We began our third day in London with another tasty breakfast from the hotel restaurant. One of the nicest perks of Starwood Platinum status is the complementary access to the breakfast buffet. We took the train from Knightsbridge to Tower Hill, where we met our docent who would provide a tour of the Tower of London. When we went to Rome for our honeymoon, we found Context Travel, which provides small group tours — no more than six guests — led by scholars and specialists in history and art. Having loved our two tours in Rome, we decided to look to Context Travel for our London guide. In Rome, we did learn that two four-hour back-to-back tours provided too much information to digest in one day, while a three-hour Tower of London tour sounded perfect. The weather was more typically London — overcast and rainy — but, armed with umbrellas, we set our with our guide (and an American family of four) to discover the Tower.
Over three hours, we learned of the political and military history of the Tower, in context of the general history of London. Our guide suggested visiting the crown jewels first to avoid longer lines later in the morning. She also explained how the Tower had been a tourist attraction since the 17th century, and with so much history inside the walls, it was easy to understand why. Ann Taylor and I discussed our favorite parts of the tour: she enjoyed the background about the crown jewels, while I preferred learning about the public executions. This may not be surprising. Although we could have easily spent the entire day at the Tower, it was time for lunch, so we walked a half-hour north to Spitalfields, where we had reservations at Poppies, a 50s-style restaurant that specializes in fish and chips. We both ordered the cod and chips supper, and we split a side of mushy peas. I also tried the Mainline pale ale, which was served cold and carbonated and paired quite nicely with the salty chips. We learned that Ann Taylor likes vinegar on her fried fish, while I prefer to smother mine in ketchup. Again, this may not be surprising.
From Poppies, we took the tube to Victoria and Albert’s Museum, which rivals the Metropolitan Museum of Art in both scope and size. We only had ninety minutes to spend in the museum, so we quickly made our way through exhibits on architecture, classical art, religious artifacts, 20th century posters, and Renaissance statues. With only five minutes left, we dashed to the Raphael room, where we saw drafts of the tapestries that he created for the Sistine Chapel. Honestly, neither of us had recalled seeing any tapestries in the Sistine Chapel, but we very much enjoyed seeing the drafts in Victoria and Albert’s. From the museum, we walked ten minutes back to our hotel to freshen up before our last dinner in London. We took the tube to Borough Market’s Fish! Restaurant, where we met my dear friend Hendrik, who had recruited me to my first job, and who had also put in a good word for me with Ann Taylor when we first started dating. After the fried fish and chips at lunch, I very much enjoyed grilled halibut and steamed vegetables, while Ann Taylor had grilled scallops wrapped in pancetta. It was wonderful to catch up with Hendrik, who shared entertaining stories and his familiar, boisterous laugh.
Having wrapped up another lovely meal, we returned to the hotel and started packing. Tomorrow, we will take the train to Paris, which will be our home for the next four days. We had such a nice time visiting London, and I wish that we could stay longer, but I also know that there are some exciting adventures — and tasty meals! — in store for us in France. Goodbye, London! Bonjour, Paris!
Take care,
– Dan