Trip Report - 4th Time in London, but alone this time
 

Thanks to everyone who offered advice for things to do on my 4th visit to London (1st time alone, though). A combination of your suggestions with my old favorites made for a great week. I flew Air Canada (because their rates were great - $340 RT from Miami, including all taxes and everything). Too bad they are filing for bankruptcy, because they were really fantastic. All staff &amp; crew seemed to really enjoy their jobs, and the flight was enjoyable. Full meals served on all legs of the flight, plenty of leg room.<BR><BR>Thursday (March 27th)<BR>I arrived at Heathrow and the tube got me into the city by 10:00am (was staying in Marylebone). The weather was clear and mild, and I wanted to spend a few hours outdoors to avoid jetlag. So I headed straight over to Oxford Street for high street (bargain) shopping. Worked my way from Tottenham Court Road over to Oxford Circus, and then headed back to spend the rest of the afternoon at the British Museum. Paid my respects to the Rosetta Stone and spent some quality time with my favorite ancient columns in the Greek/roman antiquities. Had a casual dinner in Marylebone, and made it to 11:00pm before falling asleep.<BR><BR>Friday (March 28th)<BR>One word to describe my perfect day: Harrod’s. For me, it’s a &quot;don’t-miss&quot; on every visit to London, and I could probably just spend a whole week there. Had lunch at the sushi bar in the food halls, and continued my exploration. Found a Burberry raincoat for my dog, which has never been possible at Burberry shops in the US, because they don’t carry them small enough (my dog weighs only 2 pounds). Spent the evening hanging out (people watching) at Piccadilly Circus/Leicester Square are and saw a movie.<BR>

Saturday (March 29th)<BR>Morning at Portobello Road (home not only to miles of antiques, but my favorite fish’n chips joint in London). Afternoon at Selfridge’s. Perused Time Out for something new to do Saturday night and found a comedy club, held in the basement of the Sussex Pub (in Covent Garden) every Friday and Saturday night. The four comedians for 8 pounds was a pretty good deal and a fun nights entertainment, although the venue was less than elegant. Looked kind of like all the staff brought all their chairs from home, and they squished as many as they possibly could into the small basement. But it was cozy, and the comedy was very good (especially one guy…really funny).<BR><BR>Sunday (March 30th)<BR>Most of the morning at Camden Lock, which I always enjoy. Spent the afternoon (on your recommendations) at the Portrait Gallery, which was a great suggestion from all of you. It really is a great collection, and is extremely enjoyable to explore. Made it a personal mission to find all the portraits on the “Top 10” list in my guidebook. They were definitely worthwhile, especially the Bronte sisters, which is haunting (in a good way). Found myself drawn back to Leicester in the evening for dinner, and ended up seeing another movie.<BR><BR>Monday (March 31st)<BR>Followed another suggestion from you guys, and started my day with a visit to the Sherlock Holmes museum (actually a short walk from where I was staying). I enjoyed it very much, and can only imagine that it must be really great for people who have read the books. It was very helpful that the museum has relevant excerpts from the books posted up, to help people like me (who haven’t read the books) appreciate the authenticity of the museum. It appears to be an exact replication of the fictional home described in the stories, and was a new and different thing to check out in London. Finished there just before noon, and headed over to Leicester Square to get a ticket for the theater that night. Got a ticket for “We Will Rock You”, which is based on the songs of Queen (same concept as Mamma Mia with Abba). Then headed over to Fulham Road (another suggestion from my friends here!) to browse the shops, and wandered around and up to Sloane, passing all the high-end shops, and finally ended up at Harvey Nicks. Had lunch on the 5th floor and did some shopping there. Then headed over to Marble Arch and wandered around Edgware Road until it was time to get changed and head over to the theater. I have heard several times to be sure to use the official TKTS booth and to avoid the other smaller ticket-sellers. However, in the past, I have bought tickets from both TKTS and the other guys, and have always been happy either way. This ended up being my first time getting screwed by one of the unofficial booths. The diagram showed my seat to be very good, and it should have been, except that it had a severely obstructed view (there was some sort of safety grill erected in front of it). It really didn’t matter, though, because the show was terrible. I love Queen, so that was a saving grace, but that was all the show had going for it. There was almost a complete lack of a plot just a very, very flimsy “storyline” created as an excuse to sing the songs. The cast was talentless, and the dialogue was inane and annoying. I am generally not even that hard to please, as I love the theater, but I would urge anyone to avoid this show.<BR>

