Trip Report: Snowy London, Glastonbury, and Salisbury/Stonehenge.
Dec 30th, 2009, 07:49 AM
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Trip Report: Snowy London, Glastonbury, and Salisbury/Stonehenge.
Hi all,
Decided to put a trip report together for our vacation to the UK last week. Since many of our stops are well-covered here I won't go chronological, just give you my impressions of each place and some advice where it is merited. On our way home my husband and I were trading back and forth ideas of advice we would give to tourists travelling to the UK as Americans, and I think I'll start with that.
Our Advice:
1. Travel in the winter, if you can bear it. We had the best time travelling in the winter. It was amazing to us to see the kind of infrastructure that some of the major sites have to accomodate summertime visitors. The entrance, for example, to the crown jewels at the Tower of London reminds me of a entrance way for a roller coaster here in the states-- multiple rooms of velvet rope queue lines and videos playing to entertain the bored tourists. Luckily we had no lines anywhere and only stopped to watch a moment of the videos (the coronation of Elizabeth II-- very interesting to see pre-jewels). Same thing at Stonehenge, where we pretty much had the stones to ourselves. Seeing pictures from other friend's vacation I realize how mobbed the stones must be during the summer. HOWEVER, a caveat-- everyone told me that snow would not be a problem during our vacation (the guidebooks all say that snow in London at Christmas is a once-a-century event). Of course we had snow because that's how my luck runs! We had to cancel our plans for Canterbury since that area was the worst affected by the storms. But we had so many options and were excited by so many things that it was no big deal to swap our itineraries and we were no worse for the cancellation. Visiting in the winter is wonderful, but not if you have dealbreaker itinerary plans. If you're flexible, and willing to endure weather-related hangups, it can be very rewarding. For example, although we did have snow most days we had blue skies every day and not a whit of rain any day we were there.
2. Pack dark colors. I know, I know people say not to worry about how you look as a tourist, but really please think to pack dark colors, especially if you're travelling in the winter when everyone is all bundled up. My husband and I both had very bright, athletic outerwear that seemed out of place in some pubs and restaurants, which limited our options. Some places are cheap but have an upscale feeling, ie, places that have a cheap pre-theatre plate, and some of the pubs. Since we only carried on we only had room for one all-purpose coat, and mine was a bright pink Columbia parka. Unfortunately when you're travelling at breakneck pace sometimes you don't have time to run up to the room and freshen up before dinner so you need to pack things that will do double-duty, and dark colors seem to fit the bill nicely for that. Jeans and sneakers are fine, although for winter travelling I would suggest boots anyway, since they are more all-weather, but incidentally they also have a more formal feel.
3. If you have 4 days in London, plan a 3 day itinerary. 5 days, plan for 4. Its just the way it is! We planned on 2 sights a day and it ended up taking one day extra than what we originally planned. First off, guide books seem to plan for the least enthusiastic tourist. They said the TOL would take 2 hours-- no way with my enthusiastic husband who was trying to find a way into even the closed-off towers! It took us 4 hours going at a clipping pace with no break. I don't know how a family, travelling in the summer, could do it in less than 5 hours if they planned to see even the basics. And I could have spent all day at the National Gallery; I feel as if I didn't spend enough time and we must have spent 4 or 5 hours there. Plus you will slow down as your time on vacation wears on-- some days you just won't be able to get out of the room on time, sometimes lunch will take longer, etc. Plan frequent brain-relaxers. I felt very overwhelmed by what I was seeing at many galleries. I finally had to simply stop reading every placard and take the images for their beauty alone. Trying to appreciate the historical, social, and artistic context of every work is exhausting and your brain and body will need coffee breaks every few hours, so work it into your itinerary and budget.
4. GET OUT OF LONDON! London is great, it really is, but the real joys of our trip lay outside the city. It is great to see the history of a place laid out in museums, etc., but it is even better to see the history of a place in the landscape and in its people. Train travelling is as entertaining and edifying as a trip to a museum. Better still when the countryside is blanketed in snow
5. Yes that old stereotype about not having free refills on drinks at restaurants is true. We did find places that gave us refills on water, but on soft drinks it was nonexistent. Not that annoying except that as Americans we feel we have a right to free-flowing soda; we are a particularly thirsty and wasteful bunch it seems. Plus we were walking so much that we needed hydration. My solution-- drink beer. The portions are bigger and it seems less of a bad deal to spend 2.70 pounds on a pint than 2.10 pounds on a 10 oz coke. Not so good for hydration, though, so keep a water bottle with you if you need hydration during the day. If you dearly desire a coke that good-old standby McDonalds does a good big one. You have to go to McDonald's once during your trip, if only to view the spectacle that is Londonders affection for the place, plus the menu is different (Chicken Legend what?).
6. We didn't use this until our very last day, but Boots Pharmacy has a nice selection of takeaway lunch items-- a meal deal is less than 4 pounds. Take away seems pretty popular in London (as evidenced by the fact that every third restaurant is a Pret a Manger, every fourth an Eat, every fifth a Costa, etc. etc.-- the variety of London restaurants dips significantly if you take those out of the equation). Enjoy the humble tradition of London takeaway sandwiches. Everyone seems to eat them!
7. Pack your breakfast (assuming it isn't offered for free at your hotel). We packed cereal bars and drank the free coffee/tea in the room as breakfast and mid-morning snack. This allowed us to eat lunch and dinner without breaking our budget. Neither one of us is big on the "big-breakfast, no lunch" plan (who doesn't get physically run down around 1:00 and need a moment to rest and eat a bit?), plus it allowed us to sample the biggest variety of foods--breakfast in England and in our native Georgia being not so different, while lunch offered better variety. Plus you can take your breakfast with you so you don't have to plan for it in the morning.
