London - There is Never Enough Time! (Part 1)
When we first came to London four years ago (sans Alya), we were like wide-eyed kids in a candy shop. I wanted to do a million things on my list - yes actual hand-written list. I drew maps of the city indicating spots to visit. I plotted and charted. I devised the most optimized path to do everything, timed to the tenth of an hour. I knew were we would eat…where we must eat! And of course…as always with best laid plans, we ended up being able to do maybe 25% of what we wanted. But it felt so full, filling, and so very very alive.
Because, folks…London is a place like no other I have ever been! There is never ever ever enough time to do all that you want to do. I left London last time thinking - We need to come back, soon, for AT LEAST another week! I left this time thinking - We need to come back, soon, for AT LEAST another month!
First Day..
So, you ask, what did you manage to do with your one week this time? Well, let me start at the beginning! We landed in London on a lovely day, and made our way to our (tiny) flat in Notting Hill. We were huuuungry. And if you’ve met us personally, you know that being hungry does not make us better people. So, we promptly began exploring the Notting Hill food scene and walking off the jet lag. We made pit stops in Ottolenghi (where we went at least 4 more times and of which I still dream) and L’ETO (a chain in London which turns out to serve Russian/Ukranian food and desserts, as well as tres leches…) , and had a proper dinner at Granger & Co. (healthy and delish). We also found a really cool playground at Powis Square, which I highly recommend if you are with kids!
Second day…
On the second day, aka the day we pretend we slept at night, we had more of a plan! We started with a walk through Notting Hill, and a lovely on-the-go breakfast from Ottolenghi and a cute no-nonsense coffee shop next door. Winding our way to where all the Hop On Hop Off Bus operators haggle for your business, we proceeded to pick one (don’t ask how) and promptly got stuck in several hours of standstill traffic crawling through some truly beautiful places in the city. What good is a bus, Mr. Anderson, if it can’t move forward? Tip: Buses are not immune from crazy traffic in tourist zones.
Now, lest you think we were at our leisure - we were not. We had a date, and a time slot for entry, to Kensington Palace, with two beautiful ladies that came a long way to join us for our London adventure! Alina and Aria were patiently waiting (or maybe sleeping in) as we tried to make it to the “Crown to Couture” exhibition that the girls were excited to visit. Spoiler: We did make it! The outfits we saw were beautiful and unique, and Alya (who wants to be a fashion designer) was inspired by all the creativity.
But it was HOT…very very hot..inside the palace, as air conditioning is not a thing the UK used to need. We walked quickly, and ended up relaxing afterwards at a super cool playground dedicated to Princess Diana - complete with a sunken ship, water works and all the sand you could ever want to get into every crevice of your clothing. We topped off the evening by eating (separately) as I got to explore a bit of nightlife with Judith, a friend from work (queue delicious food!)
Tip: Plan for a visit early in the day or suffer in heat thereafter.
Third day..
On the third day of London, we went to one of our favorite places yet - the Hampton Court Palace. It is on the Thames, but a 40 min drive outside of the city center. And it is simply heaven for kids and their parents alike. It was started by Cardinal Woolsey in early 1500’s, and then given by him to Henry the VIII (remember all those wives?!) as an “oops, you don’t like me anymore but please don’t behead me” gift. Henry the VIII loved the palace, improved it greatly and yes…christened it with many a wife, from the first to the 6th. It was also a favorite palace of several other famous royals, including William and Mary.
But, I digress. There are many reasons this place is amazing, but here are just a few: It is very big, wonderfully preserved and green all around (at least 4 different types of gardens). It comes with an audio tour specifically for kids - and the girls LOVED it and listened to every (and I mean every) single bit! Best of all - you can touch things! As in - you can play in the kitchen, sit at the tables, and even gamble in the queen’s card room.
And just when you thought that was enough - it also comes with beautiful gardens, a real life green maze to get lost in (bushes higher than Misha’s head…and yes we did get lost) and a giant magical themed playground with mini castles and dragons. Oh, and did I mention the delicious healthy lunch options? We spent the whole day wondering around there and LOVED it.
Tip: A car hire like Uber is way more convenient than train or boat. Plan to come early - way better with less people. Don’t bring pre-bought lunch - the food was yummy and plentiful. It worked really well to see half the palace before lunch/gardens and then the rest after lunch. Plan for a full day :)
Stay tuned for Part 2!