London's Smallest Museum

The Sir John Soane Museum is London's smallest museum and is centrally located in Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the Holborn area.
Sir John Soane was a distinguished architect, his most famous commission being the Bank of England building in Threadneedle Street. Soane actually designed 3 row houses in Lincoln's Inn Fields in the latter part of the 18th century and lived in one; it is now the museum.
The museum houses a surprisingly wide array of exhibits including 30,000 architectural drawings, 3 Canaletto's and the famous series of paintings by William Hogarth: 'A Rake's Progress'. This is an eight painting piece chronicling the slow but unstoppable downfall of Tom through a series of  poor life choices - a salutary tale.
The name Lincoln's Inn Fields perhaps does not evoke quite accurately what one will see there today. It's actually a formal square (the largest public square in London) with the centre being a good-sized rectangular park. I assume that originally the majority of structures that were built around the perimeter were houses, like Sir John Soane's. Today, however, many are used as professional offices, particularly law offices.
One nice feature is that Lincoln's Inn Fields is a very peaceful place, relatively speaking, and as such it's pleasant to stroll around, even though only one block to the west is the busy thoroughfare of Kingsway. I recommend taking the time to walk around the square. If you do, when you're at the south west corner, you'll run into Portsmouth Street. Walk down a few yards and you'll find 'The Olde Curiosity Shoppe', purported to be the inspiration for Charles Dickens' novel of the same name. Upon seeing it it's easy to see why.
To get to Lincoln's Inn Fields go to Holborn tube station on the Central line. Head south out of the station and stay on the east side of the street. After a few blocks you'll encounter Remnant Street; walk down it a short way and you'll be there.
FYI while in the neighborhood it's an easy, quick & interesting walk to Covent Garden. Go back to Remnant Street, cross over Kingsway, continue going west on Great Queen Street which morphs into Long Arce, then go south on Bow Street and you'll be right there. It'll take less than 10 minutes.
http://www.soane.org/

A Foot in the City - an urban trek

Okay, let's set out on an urban trek to check out several interesting things, some of which may not be on your London travel radar.
Our starting point is St. Paul's tube station (central line - straight shot from Lancaster Gate for those of you following a previous suggestion, only seven stops!).
Depending on whether you're interested in this sort of thing perhaps check out St. Paul's cathedral - obviously it's right there. St. Paul's is architect Christopher Wren's crowning achievement; Wren was commissioned to re-build the cathedral after the original burned down in the Great Fire of London in 1666. It has historically been used for royal weddings, including Princess Diana's. Unlike the vast majority of museums and galleries in London there is an admission fee. As a quick side point London actually has two cathedrals, St. Paul's in the City of London (a one square mile incorporated area) and Westminster Abbey technically in the City of Westminster to the immediate west. Westminster Abbey houses the royal coronations. If you're not super into checking out old cathedrals, but feel that you ought to do one, I'd say Westminster Abbey is definitely the better call. Lots of fascinating and quirky things of interest inside, tremendous 'flying butresses' outside, and in fact, in my opinion, it's a must.
So either you go into St. Paul's or you don't, but any which way make your way to the south side of the cathedral and you'll see a street leading right down to the River Thames, perhaps two or three blocks away.
Stroll down this street.On the left hand side is a quite impressive building that houses the world headquarters of the Salvation Army; inside is a simple restaurant on the ground floor that's open to the public that's actually a great place for healthy, very well-priced meals or snacks.
This street funnels you onto the stylish, pedestrian Millennium Bridge (pictured above) over the Thames. It's impressive being on the bridge because of the landmarks within clear view: the Tate Modern Gallery directly on the south side of the bridge, the Globe Theatre just to the east of the Tate and the iconic Tower Bridge also spanning the Thames perhaps one mile on the left.
The Tate Modern is super cool and is absolutely worth visiting disregardless of one's interest in modern art. The building is massive, it used to be a power station that fell into dis-use. The gallery houses a wide variety of art from the 20th and 21st centuries. It's an example of 'adaptive re-use' at its best.
Having marvelled at what passes for art in the Tate Modern (perhaps I'm being a bit harsh), walk along the pedestrian path on the south bank of the Thames to the Globe Theatre. Take the tour - it's great. The Globe was quite recently built to commemorate Shakespeare's original Globe Theatre (no longer standing) in the immediate vicinity, and is a stunningly faithful reproduction (in fact no metal was used in its construction and all the nails are wooden pegs, like in the original). It is, of course, an open air theatre with productions of Shakepeare's work in the summer. The tour takes perhaps one hour and offers much insight into Elizabethan life and theatre.
Continue walking on the river path towards Tower Bridge, and you'll get a great view of  The Tower of London on the north side of the Thames. Stay on the south bank and walk past Tower Bridge and you'll soon find yourself at Butler's Wharf. This whole area is also super cool. As the name suggests back in the day it housed many wharehouses along the river whose purpose was to store tea and other products bought back from the India and the Orient on the big clipper ships. The wharehouses also fell into dis-use for many years and the area essentially became an industrial wasteland. Over the past twenty years or so, however, the wharehouses have been converted into lofts, restaurants and bars. Today it covers a quite large area and it's fun to walk through it's streets, alleys and lanes that hug the banks of the Thames. At dusk it is easy to imagine one's back in the London of Charles Dickens or Jack the Ripper, in fact Dicken's villainous character Bill Sikes in Oliver Twist meets his end in a muddy tributary off the Thames in Butler's Wharf!
Let's keep going. Back to Tower Bridge and walk across it to the north bank. The bridge opens mid span to allow ships to go up or down river, and if you're fortunate you may actually see it open. Given the familiarity we all have of the image of Tower Bridge it's fun to walk across it - a real London experience and great memory.
The Tower of London is located right on the north side of the bridge. Although almost always crowded with tourists The Tower of London is an absolute must-see, and in my opinion if one were to visit only one attraction in London the Tower should be it. The Beefeaters (all former British military personnel who served with distinction) conduct the tours and are exceedingly informative and usually a hoot. Enjoy!

