janisj

Some of you have read my 'sad' TR about the trip to London, northern England and the Cotswolds in May. The ankle sprain and all -- I enjoyed myself but felt a bit 'put upon' and a certain amount of feeling sorry for myself. So soon after getting back home I decided to book a 10 day trip back to London solo - sort of to erase the memory.

Then I thought - heck, I've been to London several times in the last couple of years maybe I want to tack on a few days somewhere else. Venice won. I tried lots of different permutations of flights open jaw in to Venice home from London and vice versa and none of the schedules/fares were doable. What did work was Business SMF/LAX/LHR, then 7 days later easyJet LGW > Venice. After 3 nights, I took an evening flight back to LGW, stayed the night, then a late morning coach to LHR and afternoon economy flight LAX > SMF.

I got business/lie flat bed for the overnight flight when it matters and saved about $2000 over booking business both ways. (wasn't an upgrade - it was cold hard cash so business one way and coach return was a good compromise)

<B>Sept 24/Sept 25 to London</B>
Supershuttle picked me up about 10:30AM for the drive to SMF. Had a couple of hours to spare so I had a salad and prosecco (getting in the mood for Venice) at Esquire Grill. Then I got my shoes shined - You haven't lived til a shoeshine man flirts w/ you

Short flight to LAX and use of the Admiral's Club during my 4 hour layover. We were about and hour late taking off - the plane was delayed flying in from LHR because one runway had been closed due to some sort of debris on the runway. We had a sort of cattle call shuttle ride to AA's remote terminal at LAX and then delayed some more because the captain was somewhere on one of the shuttle buses.

OK, I am ruined for coach . . . RUINED I tell you. I've flown business a few times but not for several years and not in the sort of roomettes you get in the AA 777-300 cabins. They provide Bose noise canceling head phones (I have my own Bose ear buds so didn't use AA's.) Had sirloin steak which was pretty good. A continual dessert bar set up in the galley. Even w/ the bed, I didn't sleep a whole lot . . . but it was so comfortable that I still felt pretty good when we landed at LHR.

Because of the Fast Track here was really no queue at all for immigration. I topped up my Oyster and pulled some ££ out of a cash machine. I'm staying at Fraser Suites in South Kens just up the road from Gloucester Rd tube station. For the time being the Piccadilly line doesn't stop at Gloucester Rd but changing at Hammersmith to District/Circle got me there easy peasy. There are two Fraser Suites across the street from each other - mine was the Queens Gate property http://london-queensgate.frasershosp...ommodation.php

A bit of a splurge for a solo visit but very worth it. I LOVED my room!!! Very large studio w/ entry hall, full kitchen including 4 burner hob and full sized oven, dining table w/ 2 chairs, nice desk, two lounge chairs/ottomans, King sized bed, high ceilings, and a large bathroom. No tub but a huge shower w/ rainfall and hand held shower heads.

You know how it is so frustrating there is seldom an outlet anywhere near a mirror? - well, the entire kitchen backsplash was a large mirror and there were lots of outlets.

I unpacked everything and then jumped on the tube to Tower Hill. Some of you know about the poppies in the tower moat. a couple of months ago I purchased one which will be sent after Nov 11. I really wanted to see them in situ.

http://poppies.hrp.org.uk/about-the-installation
http://outandaboutinthecity.com/2014...ww1-centenary/

I got there at dusk and it was very moving.

Took the #15 bus w/ intentions of eating somewhere around Covent Garden. But after wandering around a bit (it was a gorgeous, warm evening) I was starting to flag a bit so decided to head back to S Kens and eat near the hotel. Ended up at Ask which is ins't at all gourmet but is usually reliable and it was. (hey, it could have been Garfunkles jus next door ) Had antipasto, a caprese-ish salad, wine and gelato. Seated next to a couple from the tiny California mountain town (like 3500 population) where my Dad was born! VERY small world. They were Raider fans going to Wembley on Sunday so I gave them some pointers from my experience at last year's 49er game. It was nearly 10PM and I popped into the next door Waitrose just before closing and picked up cheese, biscuits, yoghurt, juice, wine, fruit, etc.

stumbled 'home' and to bed . . .

<B>Next: V&A wedding Gowns, Unsuccessful visit to Imperial War Museum, Fortnum & Mason, and the Wolseley

latedaytraveler

Hi JANISJ,

Wonderful start! Let me be the first to welcome your solo TR. Will follow along with interest.

The flight sounds great and your digs sound grand - such a better start than your last trip to London.

basingstoke2

Looking forward to the rest. Please keep it coming.

europeannovice

I was looking forward to this trip report. Glad to see it started. You stayed in the same area we were in this summer. I visited the Boots at the station to get some supplies not found back home (compeed) and we loved Cafe Forum for breakfast. We had stayed at the Crowne Plaza.

