A very popular dialog in our house is from Andaz Apna Apna, a wistful Paresh Rawal saying “Mujhe London nahi dekhna kya?” – loosely translated as “Wouldn’t I like to see London too!” – used to great effect when laughing at our own FOMO! Even more funny because we’ve lived in France for 3 years, have traveled across half the world – and I’ve never made it to London! I know, unbelievable, right?!! Pretty obvious that visiting London has been pretty high on my bucket list – add Manasi really, really wanting to go to Paris to try out her French – and there it is, the perfect end-of-summer vacation!!
Ajey was able to get us a pretty good flight deal for us – Chicago to Paris. To get from Paris to London – the unanimlous vote was for the Eurostar train – I mean, how cool is that? A train that runs in a tunnel under the English Channel!! We had to work out the logistics on that one – thankfully, the public transport in Europe is so awesome that it’s fun to plan all these details! Straight from CDG airport in Paris to Gare Du Nord on the RER B – customs and immigration at the train station, which was a first – and we were soon on the platform, ready to board our Eurostar, non-stop service to St. Pancras, London!! Truth be told, by the time we were settled in our seats, the adrenaline of getting on the train wore off quickly, and what with the jet lag and the rocking, lulling motion of the train, we really only saw bits and pieces of the countryside flashing by.
And here we are – LONDON, baby!! We made our way to our hotel, and quickly set out to explore! Of course, with only 3 days (2 and a half, actually!) – this was going to more of a ‘London Highlights’ than anything else! I’ve always wondered about the ‘7 day – 8 country’ Europe tours, is it really possible to ‘do’ a city, let alone an entire country without actually living there for a longish period of time – well, let’s find out!! So here’s my guide to ‘do’ London in 3 days – full disclosure, we’re in total tourist mode here, trying to cram in as much as we can – sleep, who needs sleep??!!! We did criss-cross across London – back an forth across the Thames, from one tube station to another – I have included our actual itinerary at the end of the post.
Buckingham Palace – What’s a visit to London without seeing the Queen’s Palace – sorry, King’s Palace now! In the summer, Buckingham Palace offers a tour of the State Rooms – but wait a minute, not as easy as walking up and buying a ticket! Tickets need to be bought online in advance – Buckingham Palace tickets – you can select a date and time, and then voila, you show up at the time on your ticket! I wasn’t sure if there would be still a line to get in, so we made it there quite early – time for photos outside the imposing gates! It was all very well-organized, with an audio-guide included for the well-planned out tour. In addition to the 19 State Rooms – we were also able to see a special Coronation display, which included the carriage the King and Queen rode to their Coronation, as well as the outfits and robes they wore! As expected, the State Rooms were sumptuous – with intricate murals, a stunning art collection and lavish furniture – they are meant to impress, and impress they did! I wish they had allowed photos inside, though!! Across from the main gate the massive Victoria Memorial stands at the start of the Mall, surrounded by gorgeous gardens in full bloom!
Changing the Guard ceremony – The inscrutable Buckingham Palace guards with their red tunics and tall bearskin hats are iconic – and Changing the Guard ceremony is a must-see on the London tourist circuit! In an uncharacteristically efficient move for me – I had our Palace tour scheduled for 9:45am, which gave us just enough time to make our way back to the gates for the 11:30 ceremony. The walkways were completely packed, as was the Victoria Memorial – thousands of people trying to get a glimpse of the military band playing in the courtyard. Much to my surprise they were playing a lot of popular songs! The ceremony itself was a fun bit of pageantry – the guards marching out behind the band, and then a detachment of mounted guards riding in – whole thing lasted about half hour! Once the crowd dispersed, we made our way down the Mall towards St. James Park, which is the start of the Princess Diane Memorial Walk – I wish I had read about that earlier, would have definitely worked that into our agenda!
Big Ben – Next on the list of iconic London tourist stops is the famous Big Ben! Technically speaking, it’s the bell that’s actually Big Ben, while the tower is Elizabeth Tower – which is part of Westminster Palace – which is now the home of the British Parliament. Across the Parliament Square is Westminster Abbey – the place for several royal coronations and weddings! Parliament Square is dotted with statues of several British Prime Ministers and world leaders including Lincoln, Mandela, and Mahatma Gandhi – but it is not just another tourist location – it is also a well-known spot for protests and demonstrations. Much to our delight, there are a couple of red phone booths right next to Parliament Square – which was the perfect photo-op with 2 of London’s icons in the same frame! The view from across the river, from the other side of Westminster Bridge is just as gorgeous!!
