This was a solo trip with 1 week in London followed by 1 week in Paris. The goal of this trip was to rediscover some favorites and find some new ones.
Long story short, I had a blast.
London March 24-31
After arriving into Heathrow Airport Terminal 3 just before 10am, I made my way through the e-Gates at immigration and on to the Piccadilly Line to Gloucester Road Station using my phone to tap in and out. I was at my hotel by 11:30.
The Bailey's Hotel is in a great location across from the Gloucester Rd Station with the Circle, District and Piccadilly Lines and nearby bus stops for several different routes. Many takeaway shops, a couple of pubs and a few grocery stores are within a few minutes walk.
I had booked a classic double room at a rate of £169/nt without breakfast. The quiet and comfortable room was a good size for one person, but would have been too cozy for a couple. The room came with a Nespresso coffee maker, refrigerator and AC. Plenty of hot water in the walk-in shower with nice towels and bed linens. Coffee, tea, milk pods, cookies and bottled water were replenished daily. Staff at the hotel were always pleasant and helpful.
Prebooked
- Westminster Abbey and Queen's Galleries
- The Goya to Impressionism exhibit at the Courtauld Gallery
- Around the World in 90 minutes tour at the British Museum
- The Sky Garden
- 2 Musicals - Six and Hamilton
- London Walks' Hampstead Village & Heath Walking Tour
Highlights
The weather was delightful the week of my stay. Flowers and trees were blooming and only about 3 drops of rain the entire week. So some plans were tossed aside to take advantage of the many parks and gardens. I spent time wandering around Bloomsbury, Mayfair, Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens, the South Bank, Hampstead and St. James’s Park which quickly became my favorite and required multiple visits.
I hadn't been inside Westminster Abbey in years. The Verger tour was excellent and easy to book onsite within minutes of my 9:30 admission. The view of the nave from the Queen's Galleries was worth the climb, but next time I would take the elevator. Later in the week I attended Evensong. With the downloadable program and tv monitors it felt a bit too megachurch experience for me. Maybe sitting in a better location where I could see everything directly would have felt different.
I absolutely loved everything about the musical Hamilton-the set, the music, the choreography, the story telling. I was in the 1st row of the Royal Circle/1st balcony at the Victoria Palace Theatre and my view was excellent.
The British Museum tour was a good way to see the highlights of the museum, some a revisit and some new to me. We had a group of 20 and the guide kept us moving using headsets so you could always hear him among the crowds. The museum was very popular with school groups on the day of my visit.
After enjoying a ride on a vintage Routemaster bus as part of the Route 19 Heritage Day, Saturday was devoted to a meander along the South Bank of the Thames with views of London old and new. The weather was spectacular and I believe I was joined by half of London. I started at Westminster Bridge and ended just short of Tower Bridge with several stops including Southwark Cathedral, Winchester Palace and a couple pubs.
London Walks’ Hampstead Village & Heath Walk was the start of my Sunday in the country. Excellent guide and interesting walk with beautiful views. We were a group of over 25 even with a couple of no-shows. When our 2 hour walk stretched to an extra 45 minutes, I ubered to The Spaniards Inn arriving just in time for my lunch reservation. Afterwards I toured Kenwood House and then walked back to Hampstead through the Heath. Once in town, I stopped for a drink at the packed Holly Bush and then returned to St. John’s at Hampstead Church for Evensong before heading back to the city.