Tuesday (April 1st)<BR>Spent my morning back on Oxford street, buying gifts and getting to stores I missed on my first day. At noon I headed over to Leicester Square to try to improve my luck with the theater. I stopped by the booth where I’d gotten the bad ticket, on the off-chance that they would regret their “error” and rectify things. He informed me that there was no possible way that seat could have had an obstructed view, as it is illegal to sell an obstructed-view ticket as a normal ticket. I answered that someone must have broken a law, then, because the view was, indeed, quite obstructed. He responded that my only recourse would be to sue the producers of the show, who happen to be Disney, and “If you can even pay for a barrister, you won’t have much luck trying to sue the Disney Corporation, now will you, luv?”. I decided that I would cut my losses and stop wasting any more time on him, but that I would attempt to dispute the charge on my American Express Card (AMEX is really good about fighting these sort of battles for you). Before walking off I asked him to write his name down for me (AMEX prefers to know who you dealt with), and he wrote his name and home telephone number, “In case you have some spare time before you leave London”. Was he actually HITTING on me? In the US, selling someone a bum theater ticket and then refusing to take responsibility is not a preferred seduction technique. Anyway, having learned my lesson about the no-name ticket booths, I headed over to TKTS and got a front-row center seat to “Our House” (another musical based on the songs of one band, this time Madness, a British ska band, most popular in the 80’s). I then went to Green Park in search of Fortnum and Mason (which has been on my to-do list every time I go to London, yet I have never made it there). Of course, it doesn’t hold a candle to Harrod’s or Harvey Nicks, but it is a very beautiful store and the food hall is the poshest I’ve ever seen. Plush carpets and stock clerks in full formal dress (tails and bowties) – Publix doesn’t have anything like that!

Tuesday (April 1st) - continued<BR> I guess it was a day for me to fulfill previously neglected London aspirations, because Fortnum &amp; Mason was followed by my first real high tea. I have always wanted to do this (I am a major anglophile – I was supposed to be born in London, but my parents didn’t know until it was to late and I’d already been born in Canada – and this always seemed to be just the most British of all things British), but every other time I’ve been to London, I’ve been with a friend or companion who was less than enthusiastic. The best thing about traveling alone is getting to do whatever you want, and I had booked tea at the Ritz. Coincidentally, that week’s Time Out had a feature on tea, and warned people to avoid the trap of paying way too much at fancy places like the Ritz, and to instead explore one of the lesser-known hidden treasures. I considered canceling my reservation, but decided that this was my much-awaited tea event, and I may as well do it in style. I have never been happier with a decision…this may have been the best day of my life (slight exaggeration, but it felt like it at the time). The London Ritz is so incredibly beautiful and totally posh. Every nook and cranny is fabulously decorated and no detail (of anything) is forgotten. Tea is served in the Palm Court, the more casual of their dining rooms – but for the Ritz, “casual” doesn’t mean what it does to the rest of the world. The marble-floored dining room is elevated just a few steps above the lobby, adorned with heavy fabrics and gilt accessories. Tea is 29 pounds per person, which is expensive, but it precludes the need for both lunch AND dinner. An enormous amount of food is served, and the waiters try to keep replenishing whatever you eat on your tray, so it is essentially all-you-can-eat. I was seated at a small round table for one, set with a heavy silver tea service (proper tea with leaves, no bags), and was a brought a 3-tiered tray of snacks: sandwiches on the bottom, scones in the middles, and pastries/desserts on top. I spent 2 hours working my way through it, and even had them bring me more desserts. I should be embarrassed by how much I ate, but I loved it too much to care. When that fantasy experience came to its end, I strolled down the block to Waterstones bookshop. I have an obsession with British books, and always allow a visit to a bookshop to browse and stock up (I do not like buying the American editions of British books – they change the covers, and even some of the words). Soon enough it was time to go to Covent Garden to see “Our House”, which more than made up for the “We Will Rock You” debacle. “Our House” is fantastic!! The cast has an insane amount of energy, and the story is very unique – a “Sliding Doors” type of exploration of the consequences of 2 possible decisions. Very cleverly executed on the stage and enjoyable from start to finish. <BR>

Wednesday, April 2nd<BR>If you don’t already think I’m odd, now is the part when you will: I love Ikea. And I don’t have it anywhere near where I live. So, when I travel to anywhere near an Ikea store, I make a pilgrimage. I have been to Ikeas in 5 countries (so shoot me, that’s my vice). I spent the morning trekking out to Wembley Park to visit the London Ikea, and had a great time shopping there. Afterwards I went back to the city to explore the Tate Modern (extensive collection of contemporary works), and stroll around the Millennium Bridge and Saint Paul’s. Nightfall came soon enough, and I went for a casual dinner before packing up to leave (had to be up at 5am the next morning to get my flight home). This trip was different from all my previous ones, in many ways, but I loved it. If you care to see a few photos, visit http://www.kdkdesign.com/london/london.html . Thanks everyone, for all your help and idea!!<BR>

