Retail Therapy - Perfect Day in London

Today's Perfect Day in London takes you to a few of my favorite spots in the gigantic shopping area known as Oxford, Piccadilly, and Regent Streets.  London is expensive, you don't need me to tell you that.  As of this post, £100 exchanges into roughly $150.  So if your goal is to shop in London, be sure you buy items that are worth your hard earned funds.  These shops will get you started on your day of shopping.

Start your Perfect Day at Piccadilly Circus Underground Station, and revel in the beauty of the advertisements and cacophony of the tourists huddled around the Eros statue when you return above ground.  

After you snap a few photos, make your way over to Piccadilly Street and walk down a few blocks until you reach Fortnum & Mason.
   
Fortnum & Mason is known as the Queen's grocer.  It has several floors of merchandise ranging from foods to fancy hats for your day at the derby.  I'm a big fan of the Countess Grey Tea and the shortbread biscuits.  Fortnum & Mason also has several restaurants where you can have everything from high tea (you'd better be dressed appropriately) to an expensive fancy ice cream sundae at the parlor.  Book ahead for any food service to avoid disappointment.  What to buy: tea, tea cups, tea pots, branded tote bag, biscuits (the tin designs are fantastic), and kitchen towels

If the goods at Fortnum & Mason don't fit your quirky style, head to the shop across the side street from F&M to Cath Kidston.  I'd describe Cath as the UK Vera Bradley; the prints are iconic to the brand with a cute bit of whimsy.  You'll find handbags, clothing, and home goods.    

When you finish at these two shops, head across Piccadilly to the Burlington Arcade.  Arcades are a lovely throwback to Victorian times, and this was one of the first.  It is monitored by guards named a Beadles.  The arcade shops are more for window shopping than buying as you will quickly find, but it's a quick walk through British history.

After the arcade, make your way over to Regent Street and start walking.  You'll see many familiar brands on your walk: Gap, UNIQLO, H&M, SuperDry, and Apple.  One tourist mecca you will undoubtedly see is Hamley's Toy store.  I do not actually enjoy going into the store at all since it's an absolute assault to your senses, and they don't have anything you can't find online or your local shop for cheaper anyway.  Remember, the exchange rate is not in your favor.  Walk down one more block and turn right on Great Marlborough Street to Liberty.  What to buy (if you go in): Playmobil Royal Guard  

Liberty of London is great from top to bottom, and it's one of my favorites in the whole city.  The building was built in 1924 in a mock-Tudor style.  Many of the timbers used in its construction came from former sea ships.  It is a listed historical building, and man is she a beauty.  You must explore each floor from an architectural and retail perspective.  Liberty is known for its iconic in-house created prints for scarves, fabric, housewares, and clothing.  Be sure to find the Eastern Objects area that's full of one of a kind items the buyer hand picked on trips to Asia & Africa.  What to buy: Liberty print items (I covet a Liberty scarf, but it's too rich for my budget) or papers from the stationary room. 

Liberty's location puts you at a crossroads for additional shopping.  You can head out back of the shop and explore the shops of Carnaby Street or continue down Regent Street to Oxford Street.  Both have national-known brands along with fun eclectic shops.  Be wary of the souvenir shops - don't say I didn't warn you.

Have you visited either of these shops?  Do you think I should highlight any other iconic London shops?      

Every day can be a Perfect Day in London as long as you are prepared.  Always have a collapsible umbrella in your bag.  The shade-filled streets, museums, and parks can be significantly cooler than the sunny sidewalks.

Holborn - Perfect Day in London

I know you'll love today's Perfect Day in London.  It is another free day in this great city I call home. 

This perfect day starts at Holborn Station, which is on the Piccadilly & Central Lines.  The Holborn area of the city is one that I know very well.  Before we moved to London, this was usually our homebase when we visited because one of Matt's offices is not far from the station.  The apartment we lived in for a few weeks upon moving to London is just down the street as well.  Aside from that, it's just a cool area with a ton of history.    

Walk out the front of Holborn Station and turn left to follow Kingsway. Turn left a few blocks down onto Remnant Street.

You'll follow this until you come to a park called Lincoln's Inn Fields.  If the weather permits take some time to appreciate that this is the largest public square in London.  You'll see people exercising, playing tennis, or relaxing on the benches.  If you are lucky you might get to see some performers practice juggling bowling pins and cracking a whip.  You just never know what you'll see in London.  Also be sure to admire the houses that line the square.  