A Walk in the Park

One of London's most delightful things that doesn't get a lot of coverage in the visitor's guides is its many Royal Parks. Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Green Park and St. James Park are among them and these particular ancient parks are located in the very heart of the city; they are beautifully maintained, full of interesting things and very safe.
Hyde Park covers about 350 acres and was originally a royal hunting ground. Kensington Gardens, which abuts Hyde Park to the west and for all intent and purposes is a part of it, is quite heavily treed - when they are in full leaf one can be in the middle of it and not see any of the surrounding city.
The parks essentially interconnect. Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park form one large rectangle, at the south east corner of Hyde Park (across Park Lane) is Green Park, and across The Mall at the end of Green Park is Saint James Park. If you walk to the southern entrance of Green Park guess what you'll see directly opposite? OMG - Buckingham Palace!
Okay, let's say you just happen to be staying in Lancaster Gate and you feel like taking a stroll, here's what you might want to consider. Enter Kensington Gardens at the traffic light on Bayswater Road just by The Swan pub (it's just to the west of Lancaster Gate tube station). You'll be at the area known as the Italian Garden - this is at the head of the Serpentine lake which is quite a large body of water that stretches down into Hyde Park. Head off in a south westerly direction to The Round Pond (quite a nice pond for ducks and model boaters) and from there you'll see Princess Diana's former residence, Kensington Palace, to the west, now the home of William and Kate. (Palace seems like a bit of an overstatement - it's more like a very impressive house). Take a tour if you like or perhaps just check out the gardens and orangery. Close to Kensington Palace is a children's playground, and here you'll find the old Elfin Oak. This is a very curious thing that I really like. Those of you who are Pink Floyd fans and had their LP Ummagumma will have seen this on the inside sleeve artwork (too obscure? - probably).
Okay back on the trail; lots of places to go from here. Perhaps walk to the southern boundary of Kensington Gardens to see the Prince Albert Memorial statute - nothing understated about that - and the Royal Albert Hall directly opposite. Conversely kinda re-trace your steps to the Italian Garden and then walk along the west side of the Serpentine to check out the famous statute of Peter Pan. Keep going and you'll go through a small arch under the road and then you'll enter Hyde Park. The Serpentine stretches out in front of you.
The first thing you'll encounter is Princess Diana's Memorial which is an interactive water feature that children and adults can play in. The attractive rectangular building opposite the lake is the old changing rooms for members of the Serpentine Swim Club; it's now a very pleasant small restaurant (The Lido) great for coffee, tea or sandwiches etc. As a former member of the Serpentine Swim Club I am amazed at how well the building has been restored. There are still some historic photos of the "nutters" jumping into the lake in winter. Maybe keep strolling by the lake (or along Rotten Row - the horse path that runs roughly parallel) to Hyde Park Corner and continue the walk through Green Park and then Saint James. Alternative, head to the southern boundary of Hyde Park, cross over the road, cut through a couple of lanes and you'll end up on the Brompton Road - oh my, there's Harrods.
Speaker's Corner is at the very north east corner of Hyde Park by Marble Arch - this gets going on Sunday afternoon. Marble Arch is at the western end of Oxford Street, and perhaps a quarter of mile along Oxford Street is Marks and Spencer's flagship store. In addition to being a great clothes store the food at Marks and Spencers in the form of sandwiches etc. is excellent and well priced. Finally, Kensington Gardens closes at night but Hyde Park doesn't. It's lit by very old gas lights and as such a stroll along the banks of Serpentine at night can be delightful. Enjoy!
http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/Hyde-Park.aspx

