Our second day in London started late, as we had allowed ourselves to sleep in until the grand old hour of 8am. Shaw vacations don’t tend to accommodate truly lazy days, but we did enjoy a leisurely breakfast buffet at the hotel before heading out. Our first stop was Westminster Cathedral, a neo-Byzantine Catholic church, just a few minutes walk from Westminster Abbey. I had never attended a Solemn Mass before, but it was very powerful to hear the choir sing most of the Mass in Latin. Having been to so many different churches across Europe, they tend to blend together, so it was also nice to have the Mass to make Westminster Cathedral stand out. After we left the Cathedral, we walked over to Westminster Abbey, which was, unfortunately, not open for tours on Sunday. The day was warm and sunny — at least by London standards — so we enjoyed taking a few pictures from the outside before making our way over to The Red Lion for lunch.
When I first visited London in 2007 with my family, we randomly stopped into The Red Lion for lunch on our first day. There are a few London restaurants called The Red Lion, but this version is a stones throw from the Westminster tube station, and easy for a hungry American tourist to stumble into. A few months later, I returned to London for work and enjoyed a second order of their delicious Chicken Kiev. Although The Red Lion was recently renovated and the menu has changed, it was still going to be a must-see lunch spot on our trip. In the second floor dining room, I sampled the ale and pie tasting board, and Ann Taylor ordered a chicken and chorizo pie. Despite the lack of Chicken Kiev on the refurbished menu, all of the food was quite good, and well worth the return visit. I did notice that the beer was served warmer than it would typically be served back home, but it did pair well with the pies.
After lunch, we walked back through St. James’s Park and Green Park to take a few pictures of Buckingham Palace. Some of the streets and sidewalks were closed due to the London 10,000 race, but the afternoon was perfect for a stroll through the park. Following a quick stop at the hotel to freshen up, we found a hop on, hop off tour to show us around London from the roof of a double-decker bus. It was incredibly touristy, but also a great way to see a large part of the city in a short time. We made several trips over the River Thames, and captured some nice shots of Elizabeth Tower and the Tower Bridge. In just over two hours, we traveled across London and enjoyed a lovely sunny afternoon. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday. Given how much we had seen, we opted not to venture over to the London Eye (our original plan) and instead strolled down Oxford Street, one of the busiest shopping areas in the city. Thankfully, we arrived after most of the stores were closed, so we spent more time working up an appetite than building up a credit card bill.
For dinner, we ventured to The Andover Arms in Hammersmith, which we equated to visiting Fort Greene from Manhattan. The neighborhood had a neighborhood vibe, and the pub staff could not have been more welcoming. Apparently there is a British tradition to enjoy a Sunday roast, and I was more than happy to partake with an order of lamb shoulder. Ann Taylor sampled her first fish and chips (and mushy peas!) in London, and we tried new, albeit warm, ales. Despite my valiant effort, I could not conquer the lamb shoulder, and settled for coffee as Ann Taylor enjoyed a tequila and lime cheesecake for dessert. Overall, it was well worth a trip off the beaten path to try one of TripAdvisor’s most highly ranked restaurants in London. I can only hope that the rest of our meals in London and Paris will be as good. We took the tube back to Knightsbridge (again, opting not to continue to the London Eye) and settled in for an early tour tomorrow, when we exchange pubs and entrees for public executions. On to the Tower of London!
Take care,
– Dan