Did you enter at the new Queen's Terminal 2? We did and it was a real trek from plane to baggage claim.

Looking forward to more.

FabulousFrance

My latest obsession is England & love Venice-so looking forward to your next post of self indulgence

stokebailey

Nice, Janis. My daughter and I stayed at the Queen's Gate Fraser a few years ago, overlooking Gloucester Rd., and liked it a lot. Is breakfast still included?

Envious of the lie-flat bed. That's got to be the way to go.

Glad you got to do it your own way this time.

janisj

Thanks everybody - Have a few things on my plate but will try to kick out the whole report w/i a couple of days.

You can book w/ or w/o breakfast included. I opted out. Didn't do any cooking but had yoghurt, orange juice, cheese, tea etc so didn't go hungry in the mornings.

<B>Friday Sept 26. V&A wedding Gowns, Unsuccessful visit to Imperial War Museum, Fortnum & Mason, and the Wolseley</B>

I was really corked when I got in the night before . . . got to sleep about 11PM . . . and woke up at 02:30! That is how jet lag affects me sometimes. Read, played some games on my iPad, did crosswords, nothing worked. Finally fell back to sleep about 04:30. That 07:30 wake up call ams REALLY early. I was in a bit of a fog. But by 09:00 I was feeling much better and on my way out for a walk.

I have a 10:00 booking for the Wedding gown exhibit at the V&A. I booked it including afternoon tea/champagne. Actually it was a scone and prosecco so a bit of false advertising. The exhibit was very good - much better/bigger than I expected.

I've been to the V&A several times recently so didn't really hit any other galleries except a few minutes in the Raphael Cartoons which I like to see nearly every visit. And the gift shop of course. Bough a beautiful gold bracelet. After the gowns/tea/shopping I headed to the Imperial War museum. I hadn't been since before the closure for the refurbishment/new galleries. Well -- I STILL haven't. I arrived about 12:30 and all tickets for the day were gone. The WWII galleries are free but you must get a timed ticket at the entrance desk. Guess I have to book another trip to London

I planned to hit Fortnum & Mason later on during my stay, but since my afternoon was now mostly free I head there now. I've explained before about their terrific export program. Essentially no matter the size/weight of the box within reason, it is one flat shipping fee (used to be £25 but has recently risen to £30). When they take off the VAT you are usually money ahead and don't have to schlepp anything in your luggage. So I selected my next enamel box and then toured around the rest of the store picking out things to fill the shipping box - candles, some silver plate serving pieces. christmas ornaments, decorative jars of marmalade, pickle and other bits and bobs. Filled a huge box.

From there I walked over to the Wolseley. Was a bit early for my booking so had a Pimm's in the bar (it was true Pimm's weather - about 70F and gorgeous all day). Had salmon in puff pastry and some sort of profiterole-type thing for dessert.

<B>next: Sept 27, Tour of Somerset House, the Courtauld, Almost a pub walk in Hampstead

love_travel_Aus

This is excellent and very helpful reading so thank you janisj.
I am heading to London in December with one of my adult sons and really need something like this to get me thinking as we have only just decided to go!

Thank you also to europeannovice as we have been planning to book the Crowne Plaza and it is good to have 'real experience'.

Looking forward to the next instalment...

latedaytraveler

JANISJ,

"The WWII galleries are free but you must get a timed ticket at the entrance desk. Guess I have to book another trip to London " Good idea. I am not surprised given the "hype/anticipation" surrounding the re-opening of the Imperial War Museum.

Missed it also because I was in London in June before its grand opening.

bilboburgler

on for the ride

nola77382

Goody, a janisj trip report! Already learned something valuable for our trip next year: get to the Imperial War Museums early!

janisj

To clarify a bit - by >>Very large studio w/ entry hall, full kitchen . . . << I meant very large for a <i>hotel</i> room. It would have been small for a studio apartment, but as hotel rooms it was pretty darn enormous . . .

It also had free wifi.

<B>Saturday, Sept 27 - Tour of Somerset House, the Courtauld, Almost a pub walk in Hampstead</B>

Another really beautiful day. (in fact only opened my umbrella twice on the whole trip - waiting for at cab to Victoria for the train to LGW, and on arrival in venice, walking from St Marks Square to my hotel)

After a light b'fast in my room, and some morning telly, I headed to TKTS to snag a ticket for tonight. But honestly there wasn't much. I'd either seen it before or not very appealing so I passed.

Walked over to Somerset House and booked a (free) 12:30 tour. Had about an hour before the tour and spent the time in the Courtauld (returned to see more after the tour and lunch). Spent most of my time w/ the Impressionists and Post Impressionists and a bit of Renaissance.

The tour was really terrific - The info says the tour is 45-60 minutes, but it was actually about 75 minutes. (Some guides can really get going when they love their topic ) Lots of history of the bldgs and ended up down at river level in a museum I'd never seen including an ornate river barge. The website says one highlight is the new Miles Stair . . . but not on the tour I took. Didn't see it.