8. The part of London that most first-timers will want to see is very, very, small. The boroughs are socially/culturally distinct, but are very close together so that getting from Westminster to Bloomsbury to Covent Garden is no problem at all. We bought 7 day Oystercards presuming that we would want to use the tube to get around, but found ourselves using it very seldomly for walking around London. Plainly put, when deciding whether to suss out the tube map, or the street map, learning London seemed like the best and most enjoyable use of our time, and the walking was no problem (caveat: we are 25, no kids, no health problems known to us). We did use the tube to get to Hampstead and to the various train station we needed for our day trips, and to the airport, so our card came in handy if only for convenience, but otherwise we did rarely use the tube. We do feel like real London champs now, having conquered the streets as much as we could, and on our last night we were even asked for directions from some Britons and were able to give them! I guess our bright parkas didn't give us away completely as Americans
9. London is not a 24 hour city, and by that I mean no offense, but it is true. We stayed at the Swissotel Howard, a stone's throw away from Covent Garden, all the theatres, the Strand, etc. So we were in the hubub. And yet, after 5:30 and especially after 7:00 your options for dining do become more limited. It appears that many of the cheaper eateries are geared toward lunchtime business customers, and close at night. On our last night we were looking for something cheap and light to eat after a week of eating heavy pub and ethnic meals, but none of the cafes that sell light meals were open. Pret a Manger, Costa, even Starbucks-- closed by 8:30 PM. Many grocery stores close at 10:00 weekdays and 11:00 on weekends, even during the holiday rush. Sundays it seemed that many places were closed all day long, and we did walk block and blocks to a fish and chip shop to find it closed. Literally I am telling you in small town Georgia this would be baffling! All our groceries, drug stores are 24 hours and the coffee shops are usually open until midnight. You'd think this would be no problem but of course when you are travelling you may find yourself eating meals later than you expected. Just recall this and try to make it a point to check out the hours or stop by early if there's a place you particularly want to try. All tube stops open no earlier than 5:30 and there are no 24 hour lines. This to me was shocking; I assumed there would be 24 hour service and so didn't even look into it before we left. Imagine running down to a tube stop at 4:50 to catch a 5:30 train and finding no-one but the newspaper man there to greet me! When I asked him where the nearest 24 hour station was, he looked at me like I was crazy. The early closings/late openings did not hamper our trip one bit, but it is good to know in advance. Typical American I suppose, expecting the whole world to be open for business at my discretion!
10. Getting around the UK is quite easy if you allow yourself the time to do so. I am telling you, getting to my inlaw's home for Christmas the day after our trip ended was more difficult than getting around England. They are great about signs and repeating directions in the UK. Getting through customs and from Heathrow to our hotel was a breeze. We also made record time back to the airport and security was downright pleasant. If you stand somewhere long enough, you'll either see a sign, hear an automated voice telling you which way to go, or some lovely Briton will ask you if you're lost and help you out. In America, no way. If you're lost there, you're done for. But remember in London to walk fast! Everyone seem to do this, and I believe that London seemed to me to be a faster-paced city than any I've been in before, including NYC where I lived for a short time. The pace is certainly slower on the outskirts of London. Hampstead, for example, has a far slower pace.
Well, this sums up my "advice" section and I'l start talking about our specific trips and will have pictures up shortly.
Future things to cover:
British Museum
Tower of London and Henry VIII armour exhibit
British Library
Keats House and Hampstead
Dealing with snow
Train travel to Bristol
Bus travel to Glastonbury from Bristol
Beautiful Glastonbury
Salisbury, the Cathedral, and Stonehenge
Tate Modern and the National Gallery
St. Paul's and Westminster Abbey
Restaurants: ethnic stops, Masala Zone, Rock and Sole Plaice, Pizza Express, pasty shops, various pubs, Wagamama-- the usual suspects.
Decided to put a trip report together for our vacation to the UK last week. Since many of our stops are well-covered here I won't go chronological, just give you my impressions of each place and some advice where it is merited. On our way home my husband and I were trading back and forth ideas of advice we would give to tourists travelling to the UK as Americans, and I think I'll start with that.
Our Advice:
1. Travel in the winter, if you can bear it. We had the best time travelling in the winter. It was amazing to us to see the kind of infrastructure that some of the major sites have to accomodate summertime visitors. The entrance, for example, to the crown jewels at the Tower of London reminds me of a entrance way for a roller coaster here in the states-- multiple rooms of velvet rope queue lines and videos playing to entertain the bored tourists. Luckily we had no lines anywhere and only stopped to watch a moment of the videos (the coronation of Elizabeth II-- very interesting to see pre-jewels). Same thing at Stonehenge, where we pretty much had the stones to ourselves. Seeing pictures from other friend's vacation I realize how mobbed the stones must be during the summer. HOWEVER, a caveat-- everyone told me that snow would not be a problem during our vacation (the guidebooks all say that snow in London at Christmas is a once-a-century event). Of course we had snow because that's how my luck runs! We had to cancel our plans for Canterbury since that area was the worst affected by the storms. But we had so many options and were excited by so many things that it was no big deal to swap our itineraries and we were no worse for the cancellation. Visiting in the winter is wonderful, but not if you have dealbreaker itinerary plans. If you're flexible, and willing to endure weather-related hangups, it can be very rewarding. For example, although we did have snow most days we had blue skies every day and not a whit of rain any day we were there.
2. Pack dark colors. I know, I know people say not to worry about how you look as a tourist, but really please think to pack dark colors, especially if you're travelling in the winter when everyone is all bundled up. My husband and I both had very bright, athletic outerwear that seemed out of place in some pubs and restaurants, which limited our options. Some places are cheap but have an upscale feeling, ie, places that have a cheap pre-theatre plate, and some of the pubs. Since we only carried on we only had room for one all-purpose coat, and mine was a bright pink Columbia parka. Unfortunately when you're travelling at breakneck pace sometimes you don't have time to run up to the room and freshen up before dinner so you need to pack things that will do double-duty, and dark colors seem to fit the bill nicely for that. Jeans and sneakers are fine, although for winter travelling I would suggest boots anyway, since they are more all-weather, but incidentally they also have a more formal feel.
