Some of you may remember that I booked a short trip to London in celebration of my husband's mid-century birthday. We had a marvelous few days, and I want to thank those of you who took the time to offer suggestions and ideas.

As expected, the weather was drizzly, but certainly warmer than in Boston. Leather jackets and travel umbrellas were perfect.

We landed early on a Saturday morning, and found our bleary way to the Heathrow Connect train. Good signage from Terminal 3, a long drag down a dingy hallway, easy ticket purchase from machines. The trains themselves have huge signs proclaiming them either Connect or Direct, so even the jet-lagged can be sure of getting on the correct train. An easy ride into Padington, and then we bought Oyster Cards.As we entered the Tube station at Paddington, a gentleman informed us that the Central and District lines were closed for construction over the weekend. Okay, how do we get to our hotel in nearby Bayswater? We were told to grab a bus outside. The gentleman opened the gate for us and the luggage, and we bumped upstairs. Across the street, none of the yellow-vested Underground workers could tell us which bus to take, and of course, we had no bus map. After asking the drivers of four buses, we finally found one going the short distance to Bayswater.

We stayed at the charming Vancouver Studios. We were given room 1, which is a ground floor double at the back, with doors opening out to a pretty garden. Small room, even smaller bathroom, but very comfortable and attractive. Pretty decor, very well maintained place. The rooms have a mini kitchen area with small fridge, microwave, 2-burner stove, and simple kitchen items. We liked the area--it's a mixture of residential, some small hotels, a stretch of inexpensive ethnic restaurants on Bayswater Road; higher-end ethnic restaurants and interesting shops on Westbourne Grove, two Tube lines, and several good bus lines. Because of the closure of the tube lines, we used the buses a lot over the weekend.

We found taking the number 15, 12, and several other buses around town very enjoyable, sitting up on the upper part to enjoy scenery for a fraction of the price of the on and off tours. A bus map from the information center across from St. Paul was very helpful in planning routes.

After freshening up and gulping coffee, we went over to Bankside and Southwark. We braved the crowds at Borough Market, and shared a fantastic little plate of raclette (roasted potatoes topped with sharp melted cheese); an even better sandwich of toasted cheddar and soft leeks on good bread; (both from the stall that's in front of the Cathedral) some sort of healthy juice-tea thing; and some excellent chocolates form Artisan Chocolates. Oh--and amazing coffee from Monmouth Coffee. We walked around inside Southwark Cathedral, and then followed a walking tour from one of the guidebooks around the area. We toured the New Globe Theatre, which we enjoyed (you can get a 2-for-one admission with an Oyster Card), and did just a bit of the Tate Modern before our eyes and legs gave out. Walked across the bridge to St. Paul's decided we would save it for another time, and took a bus home. After a nap, we explored the neighborhood around the hotel, and had a good meal at Sadaf, a Persian restaurant on Westbourne Grove.

Sunday, we headed over to Spitalfields. We first visited the sculpture of the Kindertransport childrenoutside Liverpool Street Station. Larry found himself talking to several people about why he was photographing the sculpture, and about his family's experiences.

We had fun wandering through the several market areas, some of which stem off the main market, getting funkier as you head away from the glassed-in enclosure. There's cutting-edge clothing designers, jewelry, food, lots of odds and ends. We again followed a walking tour we found online, weaving through small streets with interesting old houses in varying stages of repair (or disrepair), galleries, and churches. We tried to get into the Dennis Seavers House, but it was fully booked.

There was a southern Indian restaurant I had wanted to try, so we headed over to Rasa Samudra. And here I fail at Travel, because I had not noted that it was closed for Sunday lunch. Luckily, around the corner near Tottenham Court Road we found Sagar,
17A Percy Street. It's a southern Indian vegetarian place, full of the foods Larry loves when he goes to Chennai. We had a great, and very inexpensive, lunch. From there, we wandered over to Bloomsbury, and eventually landed at the British Museum for the remainder of the afternoon. Dinner that night was at Ping Pong, a "modern" dim sum place with a branch near the hotel. The dim sum was quite good, and it was a treat to be able to have a light meal of dumplings in the evening.

