TudorPrincess' London Trip Report, part 1
 

Well, I think I've finally recovered from my trip to England so here is my trip report for better or for worse.
14 Feb. Evening flight Philly to Heathrow- arrived 9:20am - 15 Feb.Tube to Kings Cross to Comfort Inn. Room is functional. That's all I can say. How this is voted the #1 Comfort Inn in England I don't know. Spent the day in Covent Garden, ate at Belgo Centraal. Food was okay, not real flavorful but cheap. Went to the Transport Museum, disappointed as it seemed more for kids and there certainly was A LOT of them around.
16 Feb. 8:25am train from St.Pancras to Sheffield. Love the train service in England, I wish we had this in my bit of America. I knew that Sheffield was in the Peak District but somehow didn't expect the town to be on a hill. Quite surprised to be pulling luggage uphill to the hotel. Stayed at the Cutlers Hotel, small room but adequate. Sheffield is nothing spectacular as everyone said but we went specifically to visit Steve Clark's(Def Leppard)grave. Left our luggage and took the bus to Loxley Rd. Beautiful countryside and Hillsborough was quite nice. Went to the cemetery and then to the Admiral Rodney pub across the street. This is a great pub! Great views, very charming interior and good food. Found the best beer of our trip, Stones Bitters, unfortunately, never to be found again!
We then went back to Sheffield and walked around the town and went into the Bank Bar for a few drinks and then decided to go to Nottingham.
50min. by train and we're in Nottingham, god I love the British Rail service! Went specifically for the Hard Rock. Had dinner and drinks and had a great conversation with a local who informed us that only an American would travel 50 miles to have drinks. Bought souvenirs and then headed back to Sheffield.
17 Feb.- Off to York today. Once again, nothing like train travel in England. However, our train is filled with screaming kids for the two hour ride. My husband uses his Walkman,I begin to wish I had brought one as well.
We stayed at the Queen's Hotel in York, this is on the opposite side of the river from the town but a very short walk. We check in and the room is very nice and we have a river view. I would stay here again. We check out the town first and then head to the Minster. What can I say? What a spectacular church. The stained glass simply takes your breath away! Just as incredible from the outside. After awhile inside we decide to go to a pub for a drink and we choose the White Swan from the tourist brochure given to us by the hotel. A typical English pub with decent food. I'm having trouble finding something to drink as usual since my poison is Miller Lite and is not available anywhere in England that I can see. I decide to try a Pimm's and lemonade and all of a sudden I have a new drink! We spend a few hours here and then off to the York Castle Museum which was very interesting. We decide to go to Odd Bins to buy some wine to take back to the room and after finishing off a bottle take a nap before heading out to dinner.
We walk the streets until we find something that looks good and we wind up at Ask near the Minster. It's an Italian restaurant located in the former York Assembly rooms, beautiful room with gilt and chandeliers and I'm feeling REALLY underdressed in jeans. But the prices, food and service is great. We walk the town for a bit after dinner but it's getting really cold so we head back to the hotel for the night.
Next morning we awake to have the included breakfast and as usual I only eat a croissant as my idea of breakfast is anything sweet and that does not include fruit! We walk the town one last time before heading back to London and we hate to leave. I get a cappuccino in Pret and a Cornish pasty and I'm good for the trip back. Well, until we hit the station and then I have to get a bottle of wine for the train. Hey, I've got to take advantage of all this alcohol, once back in the States it's not so readily available, is it now?
I'll post the next 5 days of our trip in another message...

Great that you got to the cemetary and also squeezed in a trip to Nottingham.

Isn't Yorkminster about the most impressive place anywhere????

One hint tho' It works out better if you post the rest of your report right here on this thread. It really helps to have the whole trip report in one place. Otherwise people respond to one bit not knowing there are other threads out there. And then they get out of order.

So, princess, how much was the Queen's Hotel in York? And what was the approximate pricing for meals at Ask?

Inquiring minds want to know these details...

And, janis is right (as usual). It will be much easier to follow the thread and continue reading your trip report if you just "reply" to your own message.

I look forward to reading the rest!

