“Adventures In The South” Crosses The Channel to the United Kingdom
On August 9th, we packed up and said “Au Revoir” to Paris. The Cooks were headed to Wisconsin and Christine to Texas. Bill and I were extending our travels by taking The Eurostar from Paris to London. We taxied from our flat in Sainte Germaine to Gare du Nord. The security lines were long, because a train to the UK is international travel.
Once we boarded the train it was a comfortable two and a half hour trip. I was enjoying the view of the French countryside, when we entered a dark tunnel and it took me a few moments to realize we were under the English Channel. I purposefully didn’t linger on that thought and in about 20 minutes we were enjoying the English countryside until arrival in London’s St. Pancras International terminal. From there we took the tube to Tower Hill Station. Our hotel ( Tower Suites) was a two minute walk from the tube. Our room was comfortable and the buffet breakfast was good. We were literally across the road from the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge. The neighborhood has ample pubs, restaurants, and shops.
We arrived too early to check in, but we checked our luggage at the desk and walked to the nearest pub The Minories and enjoyed a burger and a beer. The pub system is efficient: pick a table, decide what you want from the menu, order at the bar, give the bartender your table number, pay your bill, carry your own drinks to the table and your food will be delivered. After lunch, our bartender filled our water bottles with ice water and we were off to tour The Tower.
The Tower of London is not just one tower, but a huge complex of buildings. The entrance fee includes an audio guide and entrance to all buildings in the complex. Beefeater Guards give free guided tours of the outdoor premises every forty-five minutes. The most popular attraction is The Crown Jewels which are well-worth seeing. We waited less than ten minutes in line to enter, although it can get quite busy. No photos are allowed inside.
After spending a couple of hours within the Tower of London walls, we walked back to our hotel and checked in. We unpacked, rested a bit, then headed out for our first dinner in London at Brigade Bar and Kitchen. The Brigade is casual and friendly with great food and drink at fair prices. The Tower Bridge neighborhood was alive with locals and visitors enjoying a warm London evening.
The next day was Saturday and a great opportunity to explore The Portabello Road Market, a combination farmers’ market, fresh bakery, international cuisine food trucks, and rummage sale with stalls that sell vintage clothing, bags, vinyl albums, art, souvenirs, flowers, household items, and more. It makes for great people watching and a way to experience a London neighborhood.
After Portabello Road, we were off to Abbey Road to cross the iconic crosswalk pictured on the Beatle’s “Abbey Road” album. You’ll know when you’re there, because there will be a lot of tourists waiting to do the same thing. Everyone we met was giddy with the experience and cheerfully offering to take each other’s photo. The studios are not open to the public, but the walkway to the gift shop displays a timeline of all the music produced there. The gift shop sells something to tempt every Beatle’s fan.
From Abbey Road, we caught the bus to Baker Street, home of the fictional Sherlock Holmes. There is a Sherlock Holmes Museum, but we skipped it in favor of lunch and a siesta before our evening plans. Lunch was at Alsop Arms, a “typical” neighborhood pub for Saturday soccer fans.
We kicked off our Saturday night in London with a cocktail at the American Bar in the Savoy Hotel. One of my favorite things when traveling is to have a drink in the lounge of the city’s most historic or elegant hotel. The rooms are out of our budget, but the bar isn’t.
We had dinner at The Ivy in Covent Gardens. The food was excellent and they feature some classic British dishes among the options. Prices were moderate by London standards. In general, we found restaurant meals in the UK to be pricey.
Next, we went to a performance of “Tina” at the Aldwych Theatre. It was a wonderful show and I highly recommend seeing it.
The next day (Sunday), we had booked a three-hour walking tour which included the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, the outside of Parliament, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, etc. Unfortunately, it was the hottest day of the year in London with temperatures in the 90’s. While waiting in direct sun for the guard to change, I realized I would not make it through the remainder of the tour. We excused ourselves from the group and headed for the shade. While recovering in a shady spot, we saw the fresh guardsmen marching to the palace. We did not return to the tour, but managed to see most of the sights later in the day from the “relative” comfort of the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus.
Dinner that night was at Oblix West in the Shard. The food, wine list, and service were excellent, but pricey. If you want a splurge meal in London, it is worth it. The view is spectacular and you will want to time it so you are there at sunset. An alternative to splurging at Oblix West is to have a drink in the lounge of Oblix East, which has a great view in the other direction.
Our next day was devoted to touring St. Paul’s Cathedral in the morning and Westminster Abbey in the afternoon. Both are well worth visiting. Admission includes a free audio guide that allows you to go at your own pace. Both churches are iconic and an integral part of British history. Charles and Diana were married at St. Paul’s, even though Westminster Abbey is the official church of the monarchy and the site of coronations and state funerals. So many famous people are buried there that it is a stroll through political, cultural, and literary history. Poets’ Corner is especially interesting.
Our last day in London began with a morning tour inside of Buckingham Palace and the Royal Gardens. It is a privilege to be in London between June and September when the palace is open for public tours. Advance tickets with an entry time are a must. Admission includes the excellent self-paced audio tour. Photos are prohibited inside the palace, but souvenir photo books are available for purchase. We enjoyed coffee and sandwiches in the palace cafe which has reasonable prices and a beautiful view of the back lawn where spring garden parties are held. After lunch we took a small group guided tour of the gardens. Again no photos were permitted as this is the royal family’s outdoor space. Our guide shared that sometimes King Charles can be spotted doing a bit of planting. There were no royal sightings on our walk, but we were glad we had reserved a ticket for the tour.
We attempted to take an Uber boat ride on the Thames, but all were full on a warm August afternoon. We popped into Harrod’s Department Store and found it to be disappointing. Then it was back to our hotel to pack up for a train to Bath in the morning. We walked to Bermondsey Square in the evening to have dinner where the locals go.
Our stay in London was a delight. There is so much to see and do that you have to prioritize. We travel at a slower pace than many others do. Our focus was on the famous monuments and royal sights, so we did not have time for London’s many great museums. Next time!
Practical Matters
- The United Kingdom’s currency is the pound sterling (equals 1.26 US dollars as of December 2024)
- The “tube” and bus system are excellent. You can buy the “Oyster” card at train stations. We found it more convenient to use APPLE Pay or GOOGLE Pay directly from our phone. Each passenger must have their own device.
- Taxis and Ubers are plentiful
- Boots Pharmacy is widely available and carries everything you might need at prices that will surprise you.
Next Up: Bath, Stonehenge, York, Edinburgh
Adventures In The South of Spain 