'The Knowledge'

No trip to London is complete without at least one ride in a black taxi cab. These ubiquitous vehicles are unique insofar as that they are specifcally designed for just one purpose - to be taxis, and their drivers truly astonishing. The London taxi driver is simply the best in the world.
No need to call ahead for a cab if you're in central London, just walk out the door and flag one down in the street - you won't have to wait more than a few moments.
Here's the amazing thing: tell the cabbie where you want to go (Craven Hill Road, The Great Eastern Hotel, the John Soane museum, The Mitre pub....) and he'll get you there via the quickest route without using a GPS or asking directions. How so you ask. Because to be licensed as a London cabbie you have to pass a horrendous exam called 'The Knowledge'. To be successful the candidate must have memorized every street in central London, every point of interest and every hotel & pub etc. Additionally they must be able to promptly verbalise the optimum route from any point A to point B. Considering the size of London, the complexity of its ancient road system (it's not laid out on a grid system like Phoenix or Salt Lake City) and its numerous points of interest this is feat beyond most mere mortals.
It takes years of preparation to pass 'The Knowledge', and one can oftentimes spot candidates training as they drive round London on small mopeds with clipboard attached to the handlebars.
Given the arduous nature of the exam, and hence the amount of time needed to be invested to be successful, the London cabbie is a professional driver who may well spend his whole working life using his Knowledge to help the public move around town. I view it as an enjoyable privilege to ride in a London cab observing a true professional practice their craft flawlessly.
A few practical points: if the yellow light on the roof above the windshield is on then a cab is available, no one other than the driver sits in the front, the rear can comfortably accommodate four passengers.
Sit back and enjoy the experience.

'Cycle Hire' - Another Way of Getting Around Town

'Cycle Hire' is a relatively new scheme brought to us by London Transport, the folk that operate the Underground and Double Decker buses. It is therefore a government-run program that happens to be sponsored by Barlays Group (a large British bank).
You may already be familiar with the concept. Throughout central London there are 'Cycle-Hire' locations where one can rent a bike for, say, one hour or a whole day and then return it at any other 'Cycle Hire' locations around town. It is, as such, designed primarily to relieve congestion on the tubes and the buses by providing commuters (and visitors) another way of getting from A to B. One can, of course, return to one's original Hire location if one wishes.
Okay - full disclosure: I've checked 'Cycle Hire' out quite a bit but have never actually rented a bike as I haven't had the need! That being said I have to say the program looks really very sophisticated. For example, all 'Cycle-Hire' locations (of which there are many) are un-manned, the rental machines take credit cards. The system shows the availability of bikes and return spaces at all locations, and it is possible to reserve a docking station in which to return a bike at  any chosen destination before heading off. (Let's say each 'Cycle Hire' has twenty bikes; if no bikes have been rented and all twenty are there there would be no un-used docking station in which to return a rental. It would be problematic for a commuter not to be able to return their bike to the system before heading into work). Based on my casual observations, however, it seemed as though the availability of return slots was not generally an issue.
The bikes are locked-up in something that looks like an old fashioned bike rack. Having bought a rental the rider is issued a code that then gets entered by the bike of their choice to release it from the rack. The bikes themselves are of traditional design, very sturdy and no drop handlebars etc., and are blue.
I'm committed to actually using 'Cycle Hire' on my next trip to London and am really looking forward to the experience, however I'll probably plan my journeys to limit road use for obvious reason - I'm no Boris Johnson! A rental from, say, Bayswater to Buckingham Place would be perfect for me as it's almost all through a system of inter-connecting parks. The locals are clearly made of stronger stuff than me because many can be seen cycling fearlessly on London's busiest roads - it's a very popular program. (It should be noted that there are currently four 'Barclays Super Cycling Highways' throughout the city, with more on the way).
'Cycle Hire' looks like a fun and practical thing that offers another efficient and inexpensive way to get around town. And hats off to Boris Johnson, London's iconic mayor who's probably the city's best know and most recognisable regular bike commuter.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/14808.aspx

Getting Around London - The Underground (aka the Tube)