3. If you have 4 days in London, plan a 3 day itinerary. 5 days, plan for 4. Its just the way it is! We planned on 2 sights a day and it ended up taking one day extra than what we originally planned. First off, guide books seem to plan for the least enthusiastic tourist. They said the TOL would take 2 hours-- no way with my enthusiastic husband who was trying to find a way into even the closed-off towers! It took us 4 hours going at a clipping pace with no break. I don't know how a family, travelling in the summer, could do it in less than 5 hours if they planned to see even the basics. And I could have spent all day at the National Gallery; I feel as if I didn't spend enough time and we must have spent 4 or 5 hours there. Plus you will slow down as your time on vacation wears on-- some days you just won't be able to get out of the room on time, sometimes lunch will take longer, etc. Plan frequent brain-relaxers. I felt very overwhelmed by what I was seeing at many galleries. I finally had to simply stop reading every placard and take the images for their beauty alone. Trying to appreciate the historical, social, and artistic context of every work is exhausting and your brain and body will need coffee breaks every few hours, so work it into your itinerary and budget.
4. GET OUT OF LONDON! London is great, it really is, but the real joys of our trip lay outside the city. It is great to see the history of a place laid out in museums, etc., but it is even better to see the history of a place in the landscape and in its people. Train travelling is as entertaining and edifying as a trip to a museum. Better still when the countryside is blanketed in snow
5. Yes that old stereotype about not having free refills on drinks at restaurants is true. We did find places that gave us refills on water, but on soft drinks it was nonexistent. Not that annoying except that as Americans we feel we have a right to free-flowing soda; we are a particularly thirsty and wasteful bunch it seems. Plus we were walking so much that we needed hydration. My solution-- drink beer. The portions are bigger and it seems less of a bad deal to spend 2.70 pounds on a pint than 2.10 pounds on a 10 oz coke. Not so good for hydration, though, so keep a water bottle with you if you need hydration during the day. If you dearly desire a coke that good-old standby McDonalds does a good big one. You have to go to McDonald's once during your trip, if only to view the spectacle that is Londonders affection for the place, plus the menu is different (Chicken Legend what?).
6. We didn't use this until our very last day, but Boots Pharmacy has a nice selection of takeaway lunch items-- a meal deal is less than 4 pounds. Take away seems pretty popular in London (as evidenced by the fact that every third restaurant is a Pret a Manger, every fourth an Eat, every fifth a Costa, etc. etc.-- the variety of London restaurants dips significantly if you take those out of the equation). Enjoy the humble tradition of London takeaway sandwiches. Everyone seems to eat them!
7. Pack your breakfast (assuming it isn't offered for free at your hotel). We packed cereal bars and drank the free coffee/tea in the room as breakfast and mid-morning snack. This allowed us to eat lunch and dinner without breaking our budget. Neither one of us is big on the "big-breakfast, no lunch" plan (who doesn't get physically run down around 1:00 and need a moment to rest and eat a bit?), plus it allowed us to sample the biggest variety of foods--breakfast in England and in our native Georgia being not so different, while lunch offered better variety. Plus you can take your breakfast with you so you don't have to plan for it in the morning.
8. The part of London that most first-timers will want to see is very, very, small. The boroughs are socially/culturally distinct, but are very close together so that getting from Westminster to Bloomsbury to Covent Garden is no problem at all. We bought 7 day Oystercards presuming that we would want to use the tube to get around, but found ourselves using it very seldomly for walking around London. Plainly put, when deciding whether to suss out the tube map, or the street map, learning London seemed like the best and most enjoyable use of our time, and the walking was no problem (caveat: we are 25, no kids, no health problems known to us). We did use the tube to get to Hampstead and to the various train station we needed for our day trips, and to the airport, so our card came in handy if only for convenience, but otherwise we did rarely use the tube. We do feel like real London champs now, having conquered the streets as much as we could, and on our last night we were even asked for directions from some Britons and were able to give them! I guess our bright parkas didn't give us away completely as Americans
9. London is not a 24 hour city, and by that I mean no offense, but it is true. We stayed at the Swissotel Howard, a stone's throw away from Covent Garden, all the theatres, the Strand, etc. So we were in the hubub. And yet, after 5:30 and especially after 7:00 your options for dining do become more limited. It appears that many of the cheaper eateries are geared toward lunchtime business customers, and close at night. On our last night we were looking for something cheap and light to eat after a week of eating heavy pub and ethnic meals, but none of the cafes that sell light meals were open. Pret a Manger, Costa, even Starbucks-- closed by 8:30 PM. Many grocery stores close at 10:00 weekdays and 11:00 on weekends, even during the holiday rush. Sundays it seemed that many places were closed all day long, and we did walk block and blocks to a fish and chip shop to find it closed. Literally I am telling you in small town Georgia this would be baffling! All our groceries, drug stores are 24 hours and the coffee shops are usually open until midnight. You'd think this would be no problem but of course when you are travelling you may find yourself eating meals later than you expected. Just recall this and try to make it a point to check out the hours or stop by early if there's a place you particularly want to try. All tube stops open no earlier than 5:30 and there are no 24 hour lines. This to me was shocking; I assumed there would be 24 hour service and so didn't even look into it before we left. Imagine running down to a tube stop at 4:50 to catch a 5:30 train and finding no-one but the newspaper man there to greet me! When I asked him where the nearest 24 hour station was, he looked at me like I was crazy. The early closings/late openings did not hamper our trip one bit, but it is good to know in advance. Typical American I suppose, expecting the whole world to be open for business at my discretion!
10. Getting around the UK is quite easy if you allow yourself the time to do so. I am telling you, getting to my inlaw's home for Christmas the day after our trip ended was more difficult than getting around England. They are great about signs and repeating directions in the UK. Getting through customs and from Heathrow to our hotel was a breeze. We also made record time back to the airport and security was downright pleasant. If you stand somewhere long enough, you'll either see a sign, hear an automated voice telling you which way to go, or some lovely Briton will ask you if you're lost and help you out. In America, no way. If you're lost there, you're done for. But remember in London to walk fast! Everyone seem to do this, and I believe that London seemed to me to be a faster-paced city than any I've been in before, including NYC where I lived for a short time. The pace is certainly slower on the outskirts of London. Hampstead, for example, has a far slower pace.
Well, this sums up my "advice" section and I'l start talking about our specific trips and will have pictures up shortly.