Monday, we headed over to Westminster Abbey, and joined a docent tour. We really loved this place and the wonderful record of history it contains, and the tour was excellent. We then went over toward the Victoria and Albert Museum, stopping at Leon (near Harrod's) for a good, simple lunch. The V&A was our favorite museum on this trip, and we probably only explored 1/4th of it. We loved the sheer range of topics, materials, cultures, and eras represented here.

We wandered around Covent Garden for a bit, and them met up with Pauline and Steve; and then Jonathan for dinner at Masala Zone. Good thalis, cheerful vibe, excellent conversation.

On Tuesday morning, we took the train out to visit with Larry's cousin Danny and his wife in Stowmarket. They live in an amazingly renovated barn, full of old timbers, nooks and crannies. We toured around the area, had a great lunch at a local pub (The Crown, Stowupland), stops in some charming villages, including Lavenham, where we had a gorgeous cream tea at Munnings Tea Room. We took a late afternoon train back to London, and then walked around Kensington, poking down side streets. We had our last dinner at the upscale modern Indian restaurantMoti Mahal. Very good, but didn't knock our socks off in the end.

Home Wednesday, exhilirated, slightly tired, but vowing to get back to London as soon as we can. What a fabulous city, and why on earth haven't we visited it sooner? We have a repeat visit high up on the trip list, when the weather will support picnics in the parks, we can have time for an apartment, and leisure to explore further and deeper.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Amy,

Amy,

You certainly did fit an awfully lot into a short time. It almost made me tired reading about your trip, but then I have a few decades on you. I'm not at all surprised that you enjoyed London so much - one of my most favorite cities. You visited a number of places, though, that I haven't been to and would like to see. Now I'll have to figure out a way to get back soon.

What a nice way to celebrate Larry's 50th birthday!

Ann

I'm so glad you had such a good time.

I was interested in your comments on Westminster Abbey. We must have passed it hundreds of times, and we had been inside a few times (including for a friend's wedding in the Henry VII Chapel), but had never properly seen it until this time last year when we spent the best part of a day there. As you say, it's a wonderful place, full of so much history and art and religious atmosphere.

You say you probably explored only a quarter of the V&A. I've been there many times, and still feel that I've only seen a quarter! What a treasure trove.

Glad you enjoyed your day in Suffolk. A good choice for a day out of London.

Good to get some up to date tips on good Indian restaurants ! There are a lot in the area that you stayed in, and I used to know which ones to go to but things change.

The point about weekend engineering work on the tube is a good one for people to take note of: they are doing it most weekends now and it's not usually confined to one line. I went into town yesterday and had to pre-plan a different route to the one I would have taken. You can always get around it, and there are always buses but if anyone is relying on weekend tube, take a look at the www.tfl.gov.uk site before you come where they post planned engineering. (If you don't have internet access whilst already here, the BBC TV news in the morning has frequent traffic bulletins including all closures.) There are also some late evening closures at the moment - I think on the Victoria line after about 10pm.

A fun report - with all those links, you should put in the trip reports section!

The V&A was always a place I could be packed off to as a child on a rainy day in the school holidays - there's always something you haven't seen. But these days, there's always a museum you haven't seen too. I gather that Zandra Rhodes's museum of fashion and textiles has had or is about to have some grand reopening.

quote:

there's always a museum you haven't seen too.

The morning after meeting up with Amy & Larry (and our current near-neighbours Pauline & Steve), I finally got round to visiting a museum that I haven't seen yet (though it's hardly a newly arrived one!): Sir John Soane's Museum. What an utterly marvellous place! It's been on my must-see list for the past 30 years or so - glad to have finally got round to it.

Jonathan

Sounds so nice, Amy. London (and the surrounding countryside) is on my radar screen.

Amy~ a great trip report.
You have proven that London can be enjoyed in tiny bites. With all your links I will be sure and try some of those restaurants. You were brave to cover museums and markets... both of which I can spend days wandering.
The Vancouver Studio looks like a charming hotel. Glad to have that link as well. Have you posted pictures?

Amy - thanks for your report! You managed to fit a lot in to just a few days - good inspiration for me as I plan my visit at the end of the month. Thanks for the links, too!

Judy

quote:

Originally posted by Jonathan:
...Sir John Soane's Museum[/URL].
Jonathan

Thanks, Amy. My "surprise" London trip for my husband begins next Monday.
We will try the Heathrow Connect also, and our hotel is within walking distance from Paddington, on Lancaster Terrace.

