Cheers from London! We have embarked upon a week in Europe to visit two of my favorite European cities: London and Paris. Our trip has been in the works for nearly six months, and as much as I enjoy planning a vacation — seriously, I love planning! — experiencing the vacation is even more fun. While I have been to London several times, my last trip was in 2007, and Ann Taylor has never been, so we are excited to experience both new and familiar sights. Neither of us is a foodie, as we tend to enjoy just about everything, but we are especially looking forward to a week of great food!
Our trip began with a smooth British Airways flight from JFK to Heathrow. We left late in the evening (9:30pm) so that we would arrive mid-morning (9:30am) and try to mitigate the time difference. I don’t know that it helped much, as we were both tired on arrival, but we powered through immigration, collected our bags, and boarded the Piccadilly Line to Knightsbridge. It took just under an hour to arrive at the Park Tower Knightsbridge, where we are staying for the next few days. Our room was ready upon check-in, but we only had time to check it out for a few minutes before heading off to Westminster to see the Houses of Parliament. During the Spring, tours are only available on Saturdays, so we only had a brief window to visit. This meant a rather brisk walk through Green Park and Saint James’s Park, with a promise to Ann Taylor that we would have more time to see Buckingham Palace tomorrow. After a quick stop for takeaway sandwiches at a nearby cafe, we arrived at Westminster Hall at 1:19pm, with exactly one minute to rest before our 1:20pm tour.
The visit itself was marvelous, as we learned about the rich history of the building and saw many of the most important rooms for the British government. As a designer, I certainly appreciated that the carpets, walls and seats are color-coded for the commons, lords and monarch. As a sleepy tourist, I also appreciated that most of our tour stops offered a spot to sit and listen quietly to our guide. When the tour concluded, we stopped for coffee (and a Diet Coke for Ann Taylor) at the Parliament cafe, where I learned that the pounds left over from my 2007 trip were no longer legal currency. Yes, apparently the Bank of England withdrew the old £20 notes back in 2010, so my Monopoly money was nearly four years out of date. Oh well. We darted through our first London afternoon rain shower, and then dashed into Westminster station to take the tube back to our hotel. It felt great to have an hour to unwind (and take a real shower!) before heading out again for dinner at the oldest restaurant in London.
We have found many of our vacation dining spots through TripAdvisor, and Rules was no exception. The vibe embodied all of the best parts of old-timey London, and the food was even better. The menu advises that “Game dishes may contain lead shot”, but, sadly, game season does not commence until August. I ordered the lamb special, and Ann Taylor selected the peppered rump of roe deer. Both dishes were delicious! We also split an asparagus tart appetizer (another special) and a side of broccoli (to stay healthy). With our next stop just around the corner, we even had time for a cup of coffee to help power through the last few hours of our day. Although our last European theatrical performance left much to be desired — I think that the Italian opera “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” may still not have ended — we knew that our trip to London would be incomplete without a visit to the West End. Thankfully, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels was a very funny musical with some pretty catchy songs. Neither of us had seen the original movie, but we both thoroughly enjoyed the story and the incredibly talented cast.
After one last tube trip back to the hotel, we were ready to crash and rest up for the remainder of our time in London. We have so many fun activities and dining experiences ahead, but none more important than a good night’s sleep.
Take care,
– Dan