The City – What’s the image that comes to your mind when I say London Bridge? Yeah, that iconic bridge you visualized is actually the Tower Bridge – the real London Bridge is pretty nondescript, to be honest! Right outside the Tower Hill tube station is a section of an original Roman wall and a statue of Julius Caesar – and a view of the Tower of London, a landmark castle in the heart of London! The oldest building here, the White Tower, dates back to the 12th century and the reign of William of the Conqueror. Notorious as a prison for political prisoners, the Tower of London is now famous for housing the Crown Jewels – my planning didn’t extend to buying advance tickets for the Tower, so we had to be content with just an outside view. From the Tower Hill, a short walk along the riverfront takes you to the 19th century Tower Bridge – definitely take a walk on the bridge, and if you’re really interested, there is even a tour available of the tower on the bridge!
We did make it to London Bridge as well – to take in the Monument to the London Fire – it’s easy to miss, tucked away in a corner behind the Monument tube station. This part of our tour was strictly pictures only, however, if you’re willing to wait in line, the view from the top is said to be awesome! Designed by Christopher Wren, the Monument (allegedly) marks the spot where the Great Fire of London broke out in 1666. Also in the ‘Square Mile’ of the City, and also designed by Christopher Wren is the iconic St. Paul’s Cathedral – the instantly recognizable great dome dominating the horizon! Again, time for pictures only – the famous Whispering Gallery will have to wait for another day! From history to pop culture – walk down from St. Paul’s to the riverfront to walk across the Millennium bridge – infamously destroyed by Death Eaters in the opening scenes of Half-Blood Prince!
West End – This is truly the beating heart of London! Walk straight from Buckingham Palace down the Mall, and you’ll reach Trafalgar Square – commemorating the victory of Lord Horatio Nelson’s Nay against Napoleon in the Battle of Trafalgar. One side of the square is the imposing National Mall, and in the center of the square is the Nelson monument, flanked by – here’s the word again – iconic bronze lions! These lions are really huge – an although there are no steps, Manasi managed to haul herself up to take a picture with one of the lions. Interesting fact – all the movies featuring London that I’ve seen always have a shot of hundreds of pigeons in Trafalgar Square – think Amrish Puri in the opening scenes of DDLJ – but it is actually illegal to feed pigeons here – there’s even a hawk that flies around the Square morning and evening to discourage the pigeons!
Around the corner is Leicester Square – National Portrait Gallery, theaters, cozy bookshops and cafes! This is the London to browse around on a rainy day! We were really hoping to get tickets for a show – there are several booths that offer last-minute tickets at discounted prices – but didn’t work out with the limited time we had. We did enjoy our walk through Chinatown – so many restaurants, dumplings and noodles and acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine – and all the red lanterns took us straight back to China! To round off the West End experience – Piccadilly Circus – this is totally the London that I had imagined! 5 wide boulevards meet at the Shaftesbury Memorial – a fountain with a statue of Anteros. Like NY’s Times Square, Piccadilly Square boasts of large electronic boards, and is a lively place with several busy restaurants, food carts and street performers!
Southwark – After the Square Mile, Southwark is the oldest settlement in London – and is also known as the Borough. Right outside the Southwark tube station is the beautiful Southwark Cathedral – and a short walk away is the gleaming, pyramid-shaped ‘Shard’, holding a place of pride as the tallest building in London! We visited a couple of markets here – the Borough market first, which was absolutely delightful. Fresh bakery products, great big wheels of cheese, all kinds of meats and fish, and heaps of fruits and veggies. One juice stall in particular, had literally mountains of strawberries, sold in a cup drizzled with chocolate – yum! There is also a food court – literally a courtyard with food carts – and to our delight, couple of Indian stalls as well! The 2nd market we went to was Leadenhall market – this was actually closer to London Bridge – no food stalls, but high-end pubs, cheerfully full even on a Tuesday afternoon!
Of most interest to me in Southwark is a theater – actually a reconstruction of a famous theater which was home to a famous playwright – I am, of course, talking about Shakespeare’s Globe theater, right on the banks of the Thames! A hop, skip and jump away is the site of the original Globe, which burned down years ago – there is not much to mark the spot – it is literally in the middle of an apartment complex, with a sign and the word ‘ Globe’ spelt out in pavement stones. The new Globe is said to be an accurate reconstruction, though, so stop for a drink in the Swan Pub, and imagine yourself back in Elizabethan England, waiting for the Bard’s latest masterpiece to premiere next door! The patio of the Swan also offers a great view of the Millennium Bridge and St. Paul’s – drink in the view along with a glass of Prosecco!
London Eye & British Museum – That seems to be an odd combination, right? Well, there’s a method to my madness, as always – this is the category of London attractions I least enjoyed. London Eye – so not worth it! It literally is an overpriced, giant Ferris Wheel – and the only views you have are of Westminster Palace and the Financial District – and if you squint really hard, Buckingham Palace far in the corner there. Definitely not the glorious London views that are promised! Still, it’s one of the prime touristy things to do – so got it off my checklist. The British Museum is free – but it’s hard to admire all those artifacts and priceless antiques on display – I honestly feel this is a monument to British imperial and colonial history – an uncomfortable topic which I’m not going to discuss here. Let’s just say that the British Museum wasn’t ‘my cup of tea’!
