Christmas and New Year’s Eve in London: The Pleasures and Pitfalls of Traveling with Adult Children!
 

<b><u>The Cast of Characters:</u></b>

<b>((X)) Seetheworld:</b> A forty-something female who was ecstatic that she was finally able to take a vacation with her grown sons. Quite the family trip planner, STW finally met her match in “A”, oldest son’s dear girlfriend who immediately jockeyed for the title. On this trip, STW also learned the art of “biting her tongue” and figuring out ways to ditch her children so she could shop and rest. ;;)

<b>((Z)) Mr. Seetheworld:</b> A fifty-something cocky male who enjoyed driving in circles while trying to exit London proper. While at the London Ice Bar, he experienced a bout of friskiness and it is still unknown as to the reason why – perhaps it was the hooded fur cape that he wore, or the vodka, or the frigid cold. This still remains a mystery. :O)

<b>((Z)) Oldest son (24):</b> Our homegrown Marathon Man who kept a 2:30 pace on our daily walks and expected his parents to keep up with him. @-) Thank goodness there were many hydration stations along the race route, if you know what I mean. Generally a soft-spoken man, with the patience of a saint, he finally had a meltdown when we were unable to acquire a table for dinner one night – he wanted to go back to the flat for a bowl of “oats”. Imagine that.

<b>((Z)) Youngest son (21):</b> Spent his free time watching BBC news and old Parliament clips and incessantly complained about how much everything costs. He was also appalled over the fact that pubs closed at 11:00 p.m. and immediately decided that he would NEVER move to England! A generally picky eater surprised everyone by eating multiple servings of Haggis, even after knowing what it was! It was on New Year’s Eve that his mother finally realized that he was a man – he missed his girlfriend. However, that moment quickly faded when much to everyone's surprise he dodged into an alley-way on New Year’s Eve to pee. :O ((B))

<b>((X)) Oldest Son’s Dear Girlfriend (23):</b> Son’s love and permanent roommate. We adore and love her and that is why we invited her along. She is a map reader extraordinaire and managed to steal my role as the “itinerary police”. Her mother once told us that she could be strong-headed. C:) LOL. LOL. LOL. She reminded STW of herself at that age. Sigh.

<b>Next: <i><b>The Setting (our flat in Chelsea)

</b></i></b>

Oh boy! This is going to be a fun read! I can hardly wait for the next installment STW. Continue on..well when you are completely over your jetlag that is.

My, my, my. This ia already quite a good read. Hurry up, m'dear. Can't wait for more.

seetheworld:

More please.

Sandy

this will be fun!

Fantastic! Wonderful start seetheworld - you have a great turn of phrase - lol!

MollyB

Love it, love it, love it! Thanks for the laughs, STW. And hurry back to give us more!

Ooohh, what an intriguing cast of characters, I can feel the plot thickening before the story even starts!! I hope this story doesn't turn out to be a murder mystery. :-O

Hey stw, I heard something about a writer's strike in the entertainment world. Perhaps you should cross the picket line and fulfill your true calling.... :S-

I want a girl just like the girl that married dear old dad: a mapreader. I'll bet she has a sense of humor, too.

Up with the curtain!

Oooh sound's great already! Can't wait for everyone's opinion on the apartment in Chelsea - we just stayed there in May! I hoped you liked the area as much as we did.

More, More, More :)

Great start, don't make us wait too long !!!
<i>( Sorry, didn't mean to sound so bossy</i>
Hurry up!!!

Can't wait for the plot to thicken! :D

STW - Your descriptions of your 2 sons rather reminds me of my 2 teenagers! Thanks for giving me a &quot;heads-up&quot; as to what I'll be dealing with in a few years!

Can't wait to read the rest!

Can't wait for more!!

Waiting...

Seetheworld, I'm looking forward to more. Two of my children are the same ages as yours, so this is very interesting to me!

hi, stw,

as a traveller with only slightly younger kids, I'm agog with anticipation.

regards, ann

Hurry back! Can't wait to hear all about it:)

Looking forward to more! I took my 2 young adult daughters to Paris a couple of years ago so I know what an adventure this can be!

Can't wait to see what happens - this one sounds quite entertaining!

Great cast of characters and love the teaser!

((( foot tapping ))) Well, are you going to leave us hanging??? We want more!!

Oh man, I knew I should have waited a bit longer to look for this report!!! I'm hanging on the edge of my cliff!

