I will be flying into London in May before I make my way to Italy. We will be there 2 full days. I haven't really studied up on London so not sure what there is to do. We are staying at a really nice hotel in Westminster Abbey. I know the first day we will probably be recovering from jet lag. After that I'm at a loss what to do that second day. Don't really want to wander too far from the hotel because I'm sure I'll still want to take an afternoon nap.
Posted by
OP
Panama City
27 posts
Ha ha. I read back over my question. Typo: no we are definitely not staying in Westminster Abbey.
I think exploring the views of my favorite literary figures would be really awesome. I've always liked British literature. I didn't even think of that. I love Wordsworth, Browning, Keats, Coleridge, Lord Byron. My husband and I also enjoy interesting architecture.
Posted by
Land of La
9124 posts
Literature and architecture! GREAT city to explore both. Since you'll be close to the Abbey, it's worth a tour. You can easily walk by Parliament and Big Ben, then walk across the Westminster Bridge to the London Eye. Great POV of London and you'll be able to see how the old and new London's co-exist in the 21st century. Buckingham Palace is near your neighborhood. Nice stroll up Birdcage walk past St. James Park and you are there. I think with your interest in British Literature you'd like the Sir John C Ritblat Gallery
(the Treasure Room) in the British Library. http://www.bl.uk/whatson/permgall/treasures/literary.html
Posted by
OP
Panama City
27 posts
Thanks Claudia,
The Sir John Ritblat is on sites to see list.
Posted by
Vancouver, BC, Canada
16 posts
Instead of trying to pack a lot into one day (although I often do!), you could check out London Walks. I have gone on a number of their tours and enjoyed each one. They focus on a smaller area, but you get a lot of walking in (great way to get over jet lag), learn some interesting history and really explore an area. www.walks.com
Posted by
Greenfield, Indiana, USA
35 posts
You could easily walk from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace. You can go either by Victoria Street or the Birdcage Walk. The changing of the guard is nice. It's an easy walk down Grosvenor Place to Hyde Park from there. Whatever you do please go to Westminster Abbey. The history and the people who are buried there is simply mind boggling. You could also take a 10 minute walk down Parliment Street to Number 10 Downing Street. There's a great pub across the street, but sorry I can't remember the name. It might be a Red Lion. Parliment Street turns into Whitehall which takes you to Trafalgar Square and the Museum of Art. My advice is invest in a good map, do your homework and see as much as you can. London is an incredible city with much too much to see. So make sure you see the things that really interest you.
Posted by
Austin
976 posts
Hey Joanna, I'll have 3 days in May and am reading RS's book on London right now. I've spent 10 days there before so have been in most of the museums, but "the City walk" looks good for a short stay. The "Westminister walk - Big Ben to Trafalgar" looks like you could do it from your hotel easily. Seeing the Tower was a highlight for me- am kicking myself for staying so short a time this trip! Enjoy!
Posted by
London
1 posts
Hi JoAnna, Two really nice books are 'Close To Holmes' which is a guide to key London landmarks featured in the Sherlock Holmes Stories. To creat virtual tours try 'The London of Sherlock Holmes' on Amazon Kindle or iTunes. It has 400 amazing locations and each is linked straight into Google Street View mapping so that you can actually see the places you are going to visit and plan routes actually seeing the streets as they are today.