Monday in London, with sore feet

[fenchurch]

The hotel shuttle to the station wasn't ready when we got down to the lobby this morning, so we walked over to Brent Cross Shopping Centre, bought some breakfast and hit the ATM... then caught the bus to the station from there. Down to Tottenham Court Road Station and a short walk over to the British Museum, where we stayed from about half an hour after they opened until they closed. What a day! I swear, it feels like my feet are about to fall off, and I managed to acquire a few blisters for the first time since we got here (I'm actually a little surprised it's taken this long). We're nowhere near close to having seen everything we wanted to see, but I think we're about done with London sightseeing... I just don't know how much more we'd be able to handle without a bit of a break.

The British Museum, btw, is incredible. Way, way, WAY too much too see... but we made a valiant attempt at it. The first thing we saw was the very thing I'd most wanted to see... along with, apparently, everyone else: the Rosetta Stone. I snapped a few shots of it through the crowd, but I'm not sure how they turned out. The Egyptian Exhibit absolutely blew me away. I love that so many of the displays are just out in the open... people were even doing rubbings of the engravings on some of the stones. It was so neat being able to see that stuff without the glare of glass in front of it!

Right now, they've got a special display on the history of money that was pretty cool... We happened to be there during one of the times they had a coin expert on hand, so we were able to hear some interesting stories about a few of the coins they had on display, and even got to handle a few. I'm beginning to think I need to find a good book or two on British history, because it's turning out there are a whole lot of things I never knew. For some reason, I had no clue there'd been a civil war here... or maybe I knew some of the particulars but had simply never put them together before. Anyway, we got to hold a piece of siege money... square metal coins that were minted when the king didn't have access to the standard mints. It's all just so neat!

We had lunch at the Gallery Cafe (which is in the Museum, but a bit out of the way). Good food (I had the Irish Stew) and good prices... plus we got to eat lunch sitting next to a plaster casting from the Parthenon. Then it was off to do more exploring... The reading room is incredible, and I snapped a few photos before rackham pointed out the sign saying no photography. Oops. But in my defense, it's in small print on another sign located quite a ways from the door -- I actually have to wonder if they meant no photos of the room, or just no photos of the books once you go into the library area... since no one said anything to me, or any of the other people standing around with cameras. I think, in the end, we saw about half the museum, though we did do a quick glance through some of the sections we were missing. Ah well, more to do next time!

After that we hopped the underground out to Knightsbridge and dropped by Harrod's (since I believe there's some sort of law stating you can't visit London for the first time without going there). We wandered around a bit, enjoying the really expensive sights and the Christmas displays... I drooled over the Doctor Who toys (but decided they were things I could probably pick up online from home for cheaper) and we ended up having dinner at the Sea Bar (I got the Dover Sole, since I remembered Alton Brown raving about the stuff and saying how hard it was to find in the US) and then headed up to the Chocolate Bar for the most incredible hot fudge sundae (with dark, milk and white chocolate ice cream). And then back to the hotel for the night with our incredibly sore feet.

Tomorrow the plan is to leave early and get to Hampton Court when it opens so we'll hopefully have enough time to see most of it before we need to head out to Heathrow to pick up the rental car (and getting that back to the hotel should be interesting). Also at some point tomorrow, we're definitely going to make it to the London Eye... it's the one thing we've got left that we absolutely HAVE to do.

Comments

[gillo]

Yes, there's a lot to see in the BM. Isn't the Great Court a wonderful space, though?

You didn't know we had a Civil War? *gulps* Try picking up either Simon Schama's 3-book history, or DVDs of his TV series (BBC) which is actually pretty good, though I don't always agree with the relative weighting he gives things. A bit of it was filmed in Kenilworth Castle, too. (Which was blown up on the Civil War because the Roundhead side din't want anything that was militarily defensible left around.)

Tomorrow the plan is to leave early and get to Hampton Court when it opens so we'll hopefully have enough time to see most of it before we need to head out to Heathrow to pick up the rental car (and getting that back to the hotel should be interesting).

