasonably-priced evening concerts for next year will be as wonderful as the ones currently listed on its website! The brass rubbing centre also sounds like fun! I'm thinking that a set of rubbings might make a lovely souvenir!
Can't wait to hear more!
Here's some more -- almost finished!!
So after lunch, we wandered around the church for a bit. Just outside the café is a spot where you can pay a fee and make a brass rubbing. Or you can buy a rubbing already made. I couldn’t interest my kids in this, but it looked really fun. There’s a nice gift shop, too. If you’re a fan of classical music, then you know of Neville Marriner and the Academy of St.-Martin-in-the-Fields. I bought a couple CDs for my parents.
Initially, we had hoped to make it to the church in time for the free lunchtime concert. This day featured a pianist. But we got there too late. However, after lunch, we went into the beautiful sanctuary and listened for a while as the London Musical Arts ensemble practiced Vivaldi, which they were to perform that evening. With the sunlight coming through the gorgeous windows, it was sublime. This is not just an historic church; it’s an active congregation that ministers particularly to the homeless as well as London’s Chinese community (with services in Cantonese at times.) It’s a lovely, lovely place and a great spot to catch your breath and practice a little mindfulness.
Soon, we were rejuvenated enough to exit into Trafalgar Square. It was full of folks, as usual. We saw the Olympic clock as we made our way around the Square, moving toward Horse Guards Road. We wanted to see a little different scenery as we walked toward the Churchill War Rooms (http://cwr.iwm.org.uk/). Here, there was a minor mutiny as the mother-in-law and the two teens decried they had to go find a souvenir shop! So they took off, and my hubs, DS8, father-in-law and I put our lovely 2-for-1 coupons to work again and went into the bunker.
This might have been my favorite place. It was just fascinating to see the spot where Churchill holed up during the Blitz and directed operations. But of particular fascination to me was the Churchill museum inside the war rooms. There’s a huge interactive electronic timeline, where you can select a month, day and year, and find out what was going on either in the world or Churchill’s life or at the intersection of the two. We live a stone’s throw away from the Harry S Truman Presidential Library and Museum, so we know well the American version of events. Well, I clicked on the date March 5, 1946. That’s the date Churchill delivered a speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Mo., in which he used the term “iron curtain” to describe the Soviet Union and its influence. I never knew that while President Truman previewed this speech and accompanied Churchill to give his address, the president distanced himself from Churchill when his predictions caused his critics to call him a warmonger. It’s eye-opening to see history from another point of view.
We spent at least two hours in the museum. When we left, we met the rest of our group outside. We found the nearest tube station and returned to our flat. We freshened up before dinner. By this time, we were in the mood for a good juicy hamburger. Just down on Kensington High Street we found a location of the chain Byron Burgers (http://www.byronhamburgers.com/locations/). We really enjoyed it. The burgers were delish, and they have a nice selection of craft beers. It was noisy, and we had a bit of a wait, but it was worth it. Great end to another great day!
Saturday: We slept in a bit on Saturday before heading a couple blocks from our flat to Portobello Road and the famous street market. My mother-in-law was in heaven. She literally perused every single antique booth, I kid you not, and went into most stores. My boys and husband lasted about five minutes before they took off in search of something they could stand. They landed at a Caffe Nero (http://www.caffenero.com/StoreLocator.asp?SearchType=1&txtAreaName=portobello+road). They hung out until we made our way to the store. On the way, my daughter and I bought a handmade bag for my niece’s 16th birthday and found some kitschy London shirts.
The hubs and the boys, meanwhile, checked out some shoe stores near the coffee shop. The sales were on, and the prices good. The kids ended up picking up some back-to-school shoe bargains while we were there. I popped into a Cath Kidston store (http://www.cathkidston.co.uk/) and took advantage of a sale, too. Then we each bought some great food from the street vendors. I had a falafel for about 2.5 pounds. It was huge – and yummy.
Pretty soon, the kids were tired and itching to go back and rest. But my mother-in-law was the Energizer Bunny! So we left the in-laws there and headed back. They came home around 3:30 p.m., and the MIL was raring to go to Kensington High Street. When shopping is on the line, the woman can move pretty darn fast. I could barely keep up! She and the teens wanted to go to H+M, because we don’t have one in Kansas City. I wanted to pop into the Marks and Spencer, just to see what it was like. We found some more bargains and I discovered that my DS15 is quite the clothes horse.
Eventually, we made our way back up Kensington Church Street to our flat. My husband and father-in-law had stayed home, and the hubs had gone for another fun in Kensington Gardens. I popped over the Pizza Express (http://www.pizzaexpress.com/) on Notting Hill Gate and picked up some take-away pizzas and salads and brought them back to the flat.
After dinner, five of us headed to the St. Paul Tube Station for another London walk. This one was a ghost walk! DS8 was so excited. I had shown him a preview of Ghosts of the Old City at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9SZlcwQeNo. You can also get to it at www.walks.com. Our guide for the Saturday night jaunt was Shaughan, who’s featured in that YouTube video.
We got there a little early, and I worried that we had come up the wrong exit. So I left everyone and headed across the street to check. No one there. So I ran back to the entrance where I’d left the family, and I told my father-in-law I couldn’t find anyone. And then I saw him coming to me, sickly white face, blackened eyes, holocaust cloak. My son saw him, too. “Wow,” he said. Indeed.
We toured the back streets of old London, with Shaughan detailing the gory details and possible ghostly sightings of many obscure buildings. His timing is impeccable. The tour was a delight – everyone from DS8 to my father-in-law pronounced it a success. And Shaughan was gracious enough to pose for several photos, making appropriately creepy faces on cue.
I love those London Walks!
Just read my entry and noticed copious typos! Sorry! Typing too fast.
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Delightful report, ksbeem. Thanks!
Just discovered yor trip report. Fantastic!!! Bloody marvelous!!!!!!
Just booked trip for May with two grandsons, and although I used to live in London, and have visited many times, my perspective now ("") is different. Thank you jfor your great tips and descriptions, KSBeem!
You're welcome! I'm hoping to finish the report tonight -- just have Sunday and Monday to detail. It's fun to remember!
Enjoying your report, and particularly how you pay tribute to the help given by Fodorites, and are now passing those tips along! When I went to Italy a couple of years ago, Fodorites helped me so much. Am beginning to make notes for trip to London next Spring, and reading your report with interest.
have enjoyed reading thus far..
Late to the party, but enjoyed reading your report so far. The tips will be helpful for future planning. I particularly like your comments about the reality of family travel (small bladders, inopportune hunger, extended shoppers, etc.) as I have to deal with those things all the time too. Sounds like you planned well and had a great attitude during the trip. Well done!
Ks, still following and enjoying, especially your specific references to stores and such.
Aren't the war rooms great?
A holocaust cloak? Inconceivable!
Lee Ann