After the tour I wasn't really hungry so I went to the riverside terrace and had a couple of starters instead of a full meal. Wine, some (very) spicy mixed olives and chicken liver parfait/toasted baguette which was a pretty large serving so ended up being a meal after all.

Then finished up w/ about another 45 mins or hour in the Courtauld.

I felt like I had shin splints or something. My shins and the top of both ankles were just screaming so I decided to go back to the hotel and rest up a bit and decide what I wanted to do in the evening. Saw that London walks does a Saturday pub crawl at 7PM in Hampstead. I felt much better so headed out at 6:00. Now -- As mentioned, the Piccadilly line isn't stopping at Gloucester Rd. OK fine, but this weekend because of engineering works, Circle and District lines aren't serving any stations along the southern side of the Circle . . . So Piccadilly at South Kensington is the only option. Wrong. I walked the several blocks over to S Kens and there were HUNDREDS of people crammed into the ticket hall and many more outside trying to get in. This was just after the museums all closed so it was an absolute zoo -- only a few gates were open and the ticket hall looked like one of those Japanese trains w/ the people pushers shoving more in.

OK, not to worry - plan B I'd catch a cab to someplace like Charing Cross where I could jump on the Northern line to Hampstead. - which of course was fruitless since there were 75-100 others w/ the same idea and every cab that rolled up was immediately taken. Plan C - walk up to Cromwell Rd and try to snag a taxi there - Wrong. I walked the whole length of Cromwell/Brompton Rds and didn't see one available cab. It was waaaay too late by this time so I chucked the whole Idea and headed to the Champagne Bar in Harrods.

Had 3 or 4 items off their small plate menu and some champagne -- don't need no stinkin' pub crawl . . .

<B>Next: Sunday. A Royal Day out - B'ham Palace, Queen's Gallery, Royal Mews and watching the Ryder Cup at the Goat Tavern.

annhig

The tour was really terrific - The info says the tour is 45-60 minutes, but it was actually about 75 minutes. (Some guides can really get going when they love their topic ) Lots of history of the bldgs and ended up down at river level in a museum I'd never seen including an ornate river barge. >>

lol, did they tell you about Somerset House's incarnation as a part of the Family division courts? I spent many a "happy" hour there. The facilities were not top notch - no waiting room/s so you either had to have a conference on the steps outside or eye-ball each other outside the court door, nowhere to leave bags and coats so we used to have to traipse them into court with us, inaccessible toilets, etc, etc. I'd love to see it as it is now, river barge and all.

I like the idea of filling the huge box from Fortum's - lovely to get home to find that waiting for you.

Keep it coming...

Cathinjoetown

I always enjoy your trip reports, we have many similar interests, I only wish I had your energy level!

LCBoniti

Yay! A happy janis trip report!

Thanks for the info about the F&M'sbox - I had never heard that before. Will definitely take advantage next trip . . .

Which is in three weeks!!!!! WOOHOO!!

vickiebypass

JanisJ: I'm going to London in January and have been looking at apartments but the Fraser Suites Queensgate looks appealing. What room category/# did you get? Thanks.

johnnyomalley

Tagging in

sanderskn

Sounds wonderful. Going on my first solo trip to London next year and I can't wait.

europeannovice

Talking about guides really enjoying their work. The guide we had at the Wallace Collection went well beyond the allotted one hour. She was talking in detail about many of the pieces in the collection. Some gave up after an hour but it was really informative.

Looking forward to your report on the Royal Day Out. We had just done that too and enjoyed it. We loved the guided tour at the Royal Mews. What did you think of the royal childhood exhibit?

Love_travel--We liked the Crowne Plaza a lot. The rooms were very clean and comfortable. Try to get a rear facing room which faces the garden. We didn't hear a thing although the hotel is right on Cromwell Road. I think if you face Cromwell Road you will hear street noise but from the back it is completely quiet. We skipped the hotel restaurant for breakfast since we thought it was too expensive and went across the street and around the corner to Cafe Forum. Garfunkles is directly across from the hotel but appears really old, tired and dated--run down. I know that is a chain so hopefully they are not all like that. Cafe Forum gives you a free croissant with the purchase of a cup of coffee. You just have to get there early. Plus they have other offerings too. My son loved the fruit smoothies there. And the hotel restaurant was really good for dinner--they gave us a coupon upon check in to try their tasting menu which was very good. Enjoy your trip.

Looking forward to the rest of Janisj's report.

latedaytraveler

JANISJ,

Too bad about the closed Tube stations and general traffic. From my observation, much of the transport work is done on weekends.

"It was waaaay too late by this time so I chucked the whole Idea and headed to the Champagne Bar in Harrods." That was an excellent alternative to the Hampstead Walk - save for next time....