London Musings

Apart from a very long week of travel, I wanted to share what I've been up to in London.

As part of my goal of seeing more of London before I leave, I've been taking walks in new areas and exploring. I've also just been enjoying some of my favorite things that the City offers.

I took in three performances. 

I finally got to see Les Mis live. 

Miss Saigon returned to the West End for the first time in 15 years. This was an amazing performance and well worth opening prices. 

Handbagged is a parody play on the relationship between the Queen and Margaret Thatcher when Thatcher was Prime Minister. I was on the floor laughing the entire time. 

Last week, I went and had high tea with my friend, Chelsea, at Bond and Brook. 

The MPA had a picnic last week as a study break. Alyssa and I were fully enjoying the sunshine! 

And, my friend and sorority sister, Steph, was in town. She just graduated with her masters from Syracuse. I hadn't seen her since we graduated in 2012, so it was a fun evening!

Ben Franklin's House, St. Martin in the Fields, and the National Gallery!

Last Saturday, I booked a  ticket to visit Ben Franklin's London home.  It's tucked on a side street near Charing Cross, and not only have I walked by the street several times. I've also walked down the street past the house before. Strange how that happens sometimes.

I booked an advanced ticket to visit his home which includes a guided tour and video segments.  The tour featured a woman dressed in period costume.

Main Staircase

The tour started in the basement or what was once the garden. There was an exhibit about the medical bones that were found in the ground during renovations of the house. It turns out there had been a boarder in the house at once that also operated a medical school.

Bones

The first video of the tour gave information about Ben Franklin's life in London leading up to the American Revolution. The house is actually the only remaining building in the world where Ben Franklin lived! 

Bad Photo- But...Ben Franklin's Eye Glasses 

While the house has been renovated, there is no furniture or furnishings. Instead, each room features a small chair or table that included what could have occurred in the room.  For example, the parlor featured a small tea table. In each room, our guide spoke to us about the history of the house which was also supplemented by videos.

It was an interesting tour and for under a tenner, it's definitely a place for all to check out!

Trafaglar Square

Since Ben Franklin's house is practically in Trafaglar Square, I wondered over to also check out St. Martin in the Fields and the National Gallery. Again, two things that I actually have never done despite studying abroad!

St. Martin in the Fields

I visited St. Martin in the Fields first where I ran into a small orchestra preparing for a concert. 

St. Martin in the Fields is famous for the alter window.

Alter Window 

Inside St. Martin in the Fields 

After looking around in the church, I wandered down to the Crypt. No longer an actual crypt, I stopped in to the cafe for a quick cream tea!

Cream Tea 

And, finally, I ended this big day of tourism at the National Gallery. I stopped in quickly to see some of Monet's work as it was too crowded to make it through any other rooms. Will have to go back!

High Tea: Waldorf Hilton Version

Since moving back to London in September, my quest to find the best afternoon high tea began. As May begins, I think that I've made tremendous progress on my hunt. I've done numerous small hotels, the Orangery at Kensington Palace, Harrods...and now, I've done the Waldorf Hilton. 

A couple of months ago, Zaina and I bought a Groupon for high tea at the Waldorf. We scheduled it after we both were away for break. It served as the perfect way to catch up as well as indulge ourselves in scones, clotted cream, and macaroons. 

As for the experience, this tea was one of the best ones that I have had. We had a lovely time catching up over the champagne and the luxury teas.  The service was great- as I expected it to be from a Hilton. If you are looking for a more moderate-high end tea experience in London, I recommend the Waldorf!

Father-Daughter Eurotrip: Day Four

On our last day in London, we took it kind of easy as we had done almost everything that we wanted to do the days before. Our first stop of the day was at Granger & Co. for breakfast. It had been on my list of places to try for weeks, but sadly, I had not had a chance to do it yet! It's tucked into my neighborhood which was convenient for the next two stops after. 

Both Dad and I had the famous ricotta hotcakes complete with bananas and honeycomb syrup. It filled us up to get started with the sightseeing of the day!

From there, we hopped on my bus (#23) and headed down to Kensal Road. I wanted to show my Dad where I lived as well as the neighborhood! Dad enjoyed seeing the building I live in as well as my flat. 

Since we were close by, we stopped by to see the famous Portobello Road as well. It was a Thursday, so not that much was happening, but Dad still got the experience by seeing some of the stalls and antique stores. (*cue song*)

Dad on Portobello Road

Our afternoon activity consisted of high tea at Harrods! High tea is one of my favorite things to do in London, and doing it at Harrods has been on my list for quite some time. Dad has become quite the tea drinker on this trip, so we were both looking forward to listening to some classical music (including the Downton Abbey soundtrack) while eating the luxurious treats!

Pinkies Up!

Dad enjoying his tea!

While we took a break in the afternoon to pack and rest, we ended our evening with dinner at Bumpkin Notting Hill. Think traditional British food with a flair! It was a perfect ending to the four days spent together in the UK. 

Traditional British Cow Pie

"Tea with jam and bread"

1st. If you know the song reference of the title, excellent job!

Last Sunday, Nicole and I had high tea! We had found a GroupOn for high tea for 30 pounds. Splitting the cost, we got a normal high tea service that costs 75 pounds for roughly 15 pounds plus service. It's the little bargains in life. 

Arriving at the hotel overlooking Kensington Gardens, we were swept away right away to an age gone by. Of course, high tea is served everyday, but the hotel decor reminded me of the Victorian era. The first part of  tea? Champagne, of course!  A quick toast to being in London for one month was followed by tea. I choose traditional breakfast and was very glad I had quite a large pot for myself as it was a bit chilly that day. 

Tea and Champagne

Tea time!

With the tea came out the three-level tray of food! Eating our heart's desires...sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, cupcakes, tarts, and macaroons! Yum!! And yes, I posted the photos to make you hungry!

Scones with clotted cream and jam

Spice Cupcake

Whipped Tart

Macaroons!

Tray of Food

As you can see, we left full! It was a great adventure, and I cannot wait for my next experience. On the bucket list is to eventually have high tea at Harrods!