My Trip to London

Overview

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This was my third trip to London, so we did not go to the biggies (i.e. Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace). Instead, we went to Kensington Palace, the Royal Mews, The V & A, The Original London Walks, Covent Garden, London Transport Museum, and the Museum of London. My absolute favorite was our Original London Walk. Great atmosphere and we got to go down some really fabulous streets. If you see a cemetery where the land is higher than the sidewalk... those are all bodies that rose. EEEK!!! Our guide Shaughan was superb!!Second favorite was the V & A. So much to see and not enough words for all of it. The gift shop is just killer. My favorite area was the Cast Ro...Read More

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Charing Cross Hotel

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Hotel | "Thistle Charing Cross Hotel"

Charing Cross Hotel...view from street Photo - Charing Cross Hotel, London, England

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Great hotel in a great location.Check-in was very easy. When we first got to the hotel they did not have the room we requested, so we had an upgrade for the night. Then they moved our luggage the next day for us to our new room. The bummer was that our first room had a view of the Thames River. The rooms were decorated in an Art Deco look, but was not uncomfortable. The bathrooms were huge! The bathtub and shower in the bathroom were very clean. The bath kit all came from Penhaligon's. The room was equipped with a Lavaza cappuccino/espresso machine, a desk, cable TV, and an extra table and chairs. The beds were very comfortable. We had breakfast and tea at the hotel restauran...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on February 28, 2006

Charing Cross Hotel
The Strand
London, England WC2N 5HX
+44 845 305 8312

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Dorchester Grill Room at The Dorchester

Restaurant | "The Promenade, Dorchester Hotel"

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I absolutely loved afternoon tea at the Dorchester Hotel. First, we started with tea, I chose Earl Grey, scones, clotted cream, and jam. The scones there were light, fluffy, and scrumptious!!! I love clotted cream! Then came the sandwiches... egg, chicken with cheese, and mango, and two others I cannot remember, sorry!!! Lastly, a platter of French pastries came by. Each was more mouth watering than the next. Chocolate, creams, ohhhh, heaven!!!

The Promenade was beautiful. The sofas and chairs were soft and comfy. I felt like I was having this in my living room.

Service was fantastic, I Highly recommend it.

p.s. You won't need dinner after tea.

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on February 28, 2006

Dorchester Grill Room at The Dorchester
Dorchester Hotel
London, England W1A 2HJ
+44 20 7629 8888

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Porters English Restaurant

Restaurant | "Porter's English Restaurant"

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Mom and I went for their Sunday Roast special, L15 for two courses. They were very tasty. We both had the roast beef and Yorkshire pudding (I tried to have my mom get the chicken so we could try two different dishes, but eh). They were very good. The beef was tender, as was the Yorkshire pudding. Mom got the potatoes, too, which were extra. It also had the standard veggie with it. Dessert was the steamed sponge syrup with custard, which was out of this world, sooo good. I could have had a meal just of that. My mom had the dark chocolate chip pudding. It was good, but not as good as mine. It was in a great location, too, very close to Covent Garden and the Strand. Lucky enough for us, it was a sh...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 2, 2006

Porters English Restaurant
17 Henrietta Street
London, England WC2E 8QH
(020) 7836-6466

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Trattoria Italiana Biagio

Restaurant

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Where to start??? This was our last dinner in London. Since the restaurant was close to our hotel, we would try it out.

The meal was not memorable, and almost seemed to be cooked in the microwave.

The worst part was the bill. First, even though we split an appetizer they charged us for two. So, about $15 for two pieces of scampi. The main meals were good, your normal pasta faire. Then we also had dessert too. They charged us a 12.5% service charge, and a sit down fee. What we thought would be a nice little meal ended up costing about $100 for nothing special.