Future things to cover:
British Museum
Tower of London and Henry VIII armour exhibit
British Library
Keats House and Hampstead
Dealing with snow
Train travel to Bristol
Bus travel to Glastonbury from Bristol
Beautiful Glastonbury
Salisbury, the Cathedral, and Stonehenge
Tate Modern and the National Gallery
St. Paul's and Westminster Abbey
Restaurants: ethnic stops, Masala Zone, Rock and Sole Plaice, Pizza Express, pasty shops, various pubs, Wagamama-- the usual suspects.
Dec 30th, 2009, 08:15 AM
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Thanks for posting.
I agree that it can be surprising to some visitors that the tube stops running around MN. However, there are night buses that serve all over london all night long.
I must disagree with you about the lack of dining options at night near Covent Garden. Just chinatown alone, there are many restaurants that open until 2am or 4am. I usually attend an opera or a play when I'm in London, and I never have trouble finding a place to dine after the opera or play is over, which sometimes can easily be 10pm or 11pm or later.
I agree that it can be surprising to some visitors that the tube stops running around MN. However, there are night buses that serve all over london all night long.
I must disagree with you about the lack of dining options at night near Covent Garden. Just chinatown alone, there are many restaurants that open until 2am or 4am. I usually attend an opera or a play when I'm in London, and I never have trouble finding a place to dine after the opera or play is over, which sometimes can easily be 10pm or 11pm or later.
Dec 30th, 2009, 08:18 AM
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Sounds like you had a great trip despite the once in a lifetime snow/ice accumulation. Can't wait to hear the specifics about the areas you covered.
How long did it take to clear customs/immigration?
Did you cover St Paul and Westminster in the same day? How close walking wise is it to travel from westminster to bloomsbury and covent garden?
Did you cover every tower in the tower of london? Did you take the Warden tour? What time did you get to the tower? Did you walk across tower bridge? Sorry for so many questions but trying to gather as much info as I can for our upcoming trip next summer. I'll have to factor in more crowds of course.
How long did it take to clear customs/immigration?
Did you cover St Paul and Westminster in the same day? How close walking wise is it to travel from westminster to bloomsbury and covent garden?
Did you cover every tower in the tower of london? Did you take the Warden tour? What time did you get to the tower? Did you walk across tower bridge? Sorry for so many questions but trying to gather as much info as I can for our upcoming trip next summer. I'll have to factor in more crowds of course.
Dec 30th, 2009, 08:27 AM
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I think it depends on your budget and tastes whether or not you'll have problems. Certainly there isn't a lack of places after 8:30 or so, you won't starve or even have to endure a bad meal, but if you have your heart set on a place, or are extremely limited by budget, its better to try to eat earlier, rather than later, when you'll have less options. In our particular case we had dined out at ethnic places and pubs nearly every night and wanted something light since it was our last night and we felt like utter gluttons! Or if you decide you need to go to the grocery store at 10:30 because of a splitting headache, but find the place closed where at home you would expect 24 hours access. If we hadn't wanted something specific, it certainly would have been no problem. Its important to be flexible. It seems to me when travelling that you're always dealing with the intersection of budget and convenience...!
I didn't know that Chinatown was in Covent Garden? Is the Oxford St/Regent St./Piccadilly Circus area considered the same as Covent Garden? We passed through China Town on our way back to the Swissotel (at Temple Station) after walking to Piccadilly Circus. Although I spent a week there and almost exclusively walked, I still have little sense of where one places ends and another begins.
I didn't know that Chinatown was in Covent Garden? Is the Oxford St/Regent St./Piccadilly Circus area considered the same as Covent Garden? We passed through China Town on our way back to the Swissotel (at Temple Station) after walking to Piccadilly Circus. Although I spent a week there and almost exclusively walked, I still have little sense of where one places ends and another begins.
Dec 30th, 2009, 09:04 AM
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I seem to remember some discussion earlier - not sure if it was for cpilgtim - about the Howard and surrounding facilities. It is indeed on the edge of a more business-oriented area, but if you go further west along the Strand and up to Covent Garden, there are plenty of places to eat in the evening. But it is true that after business-type hours, the options are full-scale restaurants or Macdonalds-type fast food places. Cheaper cafes and sandwich bar chains are indeed aimed at the lunch market.
Dec 30th, 2009, 11:14 AM
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Well, work is a bit slow today so I'll start with some of the things we did.
Our direct flight from Atlanta took a little over 8 hours and we flew out at 10 pm, getting us to LHR by around 1:00 if I recall. Customs was simple-- a short line and some generic questions. We did not have any checked bags so perhaps we dodged the worst of it. Since LHR is broken up into terminals and you do all your security there, the lines were nonexistent (this is not the case at our home airport where all security is handled through one line, then you split off for terminals after). We had a railpass that I knew had some extra days on it, so we used the extra day of time to take the express train to Paddington. Getting on the Express was dead easy. There are signs all over LHR for it; I am not kidding you it would be difficult to get seriously lost in England if you are even the least bit aware of your surroundings! If you disembark the plane at T-4 you get on a little connecting train to any of the other Terminals and grab the express there. We got our railpasses validated by the lady who sells the express tickets. When we got to Paddington we wanted to buy 7 day Oystercards, so we waited patiently in line to buy them, saw the big yellow button that is labeled "for Oystercards, press here" and then did exactly what they said--press it. Of course this was sheer idiocy...you press your Oystercard onto that button (a card reader) to top it off. We must have looked like yokels, which we are. Once we figured this out we decided to go to the ticket window so as not to look like wahoos any longer. One thing to remember about England/London is that maps of transport are generally not to scale and that they are generally presented left to right, meaning that a map of bus stops or tube stops are presented so that they can be easily read, but not in a way that correlate to the actual space or distance the line or route travels. This fouled my husband up a few times, as he is used to seeing, for example, bus maps that show the physical space in which the bus travels...hard to explain exactly what I mean, but you'll understand when you try it.
We took the Circle line from the Tube to our hotel. Momentarily got on the green line, which was wrong, but the two follow each other for quite a while so it was no big deal to get off the train and catch the next Circle. FYI: different tube lines in London use the same track, and many lines have differing branches (aka, the Northern line can be via one or two different places) so read the digital signs on the platform that let you know what the next train coming is, and where it's heading. It is not like in NYC where the only train appearing on the tracks is the one you're looking for (or at least that is how I recall it being, although it has been nearly 6 yrs since I was there).