And Jonathan, for museums, Sir John Soane's is on our "must see list", thanks to Robert from Santa Monica's insistence.

We have 7 nights in London and our schedule already looks too full, but we are looking forward to some good pub food, several London Walks, a day trip with them to Canterbury, and quite a list of museums.

Thanks again, Amy, for all those links.

Can I also put in a suggestion for The Wallace Collection gallery in Manchester Square - small but packed full of,well, everything! It tends to get overlooked, but I love it - I tend to 'pop in' in the middle of a shopping trip (not far from Oxford Street) to regain a bit of sanity and look properly at something I have whizzed past before.

Might do it tomorrow, in fact, since I've got to shop for an outfit to attend a wedding, and I know I'll have steam coming out of my ears doing that task! (Not a big shopping fan)

It is a large house, which was apparently never actually used to live in, but to contain one man's personal collection - I think he just bought things that interested him and there is a real variety. You keep coming across pictures that make you go - 'oh, I know that one!'.

Marvellous collection of minatures and a truly scary set of Japanese amoury.

quote:

Originally posted by Panda:
Can I also put in a suggestion for The Wallace Collection.

Panda,
On our list of museums we have the National Gallery, Wallace Collection, Sir John Soanes, Tate and Tate Modern, Somerset, Royal Academy and Imperial War Museum.

The Wallace has a painting I hope to find a print of, Poussin's "Dance to the Music of Time".
I love Anthony Powell's novel(s) of the same title.

Amy,is the Oyster Card better than a 7 day travel pass? I see you received a discount at the Globe, another place we hope to visit on a South Bank walk.

Another question about phones. In Italy, at tobacco shops, one can purchase a 5 euro card, to be used with land lines, for 200 minutes of calls anywhere.
Is there anything like this in London?

We're going to London for the first time in June. This was VERY helpful. Thanks!

frankB

quote:

Amy,is the Oyster Card better than a 7 day travel pass? I see you received a discount at the Globe, another place we hope to visit on a South Bank walk.

The seven day travelcard is now on Oyster, no more paper tickets.

Also you can purchase a prepaid phone card in London to call home. Not sure how much they cost.

quote:

Originally posted by tardislass:

quote:

Amy,is the Oyster Card better than a 7 day travel pass?

The seven day travelcard is now on Oyster, no more paper tickets.

Now I am again confused. On Fodor's there is a thread about the oyster and the travel card and in general the comments are:

"The only travelcard you can load on an Oyster card is the seven-day one. It works just like the paper card. It gives unlimited travel for the zones covered for seven consecutive days. And you don't have to pay the Oyster card deposit."

Comments appear to agree that there are still 7 day travel cards separate from Oyster, and I still haven't figured out which is best for us.

We will stay in zones 1&2 and travel by tube or bus, some days more often than others.

Debra - if you go to this London Transport site, you can compare costs and features of the Oyster Card and TravelCards.

Judy

I was going to post to ask if anyone knew why it's called "Oyster", but I decided to look it up for myself.

According to wikipedia: "Oyster was conceived and subsequently promoted because of the metaphorical implications of security and value in the component meanings of the hard bivalve shell and the concealed pearl. Its associations with London through Thames estuary oyster beds and the popular idiom 'the world is your oyster' were also significant factors in its selection as was the uniqueness of the word Oyster."

So, now I know!

quote:

Oyster was conceived and subsequently promoted because of the metaphorical implications of security and value in the component meanings of the hard bivalve shell and the concealed pearl. Its associations with London through Thames estuary oyster beds and the popular idiom 'the world is your oyster' were also significant factors in its selection as was the uniqueness of the word Oyster

I can never quite work out whether marketing people are paid so much for having the cheek to invent names like that, or for being able to write that sort of stuff about it with a straight face.

I had no idea that was the reason for the name choice (nor, to be honest, had I ever thought about it - when it was introduced, I was too confused with dealing with the small print of the application form for the young person's Oyster for my girls)

I have the feeling that we are seeing less of this 'brand name is all' tendency - they dropped 'Consignia' for the Post Office pretty quickly and quietly, didn't they?!

I do like my PAYG for the bus as an occaisional user - no more scrabbling around for change, or those silly little hexagonal 'saver' tickets, but out here in Zone 6 we are still waiting for the argument over who pays for the readers for the railway stations to be resolved.