Member Rating 1 out of 5 on March 3, 2006

Trattoria Italiana Biagio
15-17 Villers Street
London, England
+44 020 7839 3633

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Victoria and Albert Museum

Attraction | "Victoria & Albert Museum"

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Wow!!! You'd probably need 2 days to see it all. What I would see again: The Cast Room, the items from King Henry VIII era, and everything else!!! There literally is so much to see. The Cast Room has plaster casts of everything, from Celtic crosses to Michelangelo's "David." Such a great way to see items from all over the world in one place. The old dresses, the art nouveau tiles, the grand chandlier, the portraits...on and on. I don't think there is anything that the V & A missed. We ended up spending about most of the day there because there was so much that we loved. Even the wrought iron is beautiful. I love anything about British history so seeing reproduction rooms and garments w...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on February 28, 2006

Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road
London, England SW7 2RL
+44 (20) 7942 2000

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London Transport Museum

Attraction

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I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed this museum. I was in Covent Garden and thought, "why not??" As you enter you see how mass transport started, with horses and a bus carriage. Then there are buses all the way to the modern fair. Then you see how The Tube was actually dug out, the old cars, ticket booths, etc. There is a lot of hands-on stuff for kids, and neat train cars, and more for them to go on. Lastly, loved the gift shop. A lot of Tube stuff, but also Thomas the Tank Engine items too.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 2, 2006

London Transport Museum
39 Wellington Street
London, England WC2E 7BB
+44 (207) 565 7299

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Original London Walks

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Attraction | "The Original London Walks"

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This was my first London Walk, and it will not be my last. Our walk was "Ghosts of the Old City." It was very easy to find our guide by the Tube exit because he looked ghoulish. We did get there early, but the good thing is that I got some great pictures of St. Paul's Cathedral at dusk. Another great thing about the London Walks is that you see streets, mews, and back roads that you would not see otherwise, a real feeling of London. We had about 20 to 25 people in our group. There were not too many people, so we were able to hear everything. We got to see many churches, back streets, pubs, and cemeteries on the tour. There were great street names: Aldersgate, Cloth Fair, Charterhouse, and Threadnee...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 2, 2006

Original London Walks
PO Box 1708
London, England NW6 4LW
+44 20 7624 3978

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Lush Cosmetics

Attraction | "Lush"

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Literally one of my favorite shops in London. The bath bombs, or "ballistics", are "da bomb" (sorry, could not help myself). I actually used one after a long day of walking, and it helped immensely. They have just about every scent you could possibly want. The honey bee scent is divine!! The soaps are just as good. My favorites are "Honey I washed the kids", "I should Coco", "Miranda" (kiwi smelling), and "Rock Star" (vanilla type scent). They are great as gifts to bring home to the United States. Yeah, I know you can buy it here in some big cities, but it's London :-).

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 3, 2006

Lush Cosmetics
Unit 11, The Piazza
London, England

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Boots

Attraction | "Boots the Chemist"

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Boots is liked a Walgreens on steroids. They have their own brand of make-up and beauty goods that are out of this world. I just ran out of their cucumber line. Great eye gel. Also, their orange blossom/calendula shower gel is just yummy. The cost is pocket friendly too. Plus, when you scrub up in the morning you'll remember London. A good place to pick up my favorite Diet Coke, and not pay an arm and a leg. Another great thing about Boots is their take-and-go food. They have some really tasty sandwiches and wraps, not to mention that they have Walker's crisps too. I had the egg sandwich which was pretty good. Wasn't used to having watercress on it, but while in London do as a Londoner would do...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 3, 2006

Boots
127a Kensington High Street Kensington
London, England W8 5SF
44 20 7938 1620

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Victoria Embankment

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Attraction | "Victoria Embankment Gardens"

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On our first day back in London, my mom and I found this little park while walking around and checking out the area by our hotel (The Thistle Charing Cross). We were walking down Villers Street and saw this park to the left. We looked at each other and said, "Why not?" The flowers were in bloom and it was just lovely. Peach tulips, crocus... purples, yellows, pinks, whites—breathtaking. I always think of London in the spring, and this is the kind of picturesque garden I think of. It's a little walk through the garden. It stretches from Villers Street to Waterloo bridge along The Embankment. There are great monuments, flower beds, craggy trees, and little vistas, along with plenty of benches so you can...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 17, 2006

Victoria Embankment
Villiers Street
London, England

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Horse Guards Parade

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Attraction | "Horse Guards"

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While walking down Whitehall, my mom and I realized, "Ooooo, they're going to change the Horse Guards. Let's go!" I'm glad we did. They let you in the gates and all the tourists gather round to check out the proceedings. We were there in April, so it may be a bit more crowded in summer. You may not be able to get in if you come late. We kind of shuffled our way to a good spot. Out come the guards with their boots up their thighs and then out come the horses. It's very neat to hear the commands of the officer and to see the men being inspected by their superiors. We are able to hear the officer say, "Your boots are not shined enough." That's how close we were. I know it's all flash, but I really en...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 17, 2006