Hotel was nice, with a good view of the Thames. We got there around 2:30 and ventured out for food. We were walking towards Wesminster, got our first view of Big Ben, and then decided just to walk north a bit to see what we could see. We managed first to hit The Strand and then to walk smack dab into Covent Garden. We were shocked at how small the city (well, the city center) actually was from how we imagined it would be. We wandered around looking for ATM/food and just basically getting a sense of the city. Ended up eating at Wagamama and walking to St. Paul's that night. Got to Wagamama and were the only ones there-- in our jetlagginess didn't realize that it was only 5:00, even though it was pitch black outside, so the dinner rush hadn't started. A big bowl of ramen and a beer is quite restorative after a long trip. We got back to the hotel as we were planning a big train trip the next day and wanted to get to bed early. But they started calling for snow so we decided to stay in London the next day. I must admit I was up on nearly an hourly basis looking for snow that first night. But luckily we had no snow at all and woke up to beautiful blue skies. Needless to say it was chilly outside! But at least no snow or rain.
Our "real" Day 1 we did Westminster Abbey and the British Museum. I had planned for us to do the Abbey and the National Gallery together since they were so close by, but my husband was so excited about the BM, and I didn't want to be "miss-itinerary" so I consented. Westminster Abbey is overwhelming in both its beauty and historicity. Very much worth it. The audio tour is very worthwhile and the small museum is great. I took with me a pocket tripod and was able to capture some good pictures of the Cloisters. In the low lighting it is difficult to take good pictures there without a very steady hand (pics forthcoming).
After the National Gallery we happened upon a place called The Banquetting Hall which my husband, a law student, had learned about in his legal history class. It was a beautiful place, with ceiling painted by Reubens, and it was the site of Charles I's beheading. The audio tour was a little tedious, but they did have a good video that summed up the history of the place.
We stopped for lunch at Masala Zone on Floral St. Excellent lunch specials, drinks, and a perfect relaxing lunch atmosphere. We ended up eating there again later in the trip.
Afterwards we went to the British Museum, where we spotted the beginnings of snow. The BM is an overwhelming place and I suggest you give it more time than we did. We were only able to see the Greek and Egyptian areas, some Assyrian, and a bit of the reading rooms, and we were there for 3-4 hrs. It is somewhat distracting that they allow people to snap photos there, although I was one of the ones doing it so I shouldn't complain. London museums seemed to me exceptionally busy in comparison to their American counterparts. I cannot recall the Met being as busy as any of the places we visited, and of course in smaller American cities the museums are certainly not as busy. The Parthenon friezes are amazing although my favorite part was the smaller exhibits of Greek jewelry, arts and crafts-- it is amazing what they were able to do without aid of modern machinery. If you're in a couple or with family, now's the time where you realize that seeing all this stuff together is impossible-- better to get to a museum and then set up a meeting point rather than try to drag to every item together. We got there late in the day so I would suggest getting there early to take advantage of daylight (since they have sunlight coming in) and to try and avoid crowds.
For dinner we went to Rock and Sole Plaice, a chip shop which is apparently in Covent Garden although it is only steps from the BM, which is in Bloomsbury District. The place is crowded and so the service is not excellent, but the food is quite good. Ours was out quickly I think because it was already made when we ordered, but other people's looked more freshly fried. I fell in love with their amazing tartar sauce and if anyone knows how to make it or anything like it (American tartar sauce comes out of a bottle, is lumpy, and has too much horseradish), please let me know. This was light and spicy and full of fresh dill.
We went to bed early this night because we wanted to get up early in the morning to catch the first Stonehenge tour. We walked from our hotel to Waterloo station and got a gorgeous view of London as it woke from its sleep. I will say on our train ride to Salisbury was great. Between London and Salisbury there was quite a bit of snow but it dried out before we got there. Still it made for some good pictures and it kept the crowds down at Stonehenge, which I will recount in my next post, as it merits its own.
Our direct flight from Atlanta took a little over 8 hours and we flew out at 10 pm, getting us to LHR by around 1:00 if I recall. Customs was simple-- a short line and some generic questions. We did not have any checked bags so perhaps we dodged the worst of it. Since LHR is broken up into terminals and you do all your security there, the lines were nonexistent (this is not the case at our home airport where all security is handled through one line, then you split off for terminals after). We had a railpass that I knew had some extra days on it, so we used the extra day of time to take the express train to Paddington. Getting on the Express was dead easy. There are signs all over LHR for it; I am not kidding you it would be difficult to get seriously lost in England if you are even the least bit aware of your surroundings! If you disembark the plane at T-4 you get on a little connecting train to any of the other Terminals and grab the express there. We got our railpasses validated by the lady who sells the express tickets. When we got to Paddington we wanted to buy 7 day Oystercards, so we waited patiently in line to buy them, saw the big yellow button that is labeled "for Oystercards, press here" and then did exactly what they said--press it. Of course this was sheer idiocy...you press your Oystercard onto that button (a card reader) to top it off. We must have looked like yokels, which we are. Once we figured this out we decided to go to the ticket window so as not to look like wahoos any longer. One thing to remember about England/London is that maps of transport are generally not to scale and that they are generally presented left to right, meaning that a map of bus stops or tube stops are presented so that they can be easily read, but not in a way that correlate to the actual space or distance the line or route travels. This fouled my husband up a few times, as he is used to seeing, for example, bus maps that show the physical space in which the bus travels...hard to explain exactly what I mean, but you'll understand when you try it.
We took the Circle line from the Tube to our hotel. Momentarily got on the green line, which was wrong, but the two follow each other for quite a while so it was no big deal to get off the train and catch the next Circle. FYI: different tube lines in London use the same track, and many lines have differing branches (aka, the Northern line can be via one or two different places) so read the digital signs on the platform that let you know what the next train coming is, and where it's heading. It is not like in NYC where the only train appearing on the tracks is the one you're looking for (or at least that is how I recall it being, although it has been nearly 6 yrs since I was there).
