kenderina

Well, I've been in London for two full days (Friday and Saturday) and I've had a blast as never before !
I really haven't done anything touristy except a bit of shopping (looks like I'm unable to turn back home with the suitcase weighting the same as when I left). So I will do a short account not to bore anyone.

Thursday : Arrived at Heathrow and in 15 minutes I was in the taxi to the hotel..looked like a miracle to me. My friend Alina and I stayed at the Hilton Kensington Olympia just for one night (priceline , 105 dollars with taxes). Very nice hotel and specially , very nice staff. A bit out of the centre but buses are almost at the door going almost everywhere in the city. We were tired so we had dinner at the hotel restaurant, it's good but too much expensive.

Friday : We woke up quite early and went to Royal Opera House for a backstage tour. Very interesting and the guide was really knowledgeable and funny. I recommend very much to do it, it's great to know about the past and the present of such an important House, to see the rehearsals, the dancers of the royal ballet preparing coreographies...and learning how much work it is needed to put on foot a production.

The we went to our hotel for the next two nights, Hilton Islington.
I didn't like this hotel as much as the Olympia one, though we had an upgrade here and the room was great.
The staff was also great but it is tucked away on a side street a bit too hilly for me so I was not really confortable. Then we had lunch at at an italian just round the corner from the hotel , very nice food.After lunch, we went for a bit of shopping at the N1 centre very near to the hotel also. Well, just some books in fact

Then we turned to the hotel to dress up a bit for our first night at the Covent Garden Opera House. We saw a magnificent Tosca starred by Jonas Kaufmann. He is singing Manon in Chicago in September or October (I can't recall it well now) , if you have the chance to...just don't doubt it. He is a GREAT tenor and a very good actor so his performance is as engaging as it could be.
After the Opera we went to the Stage Door to congratulate him and he stood talking with us for 20 minutes. He is such a kind , intelligent, witty and funny person !! If he wasn't married I would be so much in love with him !! (a girly commentary...he is also gorgeous )

Saturday : Another bit of shopping in the morning, and a very long lunch (I was really tired from the day before) leaded us to another night at the Opera. This time Simone Boccanegra. Beautiful music and staging and very good soprano (Anja Harteros), the rest of the cast was a bit weaker but all in all , another beautiful night...not as drop-dead gorgeous as the first though

Sunday : Rain. My friend had to go to the airport early in the morning so I was on my own at the hotel till 1:30 PM when I had to leave to Stansted for my flight home. I just didn't move from the hotel, too tired. I had breakfast there, and they were very gracious and didn't let me to pay for it. (It was not included in our priceline rate , sure). I arrived at home at 10 PM...almost nine hours of travelling, plane delayed, bad weather so the plane was slower than usual, the wheelchair people at Valencia airport "forgot" about me so I was left there waiting for them to come for almost one hour...Oh, well, just little details which doesn't compare with my joy to have met Jonas Kaufmann. A really special person, you don't meet everyday people like him (and I'm not talking about his job).

kenderina

Oh, I forgot..we had dinner two nights at "La Ballerina" in the corner of Floral and Bow Street. It is a very nice and little Italian which looks as if it is a family business. Food was simple italian food but very well cooked so I recommend it for non touristy food on Covent Garden area.

janisj

sounds like a terrific weekend kenderina. Oh - how I wish I was only a weekend away from London Lucky you.

I've met actors after performances but never at Covent Garden. Two operas and a tour of the Opera House - that must have been bliss for an opera fan!

How much did you pay for the Islington Hilton on priceline? I agree w/ you about the Olympia hilton - very nice staff.

kenderina

Yes, it was heaven for an opera fan !!!! , thanks, Janisj !!

I think we got the Hilton Islington for 75 dollars without taxes. It was some months ago, just when we got the opera tickets so it was rather in advance. The Olympia one was more last minute because we decided to stay a night more than we thought at first.

ComfyShoes

Kend, It is good to see you finally write a trip report. And thanks for keeping it short!! I like opera but never heard of Jonas Kaufmann. I will try to find his work later this week.

noe847

thanks, kenderina, for posting this report. I'm glad you both had a great time, especially with all the opera experiences - and the shoppping, of course

yk

Hi kenderina -

Thanks for the lovely report! What time did your flight arrive at Heathrow and which terminal?

A Couple of weeks ago I arrived at 8:30pm into T3, and I was out in the arrivals hall within 20 minutes! I tend to think evenings are less busy than mornings at Heathrow.

I have taken the backstage tour of Covent Garden before (2 years ago?) and I didn't like it. I felt our guide was just bragging about all the figures (# of dressing rooms, £ spent on this and that etc). Did you get to see the backstage at all? On my tour, it was only the costume dept, ballet rehearsal rooms...

I saw Simon Boccanegra - on closing night. Wait, were you there too? This was May 24th. I would have looked for you and treat you to some champagne if I had known - to thank you for all the advice you gave me for my Spain trip couple of months ago!

P.S. You arrived at Heathrow on Thursday, was it May 22 then? That was the evening I arrived at LHR too.