The next stop on this Perfect Day in London is in one of those houses back on Remant Street/Lincoln's Inn Field at the Sir John Soane Museum.  This free museum is Soane's former home and it is filled to the brim with more antiquities that you ever thought could be in a home.  The curators are quite passionate about the museum and tend to follow you around just to be sure you don't touch anything.  They don't bother you, per se, but there's certainly a sense of someone always watching.  Despite that, completely worth a visit.  If you visit soon, you can also book a tour of Soane's private apartments.    

When you leave the Soane manor, walk directly across the green space to the Royal College of Surgeons where you will find the Huntarian Museum (click link for my blog post).  The museum's namesake worked hard to collect medical specimens for study and preservation.  Don't be put off by the subject because this specimens in the museum are presented quite tastefully.  The building below does not quite look like a museum, but the nice people at the front desk will point you in the right direction.    

After seeing all of the body parts in jars, I bet you are starving for lunch.  You are in luck as there are many, many choices for lunch near Holborn Station.  Back on Kingsway across the street from Holborn Station is Wagamama Noodle Bar.  This restaurant is a chain, but they consistently make great food.  You'll sit at communal-style tables while you eat your ramen or curry.  If noodles aren't on your palate for today Kingsway has several grab & go/quick service places instead (EAT, Wasabi, Pret a Manger).  

If you are not yet hungry take the half-mile walk to Covent Garden.  This area of town has a lot of restaurants in the piazza and surrounding streets.      

After lunch take some time to explore Covent Garden.  The buskers begging for money are quite varied from the floating Yoda to a live magic show.  The streets surrounding the Piazza are fun to window shop, too.

As of May 2015, Covent Garden Underground station is exit only.  If the tube is your mode of transport today, you will need to find your way to another station.  Leicester Square, Tottenham Court Road, and Holborn stations are not far from Covent Garden.  

I hope you like this Perfect Day in London!  Let me know if you've visited any or all of these sites, I'd like to know what you thought.

Every day can be a Perfect Day in London as long as you are prepared.  Always have a collapsible umbrella in your bag.  No matter the weather, dress in layers.  The shade-filled streets, museums, and parks can be significantly cooler than the sunny sidewalks. 

Walking in Whitehall - A Perfect Day in London

Our first Perfect Day in London starts at Westminster Underground Station.  Revel at the views of Parliament, Big Ben, the London Eye, Westminster Bridge & the River Thames when you return to street level.  It's pretty fantastic that so many iconic London structures are within a 360° view.  If it happens to be near the top of the hour, do hang out to hear Big Ben serenade you.  Westminster Abbey* is just a short stroll toward the traffic signal along the Parliament fence.

Turn right at this intersection (Westminster Abbey will now be behind you) to begin walking up Whitehall.

The first thing you notice along Whitehall is that the buildings are stately pieces of architecture.  In just a few blocks you will walk by 10 Downing Street; this is the Prime Minister's residence.  Do not be alarmed by the presence of police with automatic weapons patrolling the sidewalk, they are just protecting the leader of The United Kingdom.  While you are near the nice policemen, turn around and face Whitehall for a dandy view of the London Eye. Go on, take a photo. 

Keep moving down Whitehall until you happen upon some handsome horses guarding the entrance to Horse Guards Parade. Walk between the guarding sentries through to the open space beyond the arches. This pad of land is used for state functions, such as the recent welcoming of the President of Mexico and his wife to London.  The Queen and all of her horses and men dusted off the royal carriages to put on quite the fanfare.  This space is also where the athletes played beach volleyball during the 2012 Olympics.  (Side note, the President of Mexico and his wife are gorgeous.) 

If you are at Horse Guards around 11:00 during the week you should stick around for a changing of the guard; it's not as flashy as the one at Buckingham Palace.  In my opinion, it was a lot of the horses just standing in formation, and I think the two guys in the middle were talking about football to pass the time.  Like I said, if you are already there.....  

 

Now you have a three choices for what to see next, and it should all be based on when you get hungry. 