More, please!

Welcome back, stw! I'm also really looking forward to the rest of your report!

A future DIL stealing power for itineraries? What was she thinking?

:O WOW! The pressure is on, lol. I hope you guys don't turn into the angry mob I encountered on New Year's Eve along the river Thames!!

I'm working on the next installment. However, I <i>can</i> confirm that all characters returned home,so this will NOT be a murder mystery, hehehe. :-d

For your viewing pleasure, this was Home Away From Home for 8 nights:

http://www.vrbo.com/89581

Details to follow shortly... Thanks for your interest! ((f))

hi, seethe world,

wow - nice place.

I never lived anywhere like that in london.

it was a maisonette in Mitcham for us.

regards, ann

25 responses to the cast of characters . . . Add mine as well, plus my entreaty to get going with the story!

The owner of your flat is the owner of one of the best I've rented in London (until she sold it.)

More, we want more!

The flat looks lovely!

Great start. I am joining the group anxiously waiting for more.

Wow...sounds like it's going to be a fun trip report!

&quot;I can confirm that all characters returned home,so this will NOT be a murder mystery, hehehe&quot;

Well geez stw, why didn't you post a &quot;spoiler alert&quot; before dropping that bomb on us? &gt;:O I just love a good murder mystery. 8-X RATS!!

:-(

8-|

:-p

OK, I'm over it now and I'm excited about this report anyway. Bring it on, stw!! :-d

Settled in for a Friday night in Fodorville, found this trip report, waiting waiting.....

Ok..I came back online tonite to see if there was an update....&quot;patiently&quot; waiting. loved it!

**Due to posting difficulties, this next installment will be broken into two posts**

<u><b>The Setting: </b></u>
<i>Flat 1 Burton Court, Franklins Row, Chelsea, London…</i>

It was the beginning of September when the decision was made to spend the holidays in England (seven nights in Chelsea and one night in Cambridge visiting family). STW knew immediately that a posh {she just adores using that word, posh, posh, posh, lol} flat was in order. Mr. STW agreed that it would be the most economical way to accommodate 5 adults, even though Christmas is “high” season. Economics were certainly considered by STW, however, civility was her primary reason for seeking a 3 bedroom flat - the Youngest Son is the devil child when he wakes up in the morning and no one should have to endure his wrath, particularly his mother. &gt;:-)

STW spent much of September flat hunting and it was not an easy task. She opened the search to all family members – the Oldest Son took up the cause. However, after receiving a few emails from him, revealing his findings, flashbacks to his first apartment hunt in Hoboken, NJ began to resurface…the smell of leaking gas…mouse traps…sealed shut windows…STW quickly thanked him for his efforts and said she would “check them out”… wink, wink. :$

Once STW found the perfect flat, making the commitment to send the money was difficult to do. The fabulous Fodor’s experts provided valuable information and support during the decision-making process (thank you, thank you, thank you :-X). Towards the end of September, STW began to realize that there was a shortage of flats during this time period which really prompted her to get off the fence and book.

Everyone danced with glee. \:D/ ((8)) ((8))

<b><i>THE FLAT DETAILS:</i></b>

http://www.vrbo.com/89581

The flat was just as pictured - Boasting of high ceilings with massive crown and base moldings, interesting lighted artwork, beautiful window treatments, a Lounge with a fireplace and comfortable seating for all (including cable TV and a selection of DVDs and videos), huge built-in wardrobes, and warm tones on the walls. Everyone agreed that it was Just Beautiful.

The flat was fully equipped, with both everyday service as well as fine china. Not your typical holiday rental…more like someone actually lives there, or perhaps it was the family photos that gave that impression. Personally, I could probably do without all of the personal touches, but somehow it gave the flat that “feeling” – it was a really nice feeling, particularly around Christmastime. There were lots of large colored glass objects throughout the flat, in deep reds and greens and the tea lights that I brought from home gave a warm glow in the green glass votives. I didn’t need a Christmas tree. It was just perfect the way it was…glowing…a crystal plate filled with Christmas cookies…Perfect.

The Oldest Son and Girlfriend had the bedroom nearest the entrance – it felt like a study, filled with books, a fireplace, and a vanity, which thrilled dear GF. They actually had the most comfortable beds in the flat (which they kindly offered to us, but we declined).

