image courtesy of vecteezy.com
We left the lush English countryside for the big city, where we traded undulating lanes for Underground lines. And big red buses. And Big Ben. And the danger of not looking both ways (twice) before crossing the road! Yes, we were in London. One of our favorite cities on Earth.
Three weeks of travel in the UK started with an enjoyable ride on the Eurostar from Paris to London through “The Chunnel”.
Maybe because we lived here for five years in the late 80s, it felt like “coming home” when we stepped off the train. We only had three days to get our London fix, so we hit the ground running. But first, let me share the details of our unique Airbnb find. As anyone who has searched for reasonably priced accommodation in London knows, it is a costly city. We looked all over Airbnb.com and hotel sites and almost gave up staying anywhere near the center of this metropolis.
But thankfully, after one last-ditch effort, a studio apartment with a small kitchen popped up. It was in a very central location that looked clean and recently renovated. While $190 per night was steep for our budget, all things considered, it was a steal. The listing was located near Victoria Station, which was also great because we were flying out of Gatwick, and there was an express train to the airport from there.
Our Airbnb address in London. It was a delightful apartment hidden inside a neglected building.
Our taxi pulled up to the entrance of a dreary apartment block that matched our Airbnb address. The buildings had definitely seen better days, and once we found the lockbox and got inside, the stairwell was also in need of attention. There wasn’t an elevator (but we knew that) so we huffed and puffed up four flights with our bags.
We’ve been in this situation before. A beautiful Airbnb exists inside a building we might not choose to enter (and we’ve seen much worse than this one) but we keep the faith! Often, the owner of the flat cannot control the exterior or the public spaces of a building - but they can transform their living space into something wonderful. If you find yourself in this situation be brave; the lovely (and undoubtedly affordable) Airbnb you booked is inside there somewhere.
In this case, our hosts did something clever. They bought the flats on a single floor and refigured the entire space into three chic studio Airbnbs with a very nice communal kitchen and small dining space. Each unit has its own kitchenette and cozy outdoor space.
The communal spaces
And the location turned out to be even better than we thought. It was a very walkable area close to Sloane Square and Belgravia, meaning plenty of white terraced homes, posh stores, and high-priced gastropubs in one direction. But turn toward the bus station, and you’ll find a fairly gritty area full of disheveled buildings, ethnic restaurants, and colorful characters. Either way, it was fun to head out in the mornings and enjoy this vibrant city's hustle and bustle.
On this trip, we were particularly looking forward to visiting The National Portrait Museum. It is one of my favorites. Many years ago, we lived in London when our kids were very young, and since both The National Portrait Gallery and The National Gallery, the more traditional art museum, are free to enter we would often stop in for short, kid-friendly visits.
The children enjoyed looking closely at the jewelry and clothing of the Kings and Queens (especially royal children) and imagining what it must have been like to get dressed in the morning! Tying all those bows, putting rings on every finger, layering all those necklaces, let alone wig management, must have taken a long time.
Our children loved to search the gallery for family portraits and then imagining what their lives must have been like.
I am drawn to portraits in any gallery, especially paintings. They are a slice of life - an artist’s impression of an exact moment in time that shows (perhaps with a bit of exaggeration) the fashions of the day, both in dress and decor. Whether the portrait is of a woman in an elaborate court dress, a placid Imam, a fierce Chieftan, a wealthy Dutch merchant, or an aristocratic family portrait complete with an array of family pets, I could spend hours gleaning details of their daily lives.
A few favorites and entrance to one of the many galleries.
Winston Churchill and Beatrix Potter - long lost relatives perhaps?
Artist in action: David Hockney painting Harry Styles in 2022. There is a current exhibition of Hockney’s work at the NPG.
And, of course, famous actors, authors, and politicians (picture a scowling Winston Churchhill) of any era make for engaging art. Often more abstract but still compelling. A pensive Lady Di was surrounded by tourists taking selfies. And Michael was so smitten with a simple portrait of Dame Judy Dench that it has become his favorite iPhone cover!
For the five years we spent in London between 1986 and 1991, Michael was the Managing Director of the London office of ProServ. This sports management company looked after professional tennis players and golfers and produced sports events in Europe. His office was just a short walk from Trafalgar Square, so we became familiar with the city.
Michael in front of his former Office building, which has been turned into luxury flats. It was a five minute walk to Trafalgar Square.
We have returned several times since then, but cities change - even archaic ones, so we decided to take a Free Walking Tour. Our favorite way to explore any city.
This is not a paid endorsement, I just want to show you the page so you recognize Sandeman’s Tours. Sandeman’s offers good tours all over the world that are easy to book. Remember, a “Free Walking Tour” is free - but your hard-working guide always deserves a generous tip at the end.
We took a Sandemans Tour, a well-run company that organizes walking tours worldwide. They always seem to have enthusiastic guides who know their history and tell good stories. Our tour began at Covent Garden, and for the next three hours, we wove our way through small lanes, leafy parks, and onto wide boulevards. It was gratifying to see that parts of London will never lose their charm - and also fun to see the new and exciting side of the city.
We walked to the gates of Buckingham Palace, heard stories about the Royal family we’d never heard before, and peeked at the buildings where several historic trysts took place! It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, but just as our walk ended in Westminster the rain clouds gathered. But London in the rain is also perfect.
Proof that it was a spectaular, sunny day in London. And proof that if you give your camera to a stranger you might not get the ”insta-worthy” shot you hoped for. As in eyes closed like the one on the left!
We decided to take a second free walking tour of an area we didn’t know much about. That one started near St. Pauls, where we learned about The Blitz during WWII. Then, we moved along the Thames to London Bridge and “The City," London’s financial heartbeat and its own entity - including a Mayor who is autonomous from the Mayor of London. Somewhat confusing, but interesting.
In the Financial District, known as “The City” it was gratifying to see new buildings striving to blend in with their neighbors.
Earlier that morning, we explored the Bloomsbury neighborhood, where most of London’s famous bookstores are scattered. One of our favorite books of all time (as well as the movie with Anthony Hopkins, Anne Bancroft and Judy Dench) is 84 Charing Cross Road. Michael took my picture in front of the shop in 1976, but it is no longer there.
However, there were plenty of other delightful antiquarian booksellers to be found, along with browse-worthy independent bookstores overflowing with current titles.
Michael couldn’t resist a small travelers guide to Europe written in 1930, and I bought a weird little guide to tropical fish that I may or may not cut up to use for collage art. We ended up walking seven miles that day!
After three days, it was time to step away from the pub and head home. We’d left Seattle in early January to spend three months in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. From there we headed to France for three months to enjoy Springtime in the village where our daughter and her family live. Finally, we enjoyed three weeks in the UK, concluding with this whirlwind visit to London. I’ve captured all of these travels in recent blogs.
Here’s a clue to our next adventure…unfortunately there are no guidebooks for Turkmenistan!
That brought us to the end of July and a return to Seattle to enjoy a glorious summer with family and friends. However, there was also a lot of travel planning needed to be ready for a mid-September departure. To where you ask? More on that when I share the story behind "We Have One More Adventure in Us 2.0."
Thanks for following along,
Debbie and Michael Campbell
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