Hotel was nice, with a good view of the Thames. We got there around 2:30 and ventured out for food. We were walking towards Wesminster, got our first view of Big Ben, and then decided just to walk north a bit to see what we could see. We managed first to hit The Strand and then to walk smack dab into Covent Garden. We were shocked at how small the city (well, the city center) actually was from how we imagined it would be. We wandered around looking for ATM/food and just basically getting a sense of the city. Ended up eating at Wagamama and walking to St. Paul's that night. Got to Wagamama and were the only ones there-- in our jetlagginess didn't realize that it was only 5:00, even though it was pitch black outside, so the dinner rush hadn't started. A big bowl of ramen and a beer is quite restorative after a long trip. We got back to the hotel as we were planning a big train trip the next day and wanted to get to bed early. But they started calling for snow so we decided to stay in London the next day. I must admit I was up on nearly an hourly basis looking for snow that first night. But luckily we had no snow at all and woke up to beautiful blue skies. Needless to say it was chilly outside! But at least no snow or rain.
Our "real" Day 1 we did Westminster Abbey and the British Museum. I had planned for us to do the Abbey and the National Gallery together since they were so close by, but my husband was so excited about the BM, and I didn't want to be "miss-itinerary" so I consented. Westminster Abbey is overwhelming in both its beauty and historicity. Very much worth it. The audio tour is very worthwhile and the small museum is great. I took with me a pocket tripod and was able to capture some good pictures of the Cloisters. In the low lighting it is difficult to take good pictures there without a very steady hand (pics forthcoming).
After the National Gallery we happened upon a place called The Banquetting Hall which my husband, a law student, had learned about in his legal history class. It was a beautiful place, with ceiling painted by Reubens, and it was the site of Charles I's beheading. The audio tour was a little tedious, but they did have a good video that summed up the history of the place.
We stopped for lunch at Masala Zone on Floral St. Excellent lunch specials, drinks, and a perfect relaxing lunch atmosphere. We ended up eating there again later in the trip.
Afterwards we went to the British Museum, where we spotted the beginnings of snow. The BM is an overwhelming place and I suggest you give it more time than we did. We were only able to see the Greek and Egyptian areas, some Assyrian, and a bit of the reading rooms, and we were there for 3-4 hrs. It is somewhat distracting that they allow people to snap photos there, although I was one of the ones doing it so I shouldn't complain. London museums seemed to me exceptionally busy in comparison to their American counterparts. I cannot recall the Met being as busy as any of the places we visited, and of course in smaller American cities the museums are certainly not as busy. The Parthenon friezes are amazing although my favorite part was the smaller exhibits of Greek jewelry, arts and crafts-- it is amazing what they were able to do without aid of modern machinery. If you're in a couple or with family, now's the time where you realize that seeing all this stuff together is impossible-- better to get to a museum and then set up a meeting point rather than try to drag to every item together. We got there late in the day so I would suggest getting there early to take advantage of daylight (since they have sunlight coming in) and to try and avoid crowds.
For dinner we went to Rock and Sole Plaice, a chip shop which is apparently in Covent Garden although it is only steps from the BM, which is in Bloomsbury District. The place is crowded and so the service is not excellent, but the food is quite good. Ours was out quickly I think because it was already made when we ordered, but other people's looked more freshly fried. I fell in love with their amazing tartar sauce and if anyone knows how to make it or anything like it (American tartar sauce comes out of a bottle, is lumpy, and has too much horseradish), please let me know. This was light and spicy and full of fresh dill.
We went to bed early this night because we wanted to get up early in the morning to catch the first Stonehenge tour. We walked from our hotel to Waterloo station and got a gorgeous view of London as it woke from its sleep. I will say on our train ride to Salisbury was great. Between London and Salisbury there was quite a bit of snow but it dried out before we got there. Still it made for some good pictures and it kept the crowds down at Stonehenge, which I will recount in my next post, as it merits its own.
Dec 30th, 2009, 11:19 AM
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europeannnovice questions:
1. Customs/immigration at LHR was easy; the line was perhaps 20 minutes and then the customs part was done in a flash. They don't make you go through security again as they do in America. Coming home, security through LHR was easy-- really no line at all because of how well organized that airport is. Atlanta customs was more tedious; the lines are longer, but the questioning is not troubling, nor do they search your bag by hand, but they do make you go through security again upon entering the country, so make sure you have on the proper shoes so you can take them off in a hurry, and that you haven't packed your laptop deep in your suitcase, as you'll have to get it out again. If you have bags checked, you'll have to grab them during customs, have them searched/scanned, then recheck them and get them at the regular baggage claim before you leave. Just anothe reason not to check bags unless you absolutely must.
2. We did not do St. Paul's and W. Abbey in the same day, we actually did one on our first day and another on the last day. I would suggest doing St. Paul's on a good clear day since they have the panoramic view. I wouldn't do both on the same day because a) they're on opposite sides of the city (not a bad walk, but still--better to be efficient unless you cannot for whatever reason) and b) they are similar in theme and to do both would be overwhelming.
3. It seems like a breeze to get from Westminster, into Bloomsbury and then into Covent Garden. On our first day we walked from the Embankment to Westminster, had lunch in Covent Garden, and then went to a museum in Bloomsbury-- it never fazed us. They were like 15-20 minute walks between each place, but during that time of course we got a better sense of the city, selected restaurants to try out later, and stopped for pictures and to consult the map. It is not like in NYC where neighborhoods are sprawling and there are 50 blocks separating midtown from the upper west side or whatever; it is much more doable by foot.
4. We got to the tower at around 9:30 and covered every open tower at the TOL and my husband was trying to find access to the ones that were NOT open, haha! We did take the Yeoman Warder tour, but that only covers the basics of the place. It is very worthwhile--entertaining and useful and very much worth it, even if to hear the story of the Yeoman Warder himself, who must have years of military service in order to quality for the position. Also there are place you go on the tour that I believe are easier accessed while on the tour (I mean the chapel when I say this-- I am not sure if you can go in there unless you're on a tour; even if you can, you'd have to do it in between tours, which are quite frequent). We did not buy an audio tour since that was on our last day and we were by then quite sick of audio tours. But the interactive exhibits give you enough context to understand what you're seeing.
