London Roundup: Links and Travel Suggestions

Home! I'm slowly readjusting to life at home, trying to get laundry done and the house reset. Bella is following me everywhere - I think she's afraid I'll leave again. :) 

Before I stop the blog until the next trip, I wanted to provide links to the places I wrote about, as well as some general travel suggestions for your next trip. Hope they're helpful! 

Wednesday: 

• Leicester Square statues: https://leicestersquare.london/whats-on/scenes-in-the-square
• Fortnum and Mason: https://www.fortnumandmason.com/

Thursday: 

• Big Ben tour: https://www.parliament.uk/visiting/visiting-and-tours/big-ben-tour/
• These tours sell out in just hours. If you're planning a visit, make this one of the first tickets you book! 
• Hadestown: https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/24465-hadestown-tickets
• I used the London Theatre site for all my theatre bookings. Easy to use. 

Friday: 

• Eating Europe Food Tour: https://www.eatingeurope.com/london/borough-market/
• This tour was one of many this company offers. They're also available in many European cities besides London. Highly recommend! 
• St Dunstan in the East: https://secretldn.com/st-dunstan-ruin-church-garden/
• Good spot to sit for a while. Quiet and peaceful. 

Saturday: 

• Brick Lane: https://travelinsighter.com/top-things-to-do-in-brick-lane-guide-to-the-brick-lane-markets/
• Chrysa Kouremeti Jewelry: Facebook, Etsy, and Instagram 
• Globe Theatre: https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/

Sunday: 

• Brigit's Bakery Bus Tour and Tea: https://b-bakery.com/london/blog/10-years-brigits-bakery-bus-tours
• Not a serious tour of London, but it's a lot of fun! 

Monday: 

• Van Cleef & Arpels: https://www.vancleefarpels.com/us/en/home.html
• Love Luxury: https://loveluxury.co.uk/
• They're also starting a sister site for some of the more loved of the pre-loved market, and some of the lesser known brands. I haven't used them, but if you're interested: https://loveprelove.com/

Tips for Traveling: 

• Don't forget your health insurance card! Depending on where you are it may or may not be of use, but if you need it you need it. 
• Carry a photocopy or a photo of your passport with you and keep your passport in the safe at the hotel. 
• Don't be afraid to be flexible! I skipped a few things I had planned and rearranged a few things as well. Vacation is supposed to be relaxing - make sure your schedule is something you enjoy. 
• If you have the time, wash your sheets and straighten up your house before you leave. You're going to spend time in a hotel where they likely have maid service. Coming home to fresh sheets and clean house is a nice luxury and makes re-entry a little easier. 
• If you have an evening or late afternoon return flight, consider taking the next day off of work. You'll need the chance to do things like wash clothes, grocery shop, and get used to the time change. 
• Lastly - travel your way. There are plenty of sites that will give you ideas, itineraries, everything you could think of. But when it comes down to it, it's your trip. Pick and choose from what interests you and build a trip plan based on your wants, not anyone else's. After all, it's a vacation.....  :) 

Day #6: Shopping!

So.....I had been saving my money to be able to (potentially) do some damage on this trip. So today was the shopping day! Here's the stories, in pictures and words.....  

I dressed up a little today, but only wore the sweater when I went out. I wore the sleeveless dress when I went down to breakfast. On the way I started talking with a little boy who was telling me all the things he was going to see that day. When I mentioned that I was going outside, too, he looked at me very seriously and said "I think you will be very cold." Cracked me up! 

Signs at the local coffee stand. If you know me, you know this is how I feel about coffee. 

This group was filming in Piccadilly - found them as I was walking. Not sure why the leader was singing into his iPhone, but they were very serious about it. 

Apparently Ralph Lauren is a big luxury brand here, and Ralphies Coffee is a hotspot. These large bears greet you at the door. Personally the huge bear head on a smaller size mannequin creeped me out, but it worked for them. 