Gayle

leonberger- The Queen's Hotel was 55GBP on their website, www.queenshotel-york.com. That included breakfast and VAT! I hate to say this but it really reminded me of Treasure Island's rooms in Las Vegas. Nicely done inside. ASK was very reasonable, about 8GBP for pesto pasta, house wine was 12GBP bottle, I don't think anything on the menu was over 15GBP. We also found ASK on Oxford St. and at the Gloucester Rd. tube stop across from the Waitrose. I'll post the rest of my report tomorrow morning on this thread. Yes, you're right, Janis is always right on!
Janis, why did you ever leave the U.K.?

Okay, I'm ready for the next 5 days,
18 Feb.- We take the train back from York to London. We have to go from Kings Cross to Piccadilly Circus to exchange travelcard vouchers and then catch a cab to the Hyatt Chrurchhill at Portman Square. We've stayed here before and we have enough points for a free night on club level so we decide to use the night. The room is large and the bed is very comfortable. The club level is great. We head to St.Paul's and as much as I love this Cathedral from the outside I'm disappointed by the inside. Compared to Westminster Abbey or York Minster I think it's not as impressive. We leave there and decide to find Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, by now it's raining and cold and when we find it the pub is standing room only and then we find that they only carry one brand of alcohol/beer, as we do not recognize anything familiar and the Russian bartender is difficult to understand we leave and head back up Ludgate Hill to The Bell,Book and Candle which is a gothic pub, part of the Eerie Pubs. We have a few drinks and head back to the hotel as we are going to a concert later that night.
Before heading out to the show we stop on the club level for a snack and drinks and then we're off.
We see the Quireboys (formerly the London Quireboys) at the Mean Fiddler on Charing Cross Rd. Great small club and we make our way up front almost eyeball to eyeball with the band. We haven't seen these guys for quite a few years and it's an evening we'll always remember, seeing a band in a London club. I have to say that the English fans are much more considerate at a concert than in the States, no pushing, shoving or getting kicked in the head!
19 Feb.- We have breakfast, check out and then head to Somerset Queen's Gate Gardens apartments for the next 4 days of our stay. We can't check in yet so they hold our bags while we start out for Embankment Pier for our Bateaux London lunch cruise. We have some time to kill so we walk across the Jubilee footbridge and take some pictures. We finally board at noon and it's a beautiful sunny but cold day on the Thames. We've done this dinner cruise before and both were very enjoyable. I ordered the tickets through Londontown.com and saved a few pounds on the two course meal which was slightly overcooked chicken. We order a bottle of wine and spend the next two hours enjoying the views.
We stop at a stand on the way off the boat and buy some souvenirs to take home and then head to the London Museum.
What a great museum! They haven't left any stone unturned in this great city's history. This is my kind of museum. We spend a few hours here and then head back to the apartment. On the way out of the Gloucester Rd. tube we go into Waitrose to buy some wine and food for the night. We have a few drinks and then go out to the Black Widow pub on Gloucester Rd. (another Eerie Pub)have a few more drinks and some munchies and then crash for the night. Forgot to mention we hit another Eerie Pub in Nottingham after the Hard Rock, the Pit and the Pendulum. Next 3 days to follow... hope this isn't too long or boring.

tudorprincess, I love the ASK in York...we ate there twice because we lilked it so much...surroundings were exquisite IMO....aahhhh the Minster,,,my very favorite place in the UK...she is beyond beautiful. Want to go again...I love York!

Not boring at all. I def. agree about the Museum of London. You visited two of my favorites - the Castle Museum in York and The Museum Of London.

What was your flat like and the rates?

(BTW - Thanks for the kind words. I am actually a California girl born and bred. I was lucky enough to live in the UK for several years but it wasn't in the cards that I could immigrate there permanently. But I do consider it my second home and go back as often as possible.)