5. We did walk over Tower Bridge, we actually did so at night after touring the Tate Modern. We walked down the Thames on the south side and then walked across. We didn't do a tour or anything. The bridge is beautiful at night (take your pocket tripod for pics!!), but I think Waterloo bridge gives a better view of the city IMHO. Try going early in the morning. We didn't go over any other bridges, so perhaps someone else could give their two cents about which one has the best London view.
1. Customs/immigration at LHR was easy; the line was perhaps 20 minutes and then the customs part was done in a flash. They don't make you go through security again as they do in America. Coming home, security through LHR was easy-- really no line at all because of how well organized that airport is. Atlanta customs was more tedious; the lines are longer, but the questioning is not troubling, nor do they search your bag by hand, but they do make you go through security again upon entering the country, so make sure you have on the proper shoes so you can take them off in a hurry, and that you haven't packed your laptop deep in your suitcase, as you'll have to get it out again. If you have bags checked, you'll have to grab them during customs, have them searched/scanned, then recheck them and get them at the regular baggage claim before you leave. Just anothe reason not to check bags unless you absolutely must.
2. We did not do St. Paul's and W. Abbey in the same day, we actually did one on our first day and another on the last day. I would suggest doing St. Paul's on a good clear day since they have the panoramic view. I wouldn't do both on the same day because a) they're on opposite sides of the city (not a bad walk, but still--better to be efficient unless you cannot for whatever reason) and b) they are similar in theme and to do both would be overwhelming.
3. It seems like a breeze to get from Westminster, into Bloomsbury and then into Covent Garden. On our first day we walked from the Embankment to Westminster, had lunch in Covent Garden, and then went to a museum in Bloomsbury-- it never fazed us. They were like 15-20 minute walks between each place, but during that time of course we got a better sense of the city, selected restaurants to try out later, and stopped for pictures and to consult the map. It is not like in NYC where neighborhoods are sprawling and there are 50 blocks separating midtown from the upper west side or whatever; it is much more doable by foot.
4. We got to the tower at around 9:30 and covered every open tower at the TOL and my husband was trying to find access to the ones that were NOT open, haha! We did take the Yeoman Warder tour, but that only covers the basics of the place. It is very worthwhile--entertaining and useful and very much worth it, even if to hear the story of the Yeoman Warder himself, who must have years of military service in order to quality for the position. Also there are place you go on the tour that I believe are easier accessed while on the tour (I mean the chapel when I say this-- I am not sure if you can go in there unless you're on a tour; even if you can, you'd have to do it in between tours, which are quite frequent). We did not buy an audio tour since that was on our last day and we were by then quite sick of audio tours. But the interactive exhibits give you enough context to understand what you're seeing.
5. We did walk over Tower Bridge, we actually did so at night after touring the Tate Modern. We walked down the Thames on the south side and then walked across. We didn't do a tour or anything. The bridge is beautiful at night (take your pocket tripod for pics!!), but I think Waterloo bridge gives a better view of the city IMHO. Try going early in the morning. We didn't go over any other bridges, so perhaps someone else could give their two cents about which one has the best London view.
Dec 30th, 2009, 11:27 AM
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Well, all apologies for posting so often but I did just find a good explanation of the differences between UK and US Tartar sauce that sums up my distaste for the US version and newfound obsession for UK version:
http://www.helpwithcooking.com/sauces/tartar-sauce.html
And apparently the freshness was from parsley and chives, not dill. Stupid tastebuds.
http://www.helpwithcooking.com/sauces/tartar-sauce.html
And apparently the freshness was from parsley and chives, not dill. Stupid tastebuds.
Dec 30th, 2009, 11:33 AM
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Regarding The Howard, I did post about the Howard and its immediate vicinities before my trip and was pleasantly surprised at how well situated it was (as I must say many here had assured me it would be). It is in a more business area if you only consider the block immediately surrounding it, but it is close to Fleet St/The Strand which is very busy at all hours with much commerce. If you went left of the hotel you were smack dab in the middle of Covent Garden and the theatre district, right of the hotel took you to blocks of St. Paul's. We actually were looking for food on Fleet St. the first night and ran smack dab into St. Paul's--I had no idea that it would be that short a walk from our hotel! North of the hotel the area is a bit deader-- Kingsway and High Holborn we walked through a couple of times since there was a kebap shop there that we liked a lot, but that was almost the only dinner time option in that area, Burger King excepting. The Tesco/Tesco Expresses/Sainsburys we passed in that area all seemed to close around 9-11, depending. I also wonder if some places were closed because of limited hours before the holidays. We were actually there up to the 23rd.
I did think that Chinatown was much closer to Soho than to what I thought of as Covent Garden. It is funny you should mention that because I noticed one night when walking through Soho (the night we passed by Chinatown), that many of the partiers in that area are out quite early; this was one thing that tipped me off as to how London is less of a "City that Never Sleeps" than say, NYC. Since it seems that pubs have last call before midnight, many of the partiers were drunk and on their way home by 11:45. I was, sadly, stone sober at the time, but it was fun to see all the revelryers in their paper crowns out and about.
I did think that Chinatown was much closer to Soho than to what I thought of as Covent Garden. It is funny you should mention that because I noticed one night when walking through Soho (the night we passed by Chinatown), that many of the partiers in that area are out quite early; this was one thing that tipped me off as to how London is less of a "City that Never Sleeps" than say, NYC. Since it seems that pubs have last call before midnight, many of the partiers were drunk and on their way home by 11:45. I was, sadly, stone sober at the time, but it was fun to see all the revelryers in their paper crowns out and about.
Dec 30th, 2009, 12:30 PM
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Thanks for your replies. I have been to the Met when it has been mobbed with people and it is hard to get near the Greek/Roman anitiquities section with those crowds around.
How long did it take to cross both Tower Bridge and Waterloo bridge? In my previous post I was told it should be a five minute walk across the tower bridge.
We are staying in Holborn so I am interested to hear if there is anything else to eat around there besides the kebob place. Was Kingsway and High Holborn really quiet? What time was that? I was told though that it is an easy walk from Holborn to the strand and covent garden.
