A few summers ago, we took a trip to London, Paris and Amsterdam. It’s ambitious to do three major cities in two weeks, but we had been to two out of three of them before, so we decided to see what we could in that amount of time and go back whenever we could.
We arrived at Heathrow Airport at 7:30 a.m. and took a cab (oops, 70 pounds British sterling, don’t make that mistake!) to the Marylebone Hotel, where they so nicely accommodated our early arrival with a room where we could grab a few hours of sleep. We took the Tube over to Southwark, on the south bank of the Thames River, and walked across the bridge to the Globe Theater and vicinity, where we just walked and enjoyed the ambiance on a lovely summer day. We wandered over to the Tate Modern gallery and stayed over an hour, but really, we were just feeling the jet lag, punchy exhaustion at that point, so we headed back via St. Paul’s Cathedral to our hotel to rest up before the night’s adventure.
Around 7:30 p.m., we made our way to Hakkasan in Mayfair, a Michelin-rated Chinese restaurant. Our former foreign exchange student, Maikel (aka guy who looks like a Hugo Boss model), had made reservations for us to meet there. Both he and his girlfriend, Stefanie, being European and young, had no qualms about keeping us, jet-lagged and let’s just say not-so-young Americans, waiting until 9 p.m. for their arrival. While we waited, consoling ourselves with wine and appetizers, we had ample time to observe our surroundings. London cuisine, as people who have traveled for years will tell you, has undergone a huge transformation since I used to travel there regularly in the early 1980s. Gastronomically, it’s now equated with the major cities of the world, as is fitting for one of the globe’s top cities. Maikel and Stefanie arrived, and we had a truly luxurious, wonderful meal that lasted until midnight when I noticed the waiters subtly putting up chairs around us.
The next morning had us up for a leisurely breakfast until we met up with Maikel and Stefanie for a drive out to an afternoon’s visit to Hever Castle in Kent. I’m well-read on all things Anne Boleyn, so for me, this was something I’ve wanted to do for at least a few decades. Anne’s childhood home, Hever Castle was built in the 1400s. While much has been restored, some of the original structure remains, including the gate and interior, half-timbered walls. I was in 15th century heaven exploring the mazes, gardens, lake and, of course, the building itself. After driving back to the city, we had a wonderful al fresco dinner on the rooftop of a local restaurant.
Sunday morning, we met our young friends again at the Wolseley Hotel for a full English breakfast. I was about to burst into song: “Food, glorious food, hot sausage and mustard, while we’re in the mood, cold jelly and custard…” but I stopped myself in time, thereby preventing heaps of scorn, not to mention puzzlement from friends and patrons alike. It was glorious though – the sterling silver service, the grand art deco atmosphere and the food itself. Make this a must-do when you go. Afterward, we strolled over to Fortnam and Mason’s store for a bit of gawking before renting bikes in one of the many outside stalls. We rode through London to Regent’s Park, where we headed to the highest point in London for a short rest. I wouldn’t have attempted this, nor would we have known where we were, had it not been for Maikel, who led the way.
Unlikely as this would seem, late in the day we took a train out to Hampton Court Palace, where we had a bit over two hours before closing. The palace was built by Cardinal Wolsey for himself but taken over by Henry VIII when Henry deemed it grander than any of his existing residences. It really didn’t do to anger Henry, as anyone, particularly his wives, knew. There’s a lot more to its history that you can discover for yourself.
We returned to the Marylebone, found a restaurant in the district, and had a nice dinner for two. Wandering around that evening, we struck up a conversation with a Turkish fellow who owned a small establishment and offered us Ouzo and a cigar (well, he didn’t offer me a cigar, just Bill). Another full day and another adventure lay ahead. Stay tuned.