1.  If you know you'll be hungry soon, tour the Household Calvary Museum (£7/$10.50) that is right by the arches you walked through.  With the abridged version of the audio guide, 30-45 minutes is all you need.  You will learn a little history of the calvary and maybe even see a few horses through the glass partition.  If you are a lover of useless facts, look for the display that explains the origin of The Riot Act.  

2.  If horses aren't your thing, walk across the street to Banqueting House (£6.60/$10 - slightly cheaper if you buy online).  The thing to see here is the gigantic ceiling painting by Peter Paul Rubens. It's quite impressive when you learn the ceiling is the only painting of its kind in it's original installation space - the fancy art term for this is in-situ.  Banqueting House provides comfy beanbags to use when staring at the ceiling and listening to the audio guide. It provides a great history of the building and the famous beheading that happened outside. 

3.  If you've packed a granola bar in your bag or ate a hearty breakfast, you can wait a little longer for lunch.  Backtrack a few blocks down Whitehall to the Churchill War Rooms (£18/$27 - yes a bit steep but completely worth every pence/penny).  Winston Churchill directed the war from the very rooms you'll tour. Fair warning that some of the mannequins are lifelike and sometimes cause a little jump when rounding the corner.  

You've got to be hungry by now.  One of my favorite lunch spots is up at the top of Whitehall where it runs into Trafalgar Square.  

Take a few minutes before (or after) lunch to admire more amazing London landmarks in this square. Check out the fountains, the lions & Lord Nelson way up on the column, the National Gallery, and the long view of Big Ben.  Trafalgar has four plinths (aka platforms) for statues and art, and the Fourth Plinth is a rotating art installation. They've just removed the blue cockerel and replaced it with a horse skeleton sculpture. If you visit in 2016  a hand with a long skinny thumbs up is said to replace the horse.  As with most tourist spots in London, a group of buskers (usually magically floating characters) shall beg for your coins as you walk through.  

Back to food....

Face the National Gallery and look to the right. St Martin-in-the-Fields church is across the street.  Walk over there and find the glass-dome entrance to the left of the main building. That's where you are eating today. Yes, in the crypt.  Trust me on this one. 

The Café in the Crypt at St. Martin-in-the-Fields puts on an amazing spread each day. From 11:30am they serve several lunch options: salads, meat main dish, vegetarian main dish, and my favorite - soup. I particularly like the soup because they frequently have a deal for soup & fruit crumble for £6.95/$10.50. An absolute deal for lunch in the heart of London. 

One thing you'll notice as you settle into your subterranean table, the clientele is on the older side; at my age of thirty-something I'm totally skewing the age average.  The double bonus of this lunch spot?  The Crypt has clean bathrooms, which is a win-win for the day. 

Depending on where you toured before lunch you might be exhausted or ready for more!  The Crypt puts you in good proximity of many Underground stations if you need to call it a day: Charing Cross, Leicester Square, and a little further down Tottenham Court Road or Embankment. If you have more energy, you can walk back over to the National Gallery (free!) to see a few pieces of art or wander the streets of nearby Chinatown & Covent Garden for some good old people watching.

No matter what you decide it's a Perfect Day in London!

Every day can be a Perfect Day in London as long as you are prepared.  Always have a collapsible umbrella in your bag. No matter the weather, dress in layers.  The shade-filled streets and parks can be significantly cooler than the sunny sidewalks.  The museums tend to keep a cooler temperature as well.

*I recommend avoiding Westminster Abbey during any high tourist season. It's just my opinion, but the abbey is so jammed that you really can't experience its true beauty.

A Perfect Day in London - A New Series!

This spring the Manor is booked with many guests, and we could not be happier.  In preparation for our guests I've begun thinking about where I'd like to take them in the city.  That spurred a new idea for a new series on the blog - A Perfect Day in London.  

In the next few months I'll share some day touring plans that you can use straight away.  Some of the places you'll recognize, and some will be completely new to you.  If I know a good spot to grab a snack or meal along the way I will certainly share those, too.  

Be assured that the I'm cognizant of admission prices since costs can add up fast.  Some of my best days out are the ones that only cost a ride on the Underground and a latte along the way.  If you like what you read when the first one launches next Tuesday let me know, and I will share more Perfect Days in London.  

Every day can be a Perfect Day in London as long as you are prepared.  Always have a collapsible umbrella in your bag. No matter the weather, dress in layers.  The shade-filled streets and parks can be significantly cooler than the sunny sidewalks.