First stop, Van Cleef & Arpels. I didn't hold out much hope of finding what I wanted, but I got some lovely chocolates and a bottled water. Also, the sales person was very kind and informative. 

Stop #2: Harrods. I had some time between VCA and my next appointment, so I decided to take a break at Harrods. Enjoyed a lovely lemonade and some great people watching. Plus, they had a mini Dior wall! If you remember the pics of the one in the Paris museum, this was very similar. Beautiful.  :) 

Stop #3: Love Luxury. No joke, I had been looking forward to this stop for most of my trip. I found Love Luxury through a google search, then through their Instagram page. They sell box fresh (meaning never used) and pre-loved luxury bags, specializing in Hermes and Chanel. If you know Hermes, you know trying to get a bag from the store is a game. It's ridiculous. Besides, I would much rather buy a box fresh or pre-loved bag. 

So....I went to the store with several bags in mind. There was one bag I really, truly wanted but knew was out of my budget, so I didn't bring it up. But apparently my guardian angels had other ideas because one of the bags Marya (the store manager) pulls was the very same bag. And she's able to offer a discount on it that brings it down into my price range. This bag had never been used, came with the original receipt, and had all the accessories. It was an offer I couldn't turn down! 

I'll include more of their info in my next post (trip summary), but if you're bag shopping this is a place I would definitely recommend (and you know I don't do many recommendations). Wonderful staff, great product. If you're looking for a luxury bag, they're it. 

The front of the store. They're selling the SUV if anyone is interested.....  :) 

Me, the bag, and Marya (the store manager). I got to talk with her and several other staff members. All so wonderful and helpful! 

Hermes Kelly 28 - this was the bag I really, really wanted (and thought I wouldn't get). Now to figure out how to get everything home! 

I'm ending the trip by seeing Hamilton this evening. Looking forward to seeing how it plays in London. It's just been open for a few weeks - the YouTube video of their West End Live performance this year was what convinced me I needed to go. 

Tomorrow is the plane ride home.......

Day #5: Tea On a Bus

When you're in London one thing people insist you MUST do is afternoon tea. I was fine with that, but the concept of daintily sipping tea and eating food didn't sound much different than having lunch or dinner in a restaurant - just a different time of day. So, I went with Option B - tea on a bus. Brigit's Bakery offers tea in a double-decker red bus, tour of London included. Sounded like a pretty fun option so I went for it. Pictures below....  :) 

Uptown London (Central London? Downtown London?) 

The lighting for this pic was just too perfect. House of Parliament and Big Ben 

Fountain at Trafalgar Square 

The residences here are beautiful. Only a few million each.....  :) 

Another house pic. 

Harrods! I don't have a winning lottery ticket so I'm not going in, but the crowd outside was massive. 

The amount of times I've gone past Big Ben on this trip. Every time I do it I mentally quote Chevy Chase - "Look kids, there's Big Ben!" 

My spot on the bus 

Teas I could choose from. I chose the Berry to start, then switched to the English Breakfast. Definitely preferred the second. 

My tea sweets 

The bus! I'm sure it's just because CLT isn't as big a town as other places, but seeing how close the bus got to other cars, bikes, etc on the road made me very, very nervous..... 

Storytime: After tea, I did a little shopping. My main plans for shopping are tomorrow, but I did treat myself to a Longchamp bag today. I was trying to decide between a black bag or navy bag, and started a conversation with the other ladies at the counter to get their opinions. The two ladies to my right were in full hijab and abaya, the ladies to my left were speaking a foreign language to themselves & English to me. Point being - we were three very different groups of people. However, it was a great discussion. I ended up buying the black bag, the ladies to my right liked it so much they also bought one, and the ladies to my left bought the navy one. We may all be different in terms of religion, place of origin and belief systems, but fashion is one of the great unifiers. That and a smile. :) 

New Bond Street - one of the fancy dancy shopping streets in London. It's worth it to enlarge the picture and see how many luxury name brands you can count. And all with black-suited security guards at the entrance......

