Five very busy days in the United Kingdom, mostly spent in London, but we did get a little further out on one day. Most of London we covered on foot, visiting a number of different neighbourhoods.
Touring Around London
Notting Hill & Portobello Road
A weekday, so no Antiques Market, but still worth a walk to check out the sights of this famous London area.
Holland Park
Quiet and beautiful, this park in the Royal borough of Kensington & Chelsea features a Japanese garnden, the Kyoto Garden, as well as more traditional English gardens.
Kensington Palace & Kensington Gardens
The one-time home of Princess Diana and Prince Charles and a beautiful public gardens and park.
Royal Albert Hall, Kensington
“…Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall…”
The Natural History Museum
One of several free museums in London. I have to admit, I was most interested in the architcture of the buildings themselves, more than the items inside.
The Victoria & Albert Museum of Design
The world’s largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects. Again, we were in and out quite quickly, but you could spend a long time in here examining the intricate details of the beautiful objects.
Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Street & Area
Golders Green
A quick morning stop at the area where my husband Paul was born and lived for the first few years of his life before coming to Canada.
King’s Cross Station
Just a quick stop to check out the beautiful atrium at King’s Cross Station.
Greenwich
A visit to Maritime Greenwich and the area’s various historic sites.
Canary Wharf & The Thames Clipper
A ride on the Thames back to the Westminster area using the MNBA Thames Clipper, a shuttle service that hops from side to side along the Thames with stops on the north and south banks of the river.
Covent Garden
A quick cruise through Covent Garden Market for breakfast before our final day in London.
The British Museum
Another free museum with excellent architecture. The Great Court was renovated and opened by Queen Elizabeth in the year 2000.
St. Paul’s Cathedral & One New Change
The only rainy hours we had, which is pretty good considering this is London, after all. We visited the somewhat oddly named “One New Change” shopping galleria (at number 1 New Change Street – thus the name) which has a rooftop walkout with excellent views of St. Paul’s and area.
City of London – Financial District
A closer look at some of London’s most impressive modern architecture.
Around the Thames – Southbank and Tower of London
Walking on both sides of the Thames River and taking in some of the most classic London Spots including Tower Bridge and The Tower of London, where a beautiful art exhibit was ongoing to honour those lost in World War One.
Shoreditch
I had heard about the amazing graffiti in this area and wanted to have a look. Shoredtich is an artsy East London area and also a predominantly Indian neighbourhood, with lots of great restaurants.
Day Trip out of London to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge & Bath
A coach tour from London to see the countryside and a few must-see landmarks.
Windsor Castle
Sadly, no photos allowed in the castle. Just lot’s of over-the-top splendour.
