We saw Star Wars. Nothing else matters.
Just stop reading this and go see Star wars. If you've already seen it. Go see it again.
- Love Andrew
Day 6 - Goodbye money
Ah London, what a magnificent city to haemorrhage money in. Today was brilliant, but eye-wateringly expensive. We began by walking though Hyde Park to Kensington Palace for morning tea, which had to be a Victoria sponge, and made our way through the park from there to Diana's memorial fountain towards Kensington. The reason for heading to Kensington was that we managed to get a booking at Heston's two Michelin star restaurant, Dinner. For two and a half hours on a weekday there is a set lunch menu which is expensive, but not prohibitively so, and we were able to get a table.
The food was exceptional, and also a little odd, as you might expect. As it's a set menu, there are only two choices for each course, so we just asked that they bring us one of each, and we swapped plates (discreetly-ish) halfway through each dish. I never thought I'd eat jellied pigs ear, but I was surprised to find how much I enjoyed it! The staff were thoroughly attentive, and we both had one glass of wine, from a thoroughly intimidating wine list that was over 40 pages long, with bottles over $4000 regularly peppered throughout. We each had a glass of the cheapest wine on the menu.
Lunch took around two hours, so we had quite some time to fill before our evening show, so we finally got to explore Harrods. What a ridiculous, opulent, altogether over the top place! It's fun to wander around and gaze at the displays and sheer level of opulence, but there is very little that's in the realm of even a semblance of affordability. There was a child's play house that was twenty thousand pounds! We wandered around most floors a little, and then made our way to H&M, a much more reasonable prospect.
We did a little shopping, and then explored Foyle's, a famous London bookstore, where I was delighted to pick up a first edition signed copy of Atwood's The Heart Goes Last, her new novel. By this stage we needed to get to Soho for our West End show, Miracle by Derren Brown. Our original seats in the beautiful Palace theatre were in the nose bleed section, but they were offering upgrades, so we paid a little more to get better seats in the stalls as we couldn't see some of the stage in our original ones. The show was fantastic, and it was brilliant to be able to see someone we've seen countless times on television 'work his magic' in the flesh, as we both never thought that we'd get the opportunity.
Soho and the West End late at night is very different to early evening, so rather than mill about, we decided to make our way back to our hotel in anticipation of seeing The Force Awakens tomorrow morning. 'Till next time, may the force be with you!
The food was exceptional, and also a little odd, as you might expect. As it's a set menu, there are only two choices for each course, so we just asked that they bring us one of each, and we swapped plates (discreetly-ish) halfway through each dish. I never thought I'd eat jellied pigs ear, but I was surprised to find how much I enjoyed it! The staff were thoroughly attentive, and we both had one glass of wine, from a thoroughly intimidating wine list that was over 40 pages long, with bottles over $4000 regularly peppered throughout. We each had a glass of the cheapest wine on the menu.
Lunch took around two hours, so we had quite some time to fill before our evening show, so we finally got to explore Harrods. What a ridiculous, opulent, altogether over the top place! It's fun to wander around and gaze at the displays and sheer level of opulence, but there is very little that's in the realm of even a semblance of affordability. There was a child's play house that was twenty thousand pounds! We wandered around most floors a little, and then made our way to H&M, a much more reasonable prospect.
We did a little shopping, and then explored Foyle's, a famous London bookstore, where I was delighted to pick up a first edition signed copy of Atwood's The Heart Goes Last, her new novel. By this stage we needed to get to Soho for our West End show, Miracle by Derren Brown. Our original seats in the beautiful Palace theatre were in the nose bleed section, but they were offering upgrades, so we paid a little more to get better seats in the stalls as we couldn't see some of the stage in our original ones. The show was fantastic, and it was brilliant to be able to see someone we've seen countless times on television 'work his magic' in the flesh, as we both never thought that we'd get the opportunity.
Soho and the West End late at night is very different to early evening, so rather than mill about, we decided to make our way back to our hotel in anticipation of seeing The Force Awakens tomorrow morning. 'Till next time, may the force be with you!
