Our granddaughter, Bea (age 13 at the time) wanted to experience London. It’s one of our all-time favorite cities, so we welcome any excuse to return. Sara and I were glad to make Bea’s wish come true. We met Bea at Heathrow Airport and took her back to our Air BnB in the “Prince’s Mews” in Notting Hill area. Knowing that Bea would not be an early riser, Sara found a lovely flat with two bedrooms.
We loved spending our days with Bea and sharing some of our favorite spots. And, given Bea’s age and interests, we found some that were new to us as well. Here are some highlights of our week together in London.
Finding our way around the big city of London. We took Hop-On, Hop-Off buses to give Bea a quick overview of London. Bea fell asleep at one point, still a little jet lagged from her flight. We also walked a lot, around the beautiful Kensington Gardens, around St. James Park and Buckingham Palace, around Westminster and Trafalgar Square, and along the river up to Tower Bridge. At the “Sky Garden” we enjoyed great views from above the city. We also checked out the antiquities at the British Museum, like those Elgin Marbles that England still refuses to return to their rightful home in Athens.
Tower of London: Touring the Tower of London is always a treat. Yes, it’s full of history, including the Crown Jewels of England, and the site of numerous official executions. But most memorable are the entertaining Yeoman Warders who lead you through that history with fascinating details and a great sense of humor. From there, we took a short walk to the Tower Bridge (too often confused with the London Bridge). A mechanical wonder of its day, it was opened in 1894.
Tate Modern Museum of Art: We visited the Tate Modern to see a special exhibition of works by Yayoi Kusama. Both Sara and Bea had admired the works of this Japanese artist, works that were seen around the New York City. Even Baxter (age 7) had done a school project on her work. She is certainly the master of all things polka-dot. (To check her out, try this link. )
The Sunday Roast: In England, most pubs offer a special meal on Sunday’s. Ask for the “Sunday Roast” and you’ll probably be offered a choice of roast beef, chicken, or some vegetarian dish, with all the fixin’s, and usually for a quite reasonable price. You’d best come early or mid-afternoon — or your favorite roast may be all gone. We enjoyed the Sunday Roast.
Shopping in London: Of course, we took Bea to Harrods, “The World’s Leading Luxury Department Store.” It’s a huge and beautiful store, clearly designed to serve the very wealthy. While we enjoyed visiting, we invested only in some lovely (even if overpriced) chocolates. We actually had more fun shopping along Portobello Street, where Bea found a whole wardrobe.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Shakespeare’s The Globe Theater: This theater is a meticulous modern reconstruction of the famous Globe Theater in which Will Shakespeare himself was an actor, playwright and producer. I love this theater, and it’s taught me much about Shakespeare’s own times and how his plays were enacted. We enjoyed treating Bea to a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, one of Will’s most beloved and accessible comedies.
Warner Brothers Studio Tour, London: Making the Harry Potter Movies: This daytrip from London to the Warner Brothers Studio Tour was probably THE highlight of Bea’s week in London. But Sara and I also love the Harry Potter books and films. We saw many of the sets where the movies were filmed, and many fascinating exhibits revealed how special effects were created. And, of course, there were many HP gifts to be purchased. It was a long ride out to the studio and another long ride back. But we all wished we had more time there to enjoy it all.