You mentioned after the National Gallery you went to Banqueting house. Did you go into the National Gallery or only pass by from the outside?
At St Paul, did you climb to the whispering gallery or to the dome above that. It is suppose to have a superb view if you can climb all those steps up.
How long did it take to cross both Tower Bridge and Waterloo bridge? In my previous post I was told it should be a five minute walk across the tower bridge.
We are staying in Holborn so I am interested to hear if there is anything else to eat around there besides the kebob place. Was Kingsway and High Holborn really quiet? What time was that? I was told though that it is an easy walk from Holborn to the strand and covent garden.
You mentioned after the National Gallery you went to Banqueting house. Did you go into the National Gallery or only pass by from the outside?
At St Paul, did you climb to the whispering gallery or to the dome above that. It is suppose to have a superb view if you can climb all those steps up.
Dec 30th, 2009, 12:47 PM
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oops, forgot to ask these: How long did it take to walk from St Paul to the tower bridge? I think you said you walked along the South Bank? Is there a pedestrian walkway along the Thames? Is that a better walk than walking along the north side of the Thames in the City area? Thanks again for the info.
Dec 30th, 2009, 12:54 PM
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Tower Bridge and Waterloo Bridge are both quick crosses-- 5 minutes is definitely enough to cross them, although depending on where you are it may actually take longer to get to them than to actually cross them, if that makes sense. So I would plan on crossing them when I was on that side of town. There's also the millenium bridge I forgot to mention as well! But that's right to the side of St. Paul's, so you can cross it when you visit there.
We did stay to the south of Holborn, right on the bank of the Thames, and it is easy to get to anywhere from around there, a 10 minute walk tops to very popular places should you find the area lacking in options. Can you tell me the name of the hotel or address? If so I can look it up on google and see if I can recall what's around there. There are many many options during the day around Kingsway/High Holborn but many close starting around 5 and then later into the evening options get less and less. We walked from our hotel via Kingsway to New Oxford and Oxford St. one night to see Piccadilly Circus and there are plenty of places to eat that way on into the night. Didn't get to explore the Soho area much but I am sure there's lots of food options that way that are late nighters. Piccadilly Circus is a mob and unless you're into that sort of thing I don't suggest making it a must-do.
We did go to the National Gallery, but on our last day. I'll try to give some tips and such for that one when I describe the later portions of the trip.
We did climb to the top of the dome at St. Paul's and boy that was an experience! After a few days of rambling in the countryside during our daytrips (which I will describe in more detail later) we were yearning for something physical and less cerebral on our last day in London. St. Paul's was just that. It was like a highwire act getting up those steps...it is steep and they are wrought iron at the top. I am not afraid of much but I was shivering like a big baby once we got to those wrought iron steps! It was more than worth it, though, a real highlight of the trip. The view is astounding. You have to go to the golden gallery, though. It is the best. The first outdoor gallery ("the stone gallery") is ok, but the time it takes to get to the tippy top is worth it.
We did stay to the south of Holborn, right on the bank of the Thames, and it is easy to get to anywhere from around there, a 10 minute walk tops to very popular places should you find the area lacking in options. Can you tell me the name of the hotel or address? If so I can look it up on google and see if I can recall what's around there. There are many many options during the day around Kingsway/High Holborn but many close starting around 5 and then later into the evening options get less and less. We walked from our hotel via Kingsway to New Oxford and Oxford St. one night to see Piccadilly Circus and there are plenty of places to eat that way on into the night. Didn't get to explore the Soho area much but I am sure there's lots of food options that way that are late nighters. Piccadilly Circus is a mob and unless you're into that sort of thing I don't suggest making it a must-do.
We did go to the National Gallery, but on our last day. I'll try to give some tips and such for that one when I describe the later portions of the trip.
We did climb to the top of the dome at St. Paul's and boy that was an experience! After a few days of rambling in the countryside during our daytrips (which I will describe in more detail later) we were yearning for something physical and less cerebral on our last day in London. St. Paul's was just that. It was like a highwire act getting up those steps...it is steep and they are wrought iron at the top. I am not afraid of much but I was shivering like a big baby once we got to those wrought iron steps! It was more than worth it, though, a real highlight of the trip. The view is astounding. You have to go to the golden gallery, though. It is the best. The first outdoor gallery ("the stone gallery") is ok, but the time it takes to get to the tippy top is worth it.
Dec 30th, 2009, 01:22 PM
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hi pilgrim,
glad you had such a good trip - I'm enjoying reading about it very much.
one thing, do I understand that you were staying near Temple Tube station and that your husband is a lawyer? reading your list of things done you don't mention the Temple - don't tell me you missed it!
glad you had such a good trip - I'm enjoying reading about it very much.
one thing, do I understand that you were staying near Temple Tube station and that your husband is a lawyer? reading your list of things done you don't mention the Temple - don't tell me you missed it!
Dec 30th, 2009, 01:50 PM
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It sounds exciting to climb to the top of St Paul. How long did it take you to get up to the top? Was it very narrow and crowded with people going in both directions up/down the spiral stairs? I don't look forward to that too much.
We are staying at the Renaissance using some marriott points. I read that Great Queen Street has some places to eat but not sure if anyone has any good suggestions. As you said I have no interest in Piccadilly Circus. Did you pass by the Inns of Court at Lincoln Inn Fields?
Please tell us how long you stayed at the National Gallery and what you saw there. Looking forward to the rest of your trip report.
Also how long is the walk from Tate Modern ( my correction of earlier when I said St Paul) to the tower bridge? Was it a pedestrian walkway along the Southbank? Is that easier than navigating the city streets on the north side?
We are staying at the Renaissance using some marriott points. I read that Great Queen Street has some places to eat but not sure if anyone has any good suggestions. As you said I have no interest in Piccadilly Circus. Did you pass by the Inns of Court at Lincoln Inn Fields?
Please tell us how long you stayed at the National Gallery and what you saw there. Looking forward to the rest of your trip report.
Also how long is the walk from Tate Modern ( my correction of earlier when I said St Paul) to the tower bridge? Was it a pedestrian walkway along the Southbank? Is that easier than navigating the city streets on the north side?