Horse Guards Parade
Whitehall
London, England SW1

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Museum of London

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Attraction

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Alright, one of the best things about this museum is that it's free! Great value, eh? All kidding aside, it's a great museum to see the development of London and everything in between. You literally will see everything, from prehistoric items to the Lord Mayor's coach. All are very interesting. Going on the weekend is a good idea, because the area is like a ghost town. I personally enjoyed the Tudor and Stuart era. I love this era, so to see how they lived then was very interesting. Also, you see how The Great Fire started and enveloped so much of the city. There's a little room that is darkened, and you'll see how it slowly started and then went rampant. It's a good exhibit for kids. Another g...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 24, 2006

Museum of London
150 London Wall
London, England EC2Y 5HN
+44 (207) 814 5613

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Kensington Palace

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Attraction

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I had heard mixed reviews on Kensington Palace, but the Anglophile royal fan in me said, "Why not?" and I was not disappointed. I absolutely loved it. First off, the setting is wonderful. We walked from the High Street Kensington tube station to Kensington Gardens. There were nice shops along the way. We grabbed a water and stopped for a spell in Kensington Gardens, looking at the beautiful Kensington Gardens. The views are spectacular. Even the trees have character. Next, you get to walk through the Palace Gardens, which are breathtaking, with the pond, fountains and sculpted garden beds. We were there in spring, and all the flowers were in bloom. There were wonderful colors. It was a nice plac...Read More

I had heard mixed reviews on Kensington Palace, but the Anglophile royal fan in me said, "Why not?" and I was not disappointed. I absolutely loved it. First off, the setting is wonderful. We walked from the High Street Kensington tube station to Kensington Gardens. There were nice shops along the way. We grabbed a water and stopped for a spell in Kensington Gardens, looking at the beautiful Kensington Gardens. The views are spectacular. Even the trees have character. Next, you get to walk through the Palace Gardens, which are breathtaking, with the pond, fountains and sculpted garden beds. We were there in spring, and all the flowers were in bloom. There were wonderful colors. It was a nice place to catch your breath. The first thing you see when you enter and pay is the court dress from around the mid-18th century to the present. It's amazing how elaborate they were, especially in the Victorian era. They don't just have them on a form, but on lifelike models. This way you see an actual scene from court. Diana's dresses are in a different area, but you do get to see many of the dresses that were in all the gossip rags. They are all beautiful, of course, but there aren't much else of Diana things at the palace. You do not get to see her apartments. If you are going just for that, you will be disappointed. Next, the state rooms open to the public are wonderful. The most modern ones are those of the late Princess Margaret. It is interesting that they are more stripped down and kind of have a bare-essentials feeling. As you go up a level, you get to see the rooms commissioned by Christopher Wren. There is beautiful gilding in every room, along with fantastic artwork. Everything, from rugs and vases to furniture, is still there. But the thing is, you truly get the feeling that you are part of that era. The fact that you can walk through a room that Queen Victoria herself walked in--wow!!! It was at Kensington Palace that Victoria was awakened to be told she was now queen. For someone like me, it is steeped in history and grandeur. Also, the audio headphones are a great tour guide. Kensington Palace was well worth a visit by this Anglophile's account. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on April 6, 2006

Kensington Palace
Kensington Gardens
London, England W8 4PX
+44 (20) 7937 9561

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Westminster Abbey at Night

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Story/Tip

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We arrived on a Wednesday and decided to cure our jet lag by going to Westminster Abbey. We were delighted to see that it was open at night on a Wednesday. So, we decided to put that last on our list for the day and go that night. We were tired but intrigued.Boy, what a great idea. The atmosphere is even better at night. Also, not nearly as many people at the church. The pictures we took at night are awesome. Normally, you have to pay for a guided Verger (their tour guide of the church)Tour. But since it was not busy that night, we had a Verger all to ourselves. He told us about all of those that are buried there (i.e. Queen Elizabeth I, Mary, Queen of Scots, Geoffrey Chaucer, Edward the Confessor, to...Read More

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