The Harry Potter vibe – Well, this starts right at Kings Cross station – with Platform 9 3/4 complete with a trolley half embedded in the wall, and a helpful attendant standing by with a Gryffindor scarf to complete the look for a photo. We were there twice, and each time the line was horrendously long, so I had to satisfy myself with a photo of this total stranger! There are of course, Harry Potter walking tours that you can join – but that would be an all-day activity by itself – so we did our own version! Millennium Bridge, of course! And Shaftesbury Avenue, where Hermione, Harry and Ron apparate to after the wedding. Right off Leicester Square, there are several little alleys which were meant o be an inspiration for Diagon Alley and even Hogsmeade. The most charming one we thought was Cecil Court – with the clouds and rains, it was easy to imagine ourselves in a Harry Potter world!
Eating out in London – What’s the most British food you can think of? Fish and Chips, hands down!! We got this in several pubs – and while I’m not a huge fan of fish, the chips were great! The mushy peas were a surprise – tasted almost like the filling for our kachoris! Next on our culinary must-try list was the full English breakfast – most places had a veggie option, skipping the bacon and sausages – but with the fried eggs, fried tomatoes, baked beans and hash browns! Quite the power meal – enough to get you through the day, in perfect time for a curry at an Indian restaurant. We actually had mixed luck with the Indian food – from the really bad in the Theatre District to the surprisingly good in a Wetherspoons to an amazing thali in Kensington! We couldn’t resist stopping by the Saravana Bhavan in Leicester Square, where Manasi practiced the fine art of ‘pulling’ Chennai filter coffee!! Of course, spicy noodles at Kung Fu noodle in Chinatown – which Ajey proclaimed to be the finest noodles he has ever eaten!
Getting around – There’s a magic key which unlocks the vast public transport system in London – the Oyster Card! We travelled extensively on the London Underground, the ‘Tube’ as it is fondly called, the Overground and the famous red double-decker buses – all with a simple wave of the Oyster Card. One of the biggest criteria during our hotel search was proximity to a station – and this really proved to be the best decision ever! Once we were in the system, we could literally head anywhere in London! The best part of using the Oyster Card – there was a daily cap of 8 pounds per day – so travel all you want, all day for just 8 pounds. The cost of the card was 5 pounds – which works out to 30 pounds for 3 days of travel – can’t complain about this deal! Ajey had downloaded the train app on his phone, which made it very easy to figure out which train, where to make the connections – look for Citymapper in your App Store. Absolutely loved the ease of the system!! And hearing the ‘Mind the Gap’ – so quintessentially British – brought a smile to our face every single time we heard that recording!!
3 days in London passed in a flash! I was a little surprised at how much I loved London – such an energetic, fun vibe to the city! And even more than the monuments and tourist attractions – I loved just walking through the streets – perfect London days with a little bit of rain, a little chill in the air, alternating with blue skies and bright sunshine! And boy, did we walk! – averaging 25,000 steps, almost 9 miles every day – covered a lot of London for sure! What was my favorite part? – well, I’ve been saving the best for last! Quite simply, the best part of this trip, of any trip – is catching up with old friends!! Thanks to the K family for taking an hour long train ride to meet us for dinner on our last night in London. Their daughter, A, was in Manasi’s Kindergarten class in Chennai – and it was so much fun to see the girls reconnect after almost 12 years. H & S were close friends in Chennai – and we have so many memories together – celebrating birthdays and special occasions, including the memorable India victory in the 2011 ICC World Cup!! So happy we could catch up – 12 years dissolving into nothing!! Perfect ending to our time in London!!
To wrap up here’s a quick summary of our actual itinerary. We stayed at the Doubletree by Hilton in Chelsea.
Day 1 – St. Pancras – Kings Cross – Hotel – Chinatown – Trafalgar Square – Westminster Abbey – Parliament Square – Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower)
Day 2 – Buckingham Palace – Victoria Monument – Changing of Guard – St. James Park – Tower Hill – Tower Bridge – Leicester Square – London Eye – Westminster Bridge – Piccadilly Circus – Shaftesbury Avenue – Chinatown
Day 3 – Borough Market – Shard – Southwark Cathedral – St. Paul’s Cathedral – Millennium Bridge – Shakespeare’s Globe – London Bridge – Fire Monument – Leadenhall Market – British Museum – Dinner with K family
The adventure continues – watch this space for the next stop on our European vacation!!
A place called home... 
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