{"id":12909,"date":"2001-08-01T02:16:30","date_gmt":"2001-07-31T18:16:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/le-mckernan.com\/?p=12909"},"modified":"2019-06-02T23:05:08","modified_gmt":"2019-06-02T15:05:08","slug":"mini-blog-what-to-do-in-london","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/le-mckernan.com\/?p=12909","title":{"rendered":"mini-blog: What to do in London?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u00a9 www.le-mckernan.com – All Rights Reserved<\/p><\/div>\n

This is,\u00a0in theory<\/em>, an easy trip to plan as I know London very well given that I have lived here on & off for over 11+ years. \u00a0 The challenge before me today is that my sister and her husband are over to visit and they too been here many times before. \u00a0 As such, ‘typical tourists things’ are off the agenda . . . \u00a0so, what to do? How to do a staycation with city experts?<\/span>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Scope<\/strong>:<\/span> 18 days in London (and possibly elsewhere \u2026. maybe a last minute trip to Paris or Barcelona!).<\/p>\n

Budget<\/strong>:<\/span> no hard limits. \u00a0Obviously, we don’t want to over spend but at the same time, it is important to have fun.<\/p>\n

Goals<\/strong>:<\/span> \u00a0food, culture and experiences.<\/p>\n

Blog Framework<\/strong>:<\/span>\u00a0 a running diary interspersed with opinions & thoughts; the\u00a0verdict<\/em><\/span>\u00a0(recommendations and opinions) is at the end. \u00a0As not everyone is a foodie, I’ve kept the foodie-stuff<\/em> light in this blog and have a separate mini-blog<\/a> <\/span>just covering the wonderful food we’ve had the privilege to enjoy on this trip. \u00a0Finally, pls note that this site is non-commercial and does not receive payments, favours, perks or discounts. \u00a0All costs were paid for directly by ourselves. \u00a0Therefore, all opinions expressed here are wholly independent.<\/p>\n

+ \u00a0+ \u00a0+ \u00a0+<\/p>\n

August 2017<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Day 1 – Tuesday:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Heathrow at 6:30 AM. \u00a0Kisses, kisses, hugs, hugs — my sister has arrived! \u00a0Years and years ago, I was a Heathrow Express zealot. \u00a0But since then, I’ve discovered & embraced the Piccadilly Line to\/from Heathrow<\/strong><\/span>. \u00a0It’s a longer trip than Heathrow Express (roughly 1 hour from the terminals to Zone 1 in central London) and it only costs approximately GBP3 (if you use an Oyster or contactless card) whereas a single trip on the Heathrow Express is approximately GBP22. \u00a0For me, the ‘time saved’ using the Heathrow Express is negligible as it terminates at Paddington Station which is not convenient if your final destination is in South London or East London.<\/p>\n

To help Sis get over the jet lag, I’ve planned for a ‘clock reset’ which entails copious amount of oil, pummelling, and ‘me time’ … \u00a0So we are off to the Aman Spa at the Connaught Hotel<\/strong><\/span>. \u00a0Yes, it is $$$ but it perfectly sets the tone for this trip as we would start off completely refreshed and relaxed. \u00a0(Confession: \u00a0I am a spa tart!) \u00a0To get ‘value of money’, we were there an hour before the appointment to use the pool and steam room to zone out.<\/p>\n

Prior to this trip, I spent quite a bit of time thinking about how best to fill out the itinerary so that it is different from a typical tourist schedule. \u00a0We’ve done high tea at the Ritz and Dorchester years and years ago and I was not keen to repeat the experience. \u00a0I came across a bakery that did a tea service during a 90 minutes tour of London in an old Route Master bus. \u00a0What a fabulous idea!!! \u00a0Sadly though, the reviews in Trip Advisor were just terrible. \u00a0Er \u2026 no go then<\/em>. \u00a0Terrible shame as this would have been an excellent way to gently kick off the trip as well as reinforce our love affair with London with it’s spectacular city sites.<\/p>\n

What I really, really love about London is that it encapsulates the best of many cultures and incorporates these into its own beating heart. \u00a0London’s dynamism is particularly strong in the theatre sphere. \u00a0T<\/strong><\/span>he National Theatre<\/span><\/strong><\/span> at the South Bank is a spectacularly ugly building — but, it has produced some of the best plays I have ever<\/em> seen (The Pillowman comes to mind!). The\u00a0Donmar Theatre<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0in Covent Garden is much smaller and has less technical capacity to do the whiz-bang staging that the NT can do — but, it makes up the difference in pure spirit. \u00a0The Royal Court Theatre <\/strong><\/span>at Sloane Square,\u00a0like the Donmar, is a breathe of fresh air and it is known for featuring new writers and upcoming talent. \u00a0The Almeida<\/strong> <\/span>in Islington takes more risks and therefore some productions are difficult to follow (e.g. Five Gold Rings) but this is the place where I had the privilege to see an unknown Tom Hardy (in Festen) and an equally unknown Eddie Redmayne who played the son to Jonathan Pryce in The Goat or Who is Sylvia? \u00a0And then of course, there are\u00a0The Old Vic<\/strong><\/span>, The Globe<\/strong><\/span> and the West End<\/strong><\/span> theatres.<\/p>\n

Alas, no drama<\/em> tonight. \u00a0As this is the first Tuesday of the month, we are off to the Sir John Soane’s Museum<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0for a candlelight visit. \u00a0Knowing that we would have to queue early if we wanted to be in the first batch invited into the museum when the evening doors open ay 6PM, we fortified ourselves with a late light lunch of classic and delicious Bombay snacks at Dishoom<\/strong><\/span> near Carnaby Street. \u00a0It did not disappoint and once fully satiated, we walked to Holborn. \u00a0As it was a lovely summer evening, sitting along the wall next to the Museum and watching the world gently passing by was a simple joy. \u00a0After an hour in the queue, we gained entrance to the Museum and it was a delight to explore the place as the collection was eccentric and buildings themselves were intriguing.<\/p>\n

No dinner tonight — full day and rather tired.<\/p>\n

Day 2 – Wednesday:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Rain! Rain! and then some more (hello English summer!). But we are determined to not allow the rain to stop us. \u00a0But first, coffee oh coffee please. \u00a0The best take-away coffee, in my opinion, is from Marian who runs the Change Please<\/strong><\/span> stand in front of Guy’s Hospital across the Shard at London Bridge. \u00a0With the liquid panacea in hand, we headed over to Borough Market<\/strong> <\/span>which hasn’t lost its charm since the first time I’d visited many years ago. \u00a0I’ve since developed a roster of favourite places in Borough Market to visit which includes:<\/p>\n