-Jess
Harrod's was a like a fancier David Jones, which has it's own brand that I couldn't care less about. They charge $50 for an empty shopping bag with their logo on it. What the actual?
We also saw (from a distance) the Star Wars premier here in London. There were police stopping plebs from going anywhere near the theatre so we saw nothing.
- Andrew
Day 5 - Tower of London, Westheads and Rain
A drizzly but thoroughly enjoyable day five. We arranged to meet the Westhead's in the afternoon, so we spent the morning at The Tower of London, which was magnificent! Not only were there no crowds, but our tour guide was also the Master of Ravens, and he was brilliantly entertaining. I had no idea that the Beefeaters actually live in the tower, as do a doctor, chaplain and other staff, so as he pointed out, we were essentially wandering around his front yard. The crown jewels are spectacular, but really it's the buildings of the tower complex that are absolutely fascinating. The exhibition of armour and weaponry was so nicely presented, with a dragon made from armour a highlight.
From the tower, we met Jess and Wezz at Hyde Park where we went for a couple of pints and a catch up before the group of us making our way to the Winter Wonderland in the park itself. It's the biggest Christmas market I've ever seen, with the rides of a theme park and the food of a traditional market. I decided to test my archery skills on a sideshow and ended up winning a giant Care Bear - a plan which was not well thought out on my part, as I've now got a giant bear to try and find room for.
Following some wandering, we said our goodbyes and made our way to a Jamie Oliver restaurant for tea. The food was great, though we were soaked at this point, so we decided to head back to our room to dry out and relax a bit. Yet again a delightful day in London Town.
From the tower, we met Jess and Wezz at Hyde Park where we went for a couple of pints and a catch up before the group of us making our way to the Winter Wonderland in the park itself. It's the biggest Christmas market I've ever seen, with the rides of a theme park and the food of a traditional market. I decided to test my archery skills on a sideshow and ended up winning a giant Care Bear - a plan which was not well thought out on my part, as I've now got a giant bear to try and find room for.
Following some wandering, we said our goodbyes and made our way to a Jamie Oliver restaurant for tea. The food was great, though we were soaked at this point, so we decided to head back to our room to dry out and relax a bit. Yet again a delightful day in London Town.
The Globe Theatre!
Two Hillys, both alike in dignity, in fair London(a) where we lay our scene:
From ancient desire to new adventures
Where civil exploration makes wanted joys now seen
From forth the curious minds of these two numptys
The pair of travellers finally have been
To the Bard's fair playhouse on the Thames
Fulfilling a long time dream...
Apologies for butchering the prologue, but I had to be somewhat Shakespearean in this post, as today was the day we visited The Globe theatre, and it was brilliant! Yes, it's not the original one, nor in the original geographical location, but it's as close as it's possible to get dammit, and I loved every second of it. Our tour guide was delightful, very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and the theatre itself was fascinating learn about in greater detail. A brilliant start to day four.
From the Globe we wandered to the Borough Markets, the oldest produce markets in London, for some very tasty lunch in a delightfully bustling atmosphere. Think Central Markets crossed with Fork in the Road, and that's pretty much the vibe of the place. Lunch was excellent, and we decided to then meander back to the Tate Modern for a modern art hit.
What a brilliant gallery the Tate is! A former power station, the architecture is on a massive scale rarely seen, and as a result there is room for some pretty spectacular installations. We were able to see Liechtenstein's Whaam! and Warhol's Marilyn Diptych in the flesh, which was just fantastic. In addition, there were some truly amazing sculptures which were fascinating in their construction, and like all galleries, it's a fantastic place to wander through.
After the Tate, it was well and truly dark, so we decided to get a few hours of shopping in at the shopping centre two stops from our hotel as I needed socks, and we had tasty burgers at the Gourmet Burger Kitchen, did a little more shopping, before finally making our way back to our hotel. An epic day again - we're averaging around 18000 steps per day, around 13.5 km per day, which explains why my feet are suffering so much. Time to put them up in preparation for tomorrow.