Went past Liberty of London while I was walking today. Those at the street corner probably heard me muttering "I do NOT need any more fabric. I do NOT need any more fabric...... " 

Tomorrow is my shopping day, then Hamilton at night (I really, really want to see how it goes over here). London has several stores that CLT doesn't, so it's a good opportunity to see and handle things in person, instead of going off of tiny pictures on the internet. I mean, while I'm here..... 

Day #4: Shakespeare and The Globe

 Yup, needed a Part II on this one. I got back to the hotel way too late (for me) to type anything coherent, so you're getting this in the morning, when I'm fresher. :) 

Last night was Antony and Cleopatra at Shakespeare's The Globe theatre. Definitely a worthwhile experience, it was theatre like I'd never seen it before. The theatre is built to be exactly like it would have been in Shakespeare's time, so you get the experience as people would have the first time around. One of the main differences between this theatre and modern day is there's a pit between the seated audience area and the stage. People could pay a reduced price (about 5-10 Pounds) and stay in the pit area for the show. The downside is there are no seats - you're standing for about 2 1/2 to 3hrs. You gotta really, really love Shakespeare to do that. You'll see the pit area in some of the pictures. 

The fun: The show I attended was marked as interpreted for sign language, so I figured this would be like any other show I'd seen - the interpreter is in the corner, and signs the words as the actors say them. Nope. I found out later they were trying out a different method. If you were on Team Cleopatra (meaning the lead actress and anyone in her entourage) you signed a combination of British and English Sign Language. If you were on Team Antony, you used a combination of sign and spoken word. The lines were also displayed on large screens around the theatre. It wasn't something I was expecting at all, but was a very cool way of doing things. One of the volunteers mentioned they were getting a lot of people who used BSL to communicate, because this was one of the few theatre experiences geared for them. I really liked the way it was done - was very natural instead of "Hey! We're using sign language over here!" 

Another piece that was very well done was the presentation itself. I was wondering how much I'd be able to pick up, having never read the play. After all - it's Shakespeare. The actors did a fantastic job though of communicating through body language, expressions and gestures what was going on. What I missed in the words I could pick up in the subtext. 

The not-fun: Since the theatre is a replica of the original, the seats are wooden benches with no backs. Even with the provided cushion, I was wildly uncomfortable. Enough so that I left at intermission, because otherwise I would have been miserable for the last 1 1/2 hour of the performance, and probably driven those around me crazy with my wiggling, trying to get comfortable. I would have liked to seen the rest of the play, but I got a good flavor with the first act, and wasn't contorted and miserable. 

View of the theatre, taken as I was leaving. It's an imposing structure, definitely no missing it. 

Two angle of the stage and audience seating. You can see the standing-only area, as well as the bench seats (under the awnings) 

A view of my hotel, taken from across the river. It also houses an event space. It was also the original home of M15 and M16, with a direct tunnel to the Prime Minister's residence. Lots of wartime subterfuge! 

Day #4: Brick Lane and Shakespeare

Morning, y'all! Today may be divided into two parts, just because of schedule. I went to Brick Lane this morning, and am seeing Antony and Cleopatra at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre tonight. Because of timing I'll probably post the Globe pictures tomorrow.....sleep is important! 

So.....Brick Lane. One of my goals for the trip to London was to see the different sides of London. This was different than anything I've seen so far. Wednesday was New Bond St, with Chanel, Hermes, and any other luxury store you could think of. Today was Brick Lane - the most eclectic mix of people and shops available. So much vintage! Wednesday was salespeople in suits, today was shop owners in kilts and tutus (worn together) with multi-colored hair. So awesome. Brick Lane was so much fun to walk through and see what was available. Tons of vintage leather jackets, clothing made from pieces of other vintage clothing, fun jewelry. 

Two of the buildings with booths - definitely original and fun to see. 

Shop dog! One requirement anywhere you are is to always, always get permission before you take a photo of a person or any of their things. There was a sign next to this guy that said if he was awake he loved pets. I even got kisses! 

