Trip Report-6 days in London
Mar 11th, 2009, 02:33 PM
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Trip Report-6 days in London
Just returned from my 2nd and my husbands 1st trip to London. Stayed at K+K Hotel George very near Earl's Court tube station. It was nice enough, very clean, really small rooms but had nice bathrooms with heated floors, and a great breakfast buffet was included in the the pkg., so no complaint there. The neighborhood had a lot more pubs, restaurants, grocery stores, etc. than where I stayed 5 years ago near Euston station (Thistle Euston). Actually only had to change tube stations once during the entire trip (to Northern line to get to Hampstead) - everything was accessible from the Piccadilly or District line at Earl's Court station.
Since it was my DH's first trip, I re-visited the Tower, West. Abbey, British Museum & Buckingham Palace. St. Paul's was closed for refurbishing during my last trip, so I got to see that for the 1st time, and it was beautiful. Also enjoyed the Cabinet War Rooms, and a London Walk through Hampstead. Also attended (and enjoyed) the play, "The 39 Steps" - a comedy remake of the Alfred Hitchcock movie of the same name., at the Criterion Theater at Piccadilly Circus. Went back to area the next day to the Piccadilly Market at St. James Church - small market but bought most of my souvenirs there. Then went down the street to Fortnum and Mason to visit the food hall and buy more souvenirs. Didn't make it to Harrod's this trip.
Lucked out with the weather - high 40's & low 50's - so a little cold some days, but NO rain! Enjoyed seeing the fashion trend differences in our 2 countries (am from US), mostly observed on the tube rides. I noticed the "thing" right now in the UK for young girls must be black leggings worn inside knee-high boots. Saw no one with the chunky bead necklaces that seem to be the "thing" in the States.
We ate 2 nights at The Stanhope Arms pub near the entrance/exit of the Gloucester tube station. Had a great rib-eye dinner one night and next night tried the British Roast Beef & Yorkshire Pudding and the Meat Pie of the Day-both good. Ate 2 nights at the Earl's Court Tavern near the Earl's Court station and tried the British national dish, Chicken Tikka Masala, and am now planning on making it at home. Each night had the "Pudding of the Day" - Treacle with Custard Sauce (why don't they make this in the U.S.? - it was so delicious!). I also returned to my favorite fish & chips spot - The North Sea Fish Restaurant and it didn't disappoint.
I enjoy the civilized behavior of the people in London - especially on the crowded trains. Unfortunately, strangers seem to treat each other with more respect in the UK than in the US. Am I wrong?
Since it was my DH's first trip, I re-visited the Tower, West. Abbey, British Museum & Buckingham Palace. St. Paul's was closed for refurbishing during my last trip, so I got to see that for the 1st time, and it was beautiful. Also enjoyed the Cabinet War Rooms, and a London Walk through Hampstead. Also attended (and enjoyed) the play, "The 39 Steps" - a comedy remake of the Alfred Hitchcock movie of the same name., at the Criterion Theater at Piccadilly Circus. Went back to area the next day to the Piccadilly Market at St. James Church - small market but bought most of my souvenirs there. Then went down the street to Fortnum and Mason to visit the food hall and buy more souvenirs. Didn't make it to Harrod's this trip.
Lucked out with the weather - high 40's & low 50's - so a little cold some days, but NO rain! Enjoyed seeing the fashion trend differences in our 2 countries (am from US), mostly observed on the tube rides. I noticed the "thing" right now in the UK for young girls must be black leggings worn inside knee-high boots. Saw no one with the chunky bead necklaces that seem to be the "thing" in the States.
We ate 2 nights at The Stanhope Arms pub near the entrance/exit of the Gloucester tube station. Had a great rib-eye dinner one night and next night tried the British Roast Beef & Yorkshire Pudding and the Meat Pie of the Day-both good. Ate 2 nights at the Earl's Court Tavern near the Earl's Court station and tried the British national dish, Chicken Tikka Masala, and am now planning on making it at home. Each night had the "Pudding of the Day" - Treacle with Custard Sauce (why don't they make this in the U.S.? - it was so delicious!). I also returned to my favorite fish & chips spot - The North Sea Fish Restaurant and it didn't disappoint.