I love Hampton Court Palace - we lived only five miles away when my children were little. Make sure you allow time to wander around in the gardens and see the Real Tennis Court - not as opposed to an imitation tennis court, but the original, indoor, game as played in the Renaissance.

It's not as easy as it looks to get to Heathrow from there - London routes radiate from the centre, and Heathrow is, in effect, two "spokes" up. Allow plenty of time by public transport - you could get a bus to Feltham to get onto the rail network (I forget - it's either the 85 or the 285 - it's been a while...)

Driving back to Brent Cross from Heathrow - at all costs avoid the North Circular! Hanger Lane Gyratory makes me blench, and I learnt to drive in Outer London! To be honest, unless you have a pressing time commitment, I'd consider going the long way round - join the M25 clockwise (northbound at that point) and go right round to the M1 junction and then go south to Brent Cross. That way you're on roads which force you to stay on the correct side all the way. And whatever you do, don't try driving in and around Outer London anytime between 5.30 and 7.00. Plan to eat at Heathrow before setting out, perhaps. London traffic is not as terrifying as Rome's, but the rush-hou is just plain nasty, and not a good experience for a beginner.

Logistically you might actually find it easier to go out to Heathrow first, pick up the car and then drive to Hampton Court Palace. Again, the long way round is the gentlest start - take the M25 anti-clockwise (southbound) till the M3 junction, then drive inwards along that to Sunbury, where you can join the A308(signposted "Kingston") and drive along through Hampton proper to get to the Palace. The bit alongside the river is very pretty. It's expensive to park at the Palace itself, but if you follow the road round to the left in front of the Palace, as if going to Kingston, Bushy Park is on your left - other side of the road from the Palace. There's free car parking there, and only a brief, pleasant walk across the park to get to the Lion Gate entrance into the Palace.

Have fun, whatever you decide to do - and good luck with the driving.

[rackham.livejournal.com]

We're supposed to pick up the car mid-day. Looking over your suggestions I think we'll revise our plans a bit and tube to downtown and visit the Eye in the morning, then ride out to Heathrow, pick up the car, spend the afternoon at Hampton Court, find dinner and then wander back to our Hotel after 7. Saves us having to figure out whether or not our Oyster Cards cover the whole trip out to the Palace too :-)

[gillo]

Hi, rackham - that makes a lot more sense to me. You might want to look online at the Eye - you can prebook tickets, which can save you a sometimes long wait.

Good luck! There are some nice restaurants near the Palace, or you could go through Kingston to Richmond Park and through there to Richmond, which has a lot of really nice places to eat, many not too expensive. Just stay off the roads at peak times. Even brave men have been known to quail!

[spikesleman.livejournal.com]

One of the goals of my life is to spend a week at the British Museum.

*sigh*

[gillo]

A week? Nowhere near long enough!

*g*

(And they took out some of my favourite bits when they built the British Library and put all the manuscripts and early printed books there..)

[spikesleman.livejournal.com]

*sigh* Yeah, probably not nearly enough time. Hmmm. As I'm unlikely ever to get there, I might as well be hanged for a month as a week, yes? So, new goal. A month at the British Museum.

[gillo]

Yes, a month might work. You'd have to stay somewhere comfortable if you were there that long, though. Let's say the Savoy, shall we? (Slightly more convenient than the Ritz...)

[kantayra.livejournal.com]

*sigh* The British Museum is the Greatest. Thing. EVAH! I spent a week there, and...yeah. AMAZING! *egyptnerds about you LJ and draws little hieroglyphic hearts* :P

[wildrider.livejournal.com]

geeky Dr. Who moment: There's supposed to be a statue of Rose Tyler from the Roman era in the basement of the British Museum... *g* (Yes, I've been reduced to reading them as well as watching. It's a sickness.)

I'm so totally jealous. I think the museum is one of the things I want to see the MOST if and when we ever get to England!