Bond, James Bond. I had a debate with a nearby shopkeeper.....is this Timothy Dalton or Pierce Brosnan? Fun story: When I suggested that it could be Roger Moore, she scoffed and said "Oh no. My mother lived next to Roger's mother. Roger Moore is a blonde." Well all-righty then.  :) 

Yes! 

Down Brick Lane. Again, a totally different look and feel than central London. 

More on the jewelry.....I had been following an artist I originally saw on the Camden Market webpage, and she had moved to Brick Lane. She had the most beautiful items, I was very glad to find her. I bought a pair of earrings (with people!) and a ring. Looking forward to wearing both of them back home. Chrysa does have both Facebook and Instagram, if you're interested in seeing more of her work! 

I absolutely love these earrings. So happy she still had some available! 

Gorgeous ring. She had many different sizes available, and could size up / down on the spot if needed. 

More from Brick Lane...... 

The real life Roger (Rent)? Looked up and he was quietly serenading those that walked by. 

From my research: There's a fierce competition between these two bagel shops. The one on the right (white sign, red lettering) gets the most attention, but the the one with the yellow / red sign is supposed to be better. Not sure who wins, but they both had long lines. 

And lastly, just a cool story. Remember the street art on the buildings in Paris? I found it in real life! I asked before taking his picture, and he gave me permission as long as I didn't show his face. "It's illegal," he said, "I don't want to get arrested." Not sure there was much interest in arresting him, since the shopkeepers and passerby were all watching him do it (and it was quite a process). He also asked me to follow him on Instagram. Not sure if I'm allowed to tag him here, but you can look up my follow / followers on Insta and see him. Beautiful work. 

That's all for now! On to Shakespeare's world......

Day #3: Borough Market and St Dunstan in the East

Happy Friday! Today's story is told in pictures. The morning was a food tour of Borough Market. Six stops with different food and flavors of London, all centered around the Borough Food Market. It's a farmer's market on excessive steroids. My chef friends (and myself) would go absolutely bonkers here. The afternoon was a visit to St Dunstan in the East. The church was bombed during WWII and instead of rebuilding, they let nature take over and turned it into a park. The result is a tiny bit of beauty in the middle of the city.  I can use words, but the pictures do a much better job. :) 

Note: Apparently Blogspot decided to upload the pics in reverse order, so we'll start with St. Dunstan. Absolutely beautiful spot with lots of benches to sit quietly and reflect. 

Switching gears.....food tour! 

Sticky toffee pudding and tea from The Boot and Flogger. Absolutely yummy. 

Neal's Yard Dairy, a cheese shop. Cheese here came from individual farms, not even from regions. If you wanted cheese from Old MacDonald, they likely had it. 

Cider! Very different tasting than what we get in the states. More mineral, with a slight sour taste. I liked it better - this store had bottles (like wine bottles). I may have to find a shop that sells them to take one home. 

Part of the market, with stalls on each side. Packed! 

No British food tour would be complete without fish and chips. Not too sure about the chips (too potato-y for me), but the fish was fabulous.

The famous (at least in song) London Bridge. It's funny, because the Tower Bridge is much more ornate and fancy. Fun fact - the building that looks like it's bending (the walkie-talkie building) is home to the Sky Garden. I'm going there on Monday. 

Issak (our tour guide) joked that many tour guides in London were out of work actors. If you look at his facial expression, you'll see he was one of those actors. (He had a role in the Amy Winehouse movie, but it was cut) 

Winchester Palace, only discovered when workers began excavating the site for development. This was essentially a den of iniquity (sp?) for the local clergy. They may have been men of G-d by profession, but they didn't act like it..... 

Doughnuts! The shop manager said these had 1/2 the sugar of regular doughnuts. That makes them healthy......right? We tried the lemon meringue. 

Sausage rolls - fresh sausage wrapped in pastry. I'm probably breaking some sort of Southern code of ethics, but I would choose these over Bojangles any day. 

Our group at the last stop. Lots of fun!