I enjoy the civilized behavior of the people in London - especially on the crowded trains. Unfortunately, strangers seem to treat each other with more respect in the UK than in the US. Am I wrong?
Mar 11th, 2009, 07:01 PM
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hi dorfan2!
my hubby is a huge fan of fish & chips... this june will be our first trip to London and he is bent on trying this dish there at least once!
where is the famous North Sea Fish Restaurant? (I will probably be staying in Mayfair area)
my hubby is a huge fan of fish & chips... this june will be our first trip to London and he is bent on trying this dish there at least once!
where is the famous North Sea Fish Restaurant? (I will probably be staying in Mayfair area)
Mar 11th, 2009, 07:17 PM
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The North Sea is near British Library in Bloomsbury.
http://www.timeout.com/london/restau...iews/9402.html
http://www.timeout.com/london/restau...iews/9402.html
Mar 11th, 2009, 10:19 PM
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"Unfortunately, strangers seem to treat each other with more respect in the UK than in the US. Am I wrong?"
I'd say you are. My experience in the past decade is that fellow passengers on the New York subway and the BART never indulge in the anti social behaviour (like hogging the area round the door while there's acres of space further in) that's increasingly common in London and that neither of these US metros is cursed with London's crowds of braindead foreign tourists dangerously clogging the entrance to platforms.
Indeed, I'd say that public manners in any kind of walking crowd - on big city streets, at events like county fairs and at major sporting events - are generally more polite in the US, partly because crowds are much rarer in the US. Queues at the Disney places seem to be treated as part of the entertainment in the US (presumably because they're a rare experience: in Britain we'd be whingeing about incompetence if a company routinely expected us to waste so much time)
New York drivers, however, are far less disciplined and far more emotionally incontinent than London's.
I'd say you are. My experience in the past decade is that fellow passengers on the New York subway and the BART never indulge in the anti social behaviour (like hogging the area round the door while there's acres of space further in) that's increasingly common in London and that neither of these US metros is cursed with London's crowds of braindead foreign tourists dangerously clogging the entrance to platforms.
Indeed, I'd say that public manners in any kind of walking crowd - on big city streets, at events like county fairs and at major sporting events - are generally more polite in the US, partly because crowds are much rarer in the US. Queues at the Disney places seem to be treated as part of the entertainment in the US (presumably because they're a rare experience: in Britain we'd be whingeing about incompetence if a company routinely expected us to waste so much time)
New York drivers, however, are far less disciplined and far more emotionally incontinent than London's.
Mar 12th, 2009, 05:21 AM
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Dorfan,
I enjoyed your report thoroughly, as we just returned last Saturday from London. We too ate at the Stanhope Arms and enjoyed it. The weather was unbelievable; I'd prepared for windy, rainy, raw weather and instead used an umbrella only twice on one day and several days was able to go without a coat.
Interesting your feelings about the crowds. I saw such a change this time over the London I remember from some years ago. Crowd behavior drove me nuts--and I live and work in a city, where I deal with subway and street crowds all the time. Normally very mild mannered, I found myself saying to someone who cut me off, "I'm walking here!" Even visitors to museums didn't seem to walk in a logical way round a room but instead would clump up and then walk in front of you. Grrr. But that was my only complaint about what is still my favorite city.
I enjoyed your report thoroughly, as we just returned last Saturday from London. We too ate at the Stanhope Arms and enjoyed it. The weather was unbelievable; I'd prepared for windy, rainy, raw weather and instead used an umbrella only twice on one day and several days was able to go without a coat.
Interesting your feelings about the crowds. I saw such a change this time over the London I remember from some years ago. Crowd behavior drove me nuts--and I live and work in a city, where I deal with subway and street crowds all the time. Normally very mild mannered, I found myself saying to someone who cut me off, "I'm walking here!" Even visitors to museums didn't seem to walk in a logical way round a room but instead would clump up and then walk in front of you. Grrr. But that was my only complaint about what is still my favorite city.
