Since I had been to London twice before (once for three days when I was 18, and once on a 7-hour layover on my way to Spain), I skipped some of the more popular sights - like Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and Parliament - because I had already been to those places. Instead, I saw some new things (or at least some things I don't remember seeing before).

Highlights of the trip included the many pubs I visited (that's a given, of course, if you've been reading any of my other journals), the Primrose Hill, the British Museum, Camden Market, and Indian food. Lowlights included the (bad) show I saw, fighting the Christmas crowd at Harrod's, and being too late to get on the London Eye.

Quick Tips:

I also learned the useful tip of ordering a beer at 10:55; while the pubs officially close at 11PM, they usually let you hang around a while casually sipping your last drink.

I recommend staying in one of the lovely neighborhoods, like Hampstead, instead of the center. Tube service is pretty good, and you'll get a better feel for the city.

LondonTown.comhas a wealth of great information on what to do, where to stay, and what's going on in London. Oh yes, and you can make an advance reservation (online) for the London Eye.

Best Way To Get Around:

Getting around the city is made easy by the extensive subway (Tube) system, though trains stop running at around midnight.

I booked a single room (bathroom down the hall) and got a fairly large room with a single bed, a sink, a desk, and a window that opened onto the quiet street. Breakfast - consisting of coffee or tea, toast, cereal and yogurt - was included and served in the sunny breakfast room on the ground floor. The bathrooms down the hall weren''t beautiful, and I almost panicked when the water barely trickled out of the shower head (until I found that the shower in the other bathroom was much more powerful) but they were clean and adequate. All in all, a great value!

For online reservations, check out DillonsHotel.com.

Yes, this place is so hip, it even has a cool website... Check it out.

Once in the pub, we couldn't find a place to sit, so we stood at the bar with our beer. Tired of standing, we started to make our way out when we noticed people gathering near the door. It seemed that people had started coming to the premiere, and after talking to a nice man standing by the door, we learned that some of the Royal Family were expected. The film was 101 Dalmatians, and Prince Andrew, his children, and possibly Fergie were supposed to show up. So, we ordered two more beers and waited. It took almost an hour, but after Glenn Close walked by (nobody even noticed that), the motorcade with Andrew, Fergie and the kids went by. Feeling satisfied that I had caught a glimpse of the Rowal Family on my first night in London, we left.

Entrance to the Bridge tour was a bit hefty at 8 pounds, and I'm not sure the tour is worth it, unless you are interested in history or bridge engineering. The hokiness of the talking mannequins who narrated the history of the bridge (one of the rooms contains a reenactment of the town meeting where the building of the bridge was discussed) made me laugh! The tour includes a walk across the top level of the bridge, which offers nice views of the Thames, and ends across the river in the engine room and gift shop (of course!)

About half a mile away, you can escape the madness of the markets and head up to Primrose Hill. I was told that it offers one of the best views of London, and that turned out to be true. Among the people walking their dogs, playing with their kids, and romancing each other, we sat for a while and enjoyed this somewhat hidden treasure.

From Primrose Hill, you can head to nearby Regent Park and Zoo or take the Tube (Chalk Farm) back to downtown.