From ancient desire to new adventures
Where civil exploration makes wanted joys now seen
From forth the curious minds of these two numptys
The pair of travellers finally have been
To the Bard's fair playhouse on the Thames
Fulfilling a long time dream...
Apologies for butchering the prologue, but I had to be somewhat Shakespearean in this post, as today was the day we visited The Globe theatre, and it was brilliant! Yes, it's not the original one, nor in the original geographical location, but it's as close as it's possible to get dammit, and I loved every second of it. Our tour guide was delightful, very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and the theatre itself was fascinating learn about in greater detail. A brilliant start to day four.
From the Globe we wandered to the Borough Markets, the oldest produce markets in London, for some very tasty lunch in a delightfully bustling atmosphere. Think Central Markets crossed with Fork in the Road, and that's pretty much the vibe of the place. Lunch was excellent, and we decided to then meander back to the Tate Modern for a modern art hit.
What a brilliant gallery the Tate is! A former power station, the architecture is on a massive scale rarely seen, and as a result there is room for some pretty spectacular installations. We were able to see Liechtenstein's Whaam! and Warhol's Marilyn Diptych in the flesh, which was just fantastic. In addition, there were some truly amazing sculptures which were fascinating in their construction, and like all galleries, it's a fantastic place to wander through.
After the Tate, it was well and truly dark, so we decided to get a few hours of shopping in at the shopping centre two stops from our hotel as I needed socks, and we had tasty burgers at the Gourmet Burger Kitchen, did a little more shopping, before finally making our way back to our hotel. An epic day again - we're averaging around 18000 steps per day, around 13.5 km per day, which explains why my feet are suffering so much. Time to put them up in preparation for tomorrow.
Day 3 - Day in the Museum
Today was entirely devoted to the British Museum, and what a day it was. We arrived at just on 10am and left at 5pm having seen every part of this incredible place. Seeing the Rosetta Stone was amazing, and something I've now ticked off my bucket list. Add to this the phenomenal treasures this museum houses, not without controversy I might add, and it was really a day of trying to absorb wonder after wonder. The Parthenon wing was both astonishingly beautiful and also problematic, as I've never been entirely convinced that these treasures belong here in London rather than the Acropolis, and the accompanying explanations are quite British in their take on the issue. In spite of this, the stunning presentation was epic and considered.
Other highlights included seeing Cleopatra, the head of Rameses, Mesopotamian cuneiform friezes, Viking jewellery, Roman armour and the entirety of the King's Library Wing.
For dinner we went out to Hammersmith to a lovely pub for some Shepherd's pie and burgers, then we made our way back to our hotel. A brilliant way to spend our sixth anniversary in London :)
Other highlights included seeing Cleopatra, the head of Rameses, Mesopotamian cuneiform friezes, Viking jewellery, Roman armour and the entirety of the King's Library Wing.
For dinner we went out to Hammersmith to a lovely pub for some Shepherd's pie and burgers, then we made our way back to our hotel. A brilliant way to spend our sixth anniversary in London :)
Day two - Westminster Abbey to Trafalgar Square
Today, after a great sleep, it was sightseeing galore. After breakfast at out beautiful hotel in Notting Hill, we made our way to Westminster Abbey and did the full tour, courtesy of Jeremy Irons' disembodied voice. It was a brilliant experience, and a surprisingly moving one; seeing Newton's memorial, amongst the many others, Poet's corner and the various chapels within the Abbey was surreal. The stunning architecture and history spanning more than a thousand years made this a very special place to visit.
We had a muffin and tea in the Abbey cafe, then made our way to St James' Park, stopping to watch the changing of the horse guard, then following the horses up the Mall to Buckingham Palace. Queenie wasn't allowing tours, so we busied ourselves taking photographs of the courtyard and guards. We visited her gallery at the rear of the palace, and bought a little corgi as a memento.