Mar 12th, 2009, 05:30 AM
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I have a question about Earl's Court tube station: is there an elevator and/or escalator? This sounds like a convenient area for easy walk to shops and eateries. Can't handle flights and flights of stairs, though. Looking for good bus and tube access.
Mar 12th, 2009, 07:02 AM
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3sica
"where is the famous North Sea Fish Restaurant?"
Take underground to Russell Square station, exit onto Bernard St., then an immediate left on Marchmont St. - walk 3 blocks and turn right onto Leigh St. - the rest. is 1 - 2 blocks on the right on Leigh St. - it is a small unimposing place. We were pleased to see they had iced tea (even though they were small glasses with just a few cubes of ice).
"where is the famous North Sea Fish Restaurant?"
Take underground to Russell Square station, exit onto Bernard St., then an immediate left on Marchmont St. - walk 3 blocks and turn right onto Leigh St. - the rest. is 1 - 2 blocks on the right on Leigh St. - it is a small unimposing place. We were pleased to see they had iced tea (even though they were small glasses with just a few cubes of ice).
Mar 12th, 2009, 07:14 AM
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Avalon
"the Stanhope Arms for years and have never tried it."
At the Stanhope Arms, you seat yourself, menus are on the table, then you have to go up to the order area at the bar to order your food/drink. At Earl's Court Tavern, the waitress comes to the table to take your food/drink order. Neither place included a service charge in their bill.
"the Stanhope Arms for years and have never tried it."
At the Stanhope Arms, you seat yourself, menus are on the table, then you have to go up to the order area at the bar to order your food/drink. At Earl's Court Tavern, the waitress comes to the table to take your food/drink order. Neither place included a service charge in their bill.
Mar 12th, 2009, 07:22 AM
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Barbara5353
"Can't handle flights and flights of stairs, though. Looking for good bus and tube access." Here is a list of stations that are marked wheelchair accessible, so they all probably have elevators: King's Cross/St. Pancras, Westminster, Earl's Court, Kensington (Olympia), and London Bridge. None of these are in the very central part of London, and there are more, but they are even further out
"Can't handle flights and flights of stairs, though. Looking for good bus and tube access." Here is a list of stations that are marked wheelchair accessible, so they all probably have elevators: King's Cross/St. Pancras, Westminster, Earl's Court, Kensington (Olympia), and London Bridge. None of these are in the very central part of London, and there are more, but they are even further out
Mar 12th, 2009, 07:39 AM
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thanks dorfan2!
one thing... i hear many people mention 1,2 blocks etc...
what exactly is the distance if i am told my destination is 1 block walk away? (im pretty sure that the definition of block in Singapore is the same as Europe...blocks in Singapore refer to our blocks of flats which are usually clustered all together so 1 block may only be a 10,20 metres away!)
one thing... i hear many people mention 1,2 blocks etc...
what exactly is the distance if i am told my destination is 1 block walk away? (im pretty sure that the definition of block in Singapore is the same as Europe...blocks in Singapore refer to our blocks of flats which are usually clustered all together so 1 block may only be a 10,20 metres away!)
Mar 12th, 2009, 11:33 AM
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3sica
I just counted the area from street to next street as a block. About a total of 300 meters according to The London Mapguide that I use. They run up along side a shopping center on the right side called, "Brunswick Open Shopping Centre". It was late and the only thing open was the grocery store there when we walked past. There was also a used book store on the right with books to browse through outside on the sidewalk - wished we had stopped on the way. They were closing when we went back by.
I just counted the area from street to next street as a block. About a total of 300 meters according to The London Mapguide that I use. They run up along side a shopping center on the right side called, "Brunswick Open Shopping Centre". It was late and the only thing open was the grocery store there when we walked past. There was also a used book store on the right with books to browse through outside on the sidewalk - wished we had stopped on the way. They were closing when we went back by.
Mar 17th, 2009, 04:08 AM
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'block' doesn't mean anything in London as a measure of distance, as it's not a British concept or term. It only works in cities with a fairly regular streetplan, and that certainly isn't London. If we are thinking of junctions of streets, it could be 30 seconds walk or 10-15 minutes walk, depending on the street. It's easier to ask about walking time or actual distance.