The Youngest Son had the back bedroom, the smallest, but lovely. Well, except for his bed – poor chap; he got the raw end of the deal with a lumpy mattress. He only complained once, but after spending the night in a sleeping bag in his cousin’s room in Cambridge, it didn’t seem quite so bad. It also seemed to get better after I padded the mattress with extra blankets and duvets or perhaps it was the ale that made it better – not so sure, lol. In any case, it wouldn’t hurt to replace the mattress, for the price.

The Master Bedroom was quite large, holding a queen size bed (a rarity in Europe, it appears), a non-working fireplace, vanity, cable TV, and seating. It had an en suite bathroom, one of the largest bathrooms I have ever seen in Europe! A huge soaking tub, separate shower with outstanding pressure, pedestal sink, bidet (told the kids it was for chilling wine – I learned that here, lol), and the colors were white, sea blue, with glass tile scattered about. Very, very nice.

There was another full bath with heated floors (very large) and a powder room. The kids were using the second full bath, but for some reason, which we could not remedy, the water never got very hot in the shower. As a result, they used our bathroom to take their showers, which was not a problem (but then again, not something we expected).

The kitchen was very large and functional and we used it very often, particularly for breakfast and lunch (treats from Borough Market – oh how I miss that market!) The kitchen was equipped with paper towels, detergents, dishwasher, and all the necessities for cooking. In the hall, there was a laundry closet with a washer and dryer, which kept our packing to a minimum. Heck! Who am I kidding…it kept everyone else’s packing to a minimum, not mine! But it was lovely returning home with clean clothes to put away. Also, during our stay, a cleaning woman came twice – on Friday and Monday – that was an unexpected treat (although included in our rental fee, just didn’t know it).

<b><i>LOCATION DETAILS:</i></b> <i>The Royal Borough of Kensington &amp; Chelsea</i>

Chelsea is a wonderful location! Here is a thread that will give you more information about the area…

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35064490

Our flat was directly across the street from The Royal Hospital and a short walk (5 minutes on marathon pace) from the Sloane Square tube station (District and Circle lines). There’s a pub around the block, which was great for the kids to grab a pint. We will ignore the fact that Mr. STW wanted to know if they would make him a White Russian, lol. It’s an area filled with shopping, designer shopping (not with my dollar). There was a Tesco Express…bletch. However, there was a delightful Marks and Spencer (Bubble and Squeak was good) and Partridges – ohhh so good! It’s a pleasant walk to the embankment where the Albert Bridge is located. <b>Remember: ALL TROOPS MUST BREAK STEP WHEN MARCHING OVER THIS BRIDGE!</b>

<b><i>THE BOOKING DETAILS:</i></b>

Karen Green or Danielle Green
London Property Management (also doing business as DREAMSTRAVEL)
15a Chalkpit Lane
Oxted
Surrey
RH8 0NF

Telephone 01883 714914 ( code is 00 44 ) or 00 44 7802 422366

Because of our booking anxiety, we chose to secure this flat with PayPal using our American Express card. You must ask Karen about this option (the other method of payment was bank wire, which we did not feel comfortable using). We received a 5% discount for paying in full, however, PayPal charged a 3.7% fee for the transaction, giving us a net discount of 1.3%.

Karen was extremely helpful and answered many questions, both by email and telephone. You can easily reach her on her mobile phone and she has no problem calling the states. On the Thursday prior to our departure, we tried to reach her because we discovered that our “meeter and greeter’s” phone number had been disconnected. For a brief moment we were concerned because her mobile phone kept going to the mailbox. As it turned out, she was on holiday in the Canary Islands and she promptly called both our home and mobile phones to reach us with the new information. I would say that the “meeter and greeter” was not as helpful in providing flat information as we would have like, but it was Christmas Eve and we were thankful to just have someone give us our keys. However, we would not hesitate doing business with Karen again.

<i>Next...Transportation Issues: Zipping along in our Zip Car, pub-drinking on Christmas Day, and a case of hives &quot;Where the heck did all these buses come from?...</i>

You said you were near the Royal Hospital, did you mean Royal Marsden Hospital? Have you been following the story about the big fire they just had there? Be glad you missed that one!

Still loving it, STW! Great details. The flat sounds wonderful. Except for younger DS's lumpy bed, of course!:D

Great report!! LOVING the details.

(BTilke - that would be the Chelsea Hospital - home of the Chelsea Pensioners and the flower show)