Hi all,
We're back from our week in London (July 11-17). It was great!!!
As a refresher--I asked lots of questions on here before our trip, you were all so much help and I appreciate it. This was a quickly planned, shoe-string budget trip. We found a super cheap airfare at the beginning of May and jumped on it. and started quickly planning our week in London. We had a ball! Saw everything we wanted to, ate good food, shopped and had a lot of fun. It was the first trip to London for my adult daughter and I. Traveling on a shoe-string budget was a bit of a challenge but, with lots of questions and advice, it all worked out well.
Here is a link to my photos. If you click on the 1st photo, it will enlarge all the photos and tell you what the photo is.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/pXjtiq18ehMnULV26
I'll just give a basic overview of our day-by-day itinerary and maybe some comments. We packed a lot in and never stopped!
Day 1--
Arrived at 8:30 am, bought Oyster cards and tubed to our lodging at London School of Economics Carr-Saunders dorm in Fitzrovia, dropped bags and off walking to Regent's Park and the Queen's Rose Gardens. Loved the park and it was a sunny day and a great way to start the trip after a long sleepless flight.
Walked along Regent's Canal and up to Camden. what a unique place with lots of interesting people and shops!
St. Paul's Evensong was next--what a lovely service and such a beautiful place of worship.
Dinner was Toad in a Hole and a Guinness at Black Friar's Pub. Good food-slow service!
Day 2--
Westminster Abbey with a 10 am Verger tour. Fantastic!! Loved the Verger, he was knowledgeable and funny. Yet another beautiful place of worship and history.
Walked to Buckingham Palace via St. James Park. Lovely walk. We were surprised that it wasn't busier outside the palace since it was noon'ish. People were very courteous about waiting turns to take photos in front of the big gates. Loved imagining what was going on at that moment in the huge palace :) Had fun watching the two patrolling guards.
Loved our next stop--The Royal Mews. Such beautiful carriages and history. Lovely horses too.
Laughing Halibut and fish 'n chips was the menu for tonight. Good dinner.
Day 3--
Today was Greenwich day. We took the Thames River Cruise (with 1 stop only) boat to Greenwich. browsed the market, bought some nice jewelry and walked up the hill to the GMT Clock & Prime Meridian Line.
Back down the hill to see the ship in a bottle at the Maritime museum and onto my favorite stop of the day--the Fan Museum and afternoon tea. LOVED both. Tea & snacks were really good and a bargain and the museum unique and lovely!
Tubed all the way up to Camden again as DD wanted to find some more Banksy art--score-- and then back to the dorm--exhausted!
Day 4--
Went to Mass at the lovely St. Charles Borromeo church.
More Banksy art, a walk through the beautiful Hyde park visiting the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain and beautiful water gardens on the way to Kennsington Palace.
Continued on to Fortnum & Mason where we bought teas to bring home. We had reservations at Blacklock for Sunday Roast. It was delicious and the best service and meal of the trip.
Liberty of London and Selfriridge's were the last stops of the day. Back to the dorm at 7 pm, shower and bed. 10 miles walked!
Looks like I'm maxing out my characters for this post. I guess I'll continue with part 2 in the next post. See you there :)