I just returned from a lovely 2 week trip to London with my sister—her first trip to Europe.
We arrived from LAX and were met by my sister’s granddaughter who is living in London. We took the Underground to our first hotel near St Pancras station (we did a side trip to Paris on the Eurostar and wanted to stay close by). After dropping our bags we took the tube to St James Park to see Buckingham Palace and walk around, then had dinner and called it a day.
Day#2: We met my niece in South Kensington for brunch, then the Tate for the John Singer Sargent exhibit. Dinner was in a pub in South Kensington.
Day #3: We visited the Tower of London. Weather was cold but dry. Italian dinner in South Kensington was very good. (Forgot the name though).
Day #4 we took the Eurostar to Paris which was very easy. We were greeted by a bit of rain there, though only light. We stayed near the Rue Cler area—Hotel Champs du Mars. We spent the day walking and eating with my sister’s first crepe and first view of the Eiffel Tower.
Day #5: after coffee and croissants we visited the L’Orangerie then the Orsay museums. We walked down to see Notre Dame Cathedral (still plenty of scaffolding though). After a glass of wine and a crème brûlée we took the Metro back to our hotel for dinner and a walk to the Eiffel Tower.
Day #6: My niece joined us for the day Weather was beautiful and we wandered, visited several gardens and had lunch of falafel at L’As—great.
Day #7: We walked over to the Champs Elysees and ducked into the Petite Palais when it started raining. We returned to our hotel for our bags, stopping to get pastries to bring with us, and back to London. We checked in to an air bnb in South Kensington for our second week.
Day #8: We headed to the British Museum for a 90 minute guided tour. Our guide was great—in love with the history and the things she shared. As it was a Saturday, the museum got quite crowded, so we left. We had lunch in a Vietnamese restaurant we happened upon, followed by a visit to Covent Garden, then a stop at Gordon’s Wine Bar.
Day #9 was St Patrick’s Day. We opted to skip the parade and crowds and to enjoy a walk through Kensington Gardens after a visit at Gail’s Bakery. Later it was fish and chips at the Hereford Arms then a movie.
Day # 10: We booked a “tea on bus”—Brigit’s Afternoon Tea. It was a fun experience. After we walked around the Westminster area. That evening we went to see Mama Mia—great fun!
Day #11: we visited the Natural History Museum as well as the Victoria and Albert. Dinner was at La Mia Mama—wonderful Italian food.
Day #12: We had booked a food tour— Secret Food Tour London Bridge, in old London and the Borough Market. After we walked around the area of the London Bridge enjoying a warmer than typical day. That evening we went to see Lion King.
Day #13 was our last full day in London. We did a little shopping, visiting Harrod’s and Liberty House. Our final dinner was at Dishoom. We then packed and got ready for an early tube ride to Heathrow.