Janis- our flat was not luxury but moderate I guess. You can see pictures on their site www.the-ascott.com. I'm going to sign up for an account on the world is round site as soon as I get my pictures back. We had a studio for 86GBP/nt. + VAT that included breakfast. We had a 1 bedroom last year for 91GBP/nt. Too bad you couldn't stay in the U.K., that would be my dream.
Janis, I have to tell you before we left you corrected me on the Kings Cross being located in St.Chad's St. as opposed to Chad's St. as I mentioned and when we stopped at a newstand outside the station to ask for directions the guys in the stand hadn't heard of that street. Your must have really got around in your time in England. I'll post my other days later today.

It's been over 30 years since I have been in Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, but can someone confirm Tudorprincess's claim that "...we find that they only carry one brand of alcohol/beer"?

I'll try to finish this up quickly.
20 Feb.- We get to the V&A when it opens at 10:00, walk around for about and hour or so and then stop at the Cafe for a snack and of course, wine. We spend about 4hrs. in the V&A but you really could spend the whole day. Another really great museum with interesting items. We decide to go to the Texas Embassy for lunch after walking all over the Trocadero trying to find Yo!Sushi that's supposed to be there but apparently isn't. We really liked the Texas Embassy last trip so we decided to go back. We had planned on going on a London Walks for tonight but we're too cold so we head back to South Kensington and the Black Widow pub for the evening.
21 Feb.- We head to Covent Garden so that I can stock up on Lush products and since we don't want to walk in the cold and snow we go into the Nag's Head pub for a few drinks before deciding to go to Yo!Sushi in Harvey Nichols for lunch. After lunch we buy a few food items in the store. We had planned on going to Vinopolis today but decide we really aren't that interested after all so we take the tube up to St.John's Wood and head for a photo on Abbey Road. To say I don't like the Beatles is an understatement so I'm less than interested but my husband is thrilled so I get a picture of him crossing the street a few times. It's early evening by now so we go back and get cleaned up and decide where to go for dinner. We liked ASK so much in York we walk over to the restaurant at Cromwell Rd. Once again the food is very good and reasonably priced. Back to the apartment for some wine and cheese and then off to bed before our last day in London.
22 Feb.- We had originally planned on going to Canterbury but neither of us wants to spend our last day outside of town so we decide to see the city one last time. We go by the Harley Davidson to pick up a shirt for a friend, stop by Big Ben one last time and then once again back to Covent Garden for last minute magnets and what not. Have to stop in the Nag's Head again for drinks and then we decide to see if we can get into OXO Brasserie for lunch. No problem getting in and the view is to die for. The food was quite good as well and we're both surprised as I've read mixed reviews. We leave there and look for another pub that is on my list, the Anchor and Hope. We find it without much trouble and although they have an extensive drink and food menu I can imagine why it's listed as a must see pub as it's nothing to look at. We debate a London Walks walk again and decide once again that we're cold and we've done enough of our own walking. We go back to the apartment and pack things up and spend the rest of the evening at the Black Widow for dinner and drinks.
23 Feb.- Our flight isn't until 4pm so we have some time. After breakfast we are once again in Covent Garden. I've never been here so many times in one trip. Perhaps because it wasn't as crowded. Normally I avoid this place. I decide I haven't yet spent enough money in Lush but my husband thinks I have so after being dragged out we go back to the Nag's Head for a few last drinks before heading off to Heathrow.
As always I would have liked to fit more things into our days but even sitting looking out a pub window in London is better nothing.
What a great trip, I hope it's not too long before I return. Cheers!

Fun to read your report, Princess. And it's getting me revved up for our several day stint there later in the summer. We'll have to hit the Harley-Davidson store, too - always p/u a shirt for our SIL wherever we travel. Can you tell me whereabouts it is?

It's on Kings Road in Chelsea. Sloane Square tube stop. It's a little ways down the road.

Ron- I would like someone to confirm this as well. I want to say the bartender told us they only carried Samuel Smith's brands? The guy had a heavy Russian accent so I'm not sure of the name. But I asked for a Pimm's and lemonade and he said they didn't carry Pimm's as they only carried one brand (supplier?) of alcohol and we didn't recognize any of the beers.

Samuel Smiths pubs (like the Lyceum on the Strand or the Chandos, off Trafalgar Square) only serve Samuel Smith brand drinks, in the same way Marks and Spencers only sell their brand name produce.