What a great trip report! Thank you Kimberley! I really enjoyed this, sitting here with a smile, we share a love for a few things English!<BR>I too should have been born there, but I ended up arriving into the world in Arizona!! Of course, this just gives people like us all the more reason to just keep going back to England every chance we get!<BR>I used to like Madness:) I bet the play was fun.<BR>Which hotel did you stay at?<BR>And what kind of dog weighs 2 lbs:)

Scarlett,<BR>How great to &quot;meet&quot; a fellow London lover. I like you already. I actually did not stay in a hotel this time; a friend of mine has a flat on Gloucester Place where she let me stay. As for my dog, she is a (very) miniature shih tzu. If you follow the link I provided to my trip pics, you'll see one of her modelling her new coat!!

Great report Kimberly. I was supposed to be born in the Trossachs in Scotland and go away to school in London but I was mis-sent to parents in No. Calif :-/<BR><BR>Oh well,<BR><BR>I am so glad you took afternoon tea at the Ritz. I do it every couple of years and have thoroughly enjoyed it every time. A lot of Fodorites say it is &quot;snobby&quot; or over the top. I suspect most of those people have never been there, because I have never had a standoffish waiter or a rude experience. And you are right - it looks like a wimpy little tea but there is a LOT of food.

I really enjoyed your trip report! I agree with you about the National Portrait Gallery...it's a very engaging place and occasionally overlooked for some of the flashier places.<BR><BR>Where in Marylebone did you stay?

Kimberly - I loved your report usually I just skim trip reports, but I read every word!<BR><BR>I have to say that I completely understand your Ikea obsession, last summer when I was in Frankfurt that was one of my big days out. I live in Winnipeg and the nearest Ikea is in Calgary...<BR><BR>I'll be going to London for my third trip in July and will be alone, so I think I picked up some good tips from you. I think when I 'grow up' I'm going to move there :)<BR><BR>I'm glad you had such a wonderful trip, and thanks for the great trip report!

Wonderful report. We just returned from our first trip to London with great memories and a long list of what to do next time, now you've gone and made it even longer.

I'm glad you guys liked the report - other people's reports can be boring, so I'm glad at least a couple of people enjoyed it!! And I am genuinely surprised that there are other people who travel to Ikea stores in foreign countries.<BR>obxgirl: I stayed on Gloucester Place, 2 blocks from Marylebone (at my friend's flat).<BR>Thanks everyone!

Kimberley - I thoroughly enjoyed reading your trip report. Two questions - what is the name of your favorite fish &amp; chips place on Portobello Road, and what is Ikea?

I just realized my question was poorly worded. I understand Ikea is a store, but what kind of store is my question. :)

Great report, Kimberley. I, too, was supposed to be dropped by the stork in London, but somehow he mistook Gloucester Road (my favorite locale for sleeping) for Gloucester County and dumped me in South Jersey!<BR><BR>

Great report, Kimberly! I was there for the first time in January and definitely became an anglophile!<BR><BR>JJ - Ikea is a furniture and accessories store. They have all kinds of inexpensive but really cool things for every room in your house. Check out www.ikea.com to browse. :)

Kimberley - Very nice trip report! and the photos were good as well!! As I read your report, I was able to &quot;drift&quot; back to my last trip to London (Jan 04), and look forward to my next!! ????<BR><BR>Best wishes, Dave

Great report, and I loved Sushi in her raincoat. I may not be a London person, but I am certainly a dog person!<BR>

To JJ127: kaudrey bedat me to it, and pretty much summed up Ikea for you! You actually can order almost everything out of their catalog (even if you live nowhere near a store), but they have huge showrooms with really fun room layouts set up, plus they have a huge are with bins and shelves of very cheap (and unique) accessories that are not offered in the catalog. <BR><BR>And, as for the fish'n chips place, I hate to say that I don't know the name. It is a bricks &amp; mortar shop (as opposed to a stall) on Portobello right near the end of the market (just before the bridge). If you're walking towards the bridge, it is on your left side. It is just cheap authentic fish'n chips served in a paper cone.<BR><BR>I have heard of a lot of people being born in the wrong place, but the stork mistaking Gloucester County for Gloucester Place has got to be among the worst! At least I got dropped in Montreal (and then won a green card in the lottery and ended up in Miami).

Oh Kimberely! Sushi is sooo cute! My Pup would never fit into a Burberry but maybe I will get him a collar next trip:)<BR>That tea does look good. Great photos!<BR>Scarlett