London is an astonishingly easy city to get around. Public transit is excellent, and frankly it has to be because driving and parking are a costly challenge.
I mentioned in an earlier post that the best way to travel from Heathrow Airport to central London is, in my opinion, the Heathrow Express. This is a high-speed train connection to Paddington Station which takes about 20 minutes; it's not part of the Underground system. Ticket purchase-wise, you're better off buying a return ticket as opposed to two singles (it saves about four pounds; the return has to be used within 30 days of purchase).
Paddington Station is a major National Rail terminal and is also a gateway to the famed London Underground.
When travelling on the Underground what you don't want to do is buy individual journey tickets - very expensive and lots of waiting in line every time you need a ticket.
The way to go is do what the Londoners do: pick-up an Oyster Card or Travel Card (they both look the same - something like a blue-colored credit card). You just swipe the card over the reading devise at the turnstile which then opens, go through and head down the escalator...
So the question then becomes, should I get an Oyster or a Travel? That depends on how long you'll be staying .Let's say you will be in London for a week, then I say get a Travel Card. This gives you unlimited* access to the Tube and London buses for that seven day period (*there's one small limitation that I'll come in a moment). By contrast the Oyster Card gives to access to the system based not on a time constraint but a financial one; for example one could load twenty pounds worth of travel onto an Oyster, or two hundred pounds etc. You can probably see the challenge for the visitor when it comes to Oyster Cards. A one week Travel Card costs about, I think, $40.00 but it's super worth it, and I believe you can buy any time periods you want, not just one week.

Okay, the limitation on Travel Cards I mentioned earlier; well it's not really a limitation but rather a practical choice for the consumer. The Underground system is broken down into concentric, roughly oval-shaped zones. London's core area is all Zone 1. If you're the typical visitor everything you will want to see (and get to) will be inside Zone 1. There are a total of six zones. When I am in London I buy a Travel Card for just Zone 1; presumably I could get one covering additional zones but that would increase the cost significantly. However if I do happen to ride the Tube to a station outside of Zone 1 can exit at that station okay, but will have to buy an new one-journey ticket to get me back into Zone 1 (the turnstile doesn't open when I swipe my card).

One quick final note. If there's any chance that you will re-visit London at some future time then keep your Oyster/Travel card. They're re-usable. London Underground charges about $8 for the piece of plastic, so you might as well bring along your old one and re-load it on your next trip.
(Footnote: London is generally a very safe city and this extends to travelling on the Underground. The system can and does, however, get extremely crowded and therefore attracts pick-pockets. Gentlemen, do NOT go on the Underground with your wallet  in the back pocket of yours jeans; ladies, please watch your purses at ALL times).

Lancaster Gate - A Fun Place to Stay

When I moved up to London I happened to end up in Lancaster Gate. I found it to be a great place to live as a denizen of the city, and now when I return to London for vacations I always stay in the old neighborhood. There are lots of reasons for this, and not all are sentimental.
Let's start with logistics. If you're flying to London there's a good chance you'll be landing at Heathrow. There is a direct, high speed rail link from Heathrow (the Heathrow Express) that goes to Paddington Station (one on the city's main National Rail terminals). The journey takes about 20 minutes, trains are frequent & run on a fixed schedule and once at Paddington Station it's about a five minute walk to  Lancaster Gate. I personally enjoy staying the Lancaster Hotel http://www.lancasterlondon.com/ directly opposite Kensington Gardens.
Lancaster Gate tube station is directly under the hotel. It's on the Central Line (colored red on the Underground maps), and it's easy to get anywhere from this underground station, including Oxford Street (just two stops to the east).
An enjoyable characteristic of Lancaster Gate, in addition to fact that it is right on the northern edge of Kensington Gardens/Hyde Park (two massive parks that are delightful to either stroll or jog around), is that it's inhabited by not just tourists but regular London folk as well. A trip to any of the local pubs such as The Swan (Bayswater Road) or The Mitre (Craven Terrace) evidences this fact - no shortage of visitors but lots of locals as well.
Both of the aforementioned pubs have a bit of history. The Swan (http://www.fullers.co.uk/) is located on the site where a vituals license has been in effect for several centuries, meaning there has been a public house at 66 Bayswater Road for hundreds of years. It claims to be the origin of two popular sayings: 'off the wagon' and 'one for the road'. Both relate to the fact there used to be a gallows for public hangings close by, and the unfortunates being escorted there often stopped off at The Swan enroute for a final drink. To get the detailed explanations go to The Swan, order up a pint and check-out the reverse side of their menu. The Swan is a very popular pub and as such is oftentimes quite crowded. The Mitre (http://www.mitrelancastergate.com/), just around the corner a couple of blocks away at 24 Craven Terrace, is quieter and has a distinctly more of a neighborhood feel. It first opened it's doors in the 1850's and is charming 'local' that's well worth a visit.
On a final note, if you happen to end up staying in Lancaster Gate you may want to check out the Bathurst Street Delicatessen (3 Bathurst Street, London W2). This is a European style deli that's open from 7.00am to 11.00pm. I personally enjoy having breakfast there; the menu is quite varied and offers choices from muesli to a full traditional English breakfast. It's a no-brainer for anyone staying at The Lancaster Hotel - just cross over the road to Bathurst Street and it's right there, less than 100 yards from the hotel's main entrance. The Bathurst Deli is owned by an Argentinian workaholic who always seems to be around and is staffed by a very pleasant group of young continentals.