From the palace we stopped at The Bag O'Nails and had a fish platter and beer/Pimms for lunch, before making our way to Wellington's Arch, which we were delighted to find had a little museum and a lift inside! We went up and took the opportunity to look over the War Memorial and Hyde Park. The plan was to visit St James' Palace, but it was closed, so we traipsed through St James' park, down Regent Street, to Piccadilly Circus. It's a busy intersection, essentially, in the theatre district. We had a little wander around, bought tickets to Derren Brown for Wednesday, and then walked past Whitehall to the National Gallery, where we spent a couple of hours wandering about admiring the (mostly Dutch) paintings. Nelson'd Column was infested with drunk Santa's (we assumed there was a pub crawl) so we made our way back to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament along the Thames.
Back on the tube, we popped back to our room to see where the best curry in our area was, then made our way to Dunbar - a recommended Indian restaurant down the road from the hotel. It was there we had some of the best Indian food I've ever tasted. Tired and stuffed to the gills with Lassie and curry, we staggered back to out hotel to get some much needed rest. Now to organise tomorrow and sleep :)
We had a muffin and tea in the Abbey cafe, then made our way to St James' Park, stopping to watch the changing of the horse guard, then following the horses up the Mall to Buckingham Palace. Queenie wasn't allowing tours, so we busied ourselves taking photographs of the courtyard and guards. We visited her gallery at the rear of the palace, and bought a little corgi as a memento.
From the palace we stopped at The Bag O'Nails and had a fish platter and beer/Pimms for lunch, before making our way to Wellington's Arch, which we were delighted to find had a little museum and a lift inside! We went up and took the opportunity to look over the War Memorial and Hyde Park. The plan was to visit St James' Palace, but it was closed, so we traipsed through St James' park, down Regent Street, to Piccadilly Circus. It's a busy intersection, essentially, in the theatre district. We had a little wander around, bought tickets to Derren Brown for Wednesday, and then walked past Whitehall to the National Gallery, where we spent a couple of hours wandering about admiring the (mostly Dutch) paintings. Nelson'd Column was infested with drunk Santa's (we assumed there was a pub crawl) so we made our way back to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament along the Thames.
Back on the tube, we popped back to our room to see where the best curry in our area was, then made our way to Dunbar - a recommended Indian restaurant down the road from the hotel. It was there we had some of the best Indian food I've ever tasted. Tired and stuffed to the gills with Lassie and curry, we staggered back to out hotel to get some much needed rest. Now to organise tomorrow and sleep :)
United Kingdom 2015/16 - Flight in and Day One
My God, I don't think it's possible to feel more tired. We left home at 7.45am on the 10th of December, and I'm writing this at 3.55pm in London, meaning we've not rested in over 40hours. I have vertigo. However, we've had a fantastic start to our trip. As we arrived well before check in, rather than sit in the hotel, we're right next to the Portobello Rd markets, so we decided to see how much we could explore. They are fantastic - I've already bought four dresses, three scarves and a pair of boots, and we saw pretty much everything. The prices range from very cheap (10 pounds for a dress) to very expensive (850 pounds for an antique cane) and all manner of things in between. The markets are a delightful mix of established clothing and antique stores, hipster eateries, old pubs, bric a brack stalls, vintage clothing shops and stalls, fresh produce and street food.
We had some lovely pastries and coffee in Second Cup, and then Andrew had a pie, mash and mushy peas with gravy from the most British eatery I could imagine - white and green tiles, washing dishes behind the counter, with an owner who sounded like Rose's mum, whose son was in the back making the mash. Delightful :) We visited virtually every shop and stall, finding a beautiful stall specialising in movable type and printing press decorative stamps - needless to say, much time was spent perusing the beautiful items. A few observations so far include: We both keep giggling at the accents, we watch too much British television and, as a result, we associate certain accents with comedy, regardless of the content of the conversation. Dogs appear to be more welcome here, with many of them being allowed in shops, and most of them are in jackets. Finally, where we're staying is both beautiful and insanely well-off, we counted no less than four Porches, one Aston, numerous Range Rovers and one Rolls Royce in less than 100m.
I think we'll go back to Portobello Rd tonight for tea, but right now it's time to have at least and hour or two of sleep as we're both virtually delirious at this point. We'll try to keep everyone updated here on the blog :)
- Jess
We didn't go back out. We just slept from 3pm until 7:33 am.
- Andrew
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