Dinner last night was at The Orjowon, a Lebanese restaurant a short walk from the hotel. We had the set meal offering and a bottle of wine, and it was all grand! We booked a table for Saturday night, our last night in London.
Thursday started out and stayed just beautiful – all sun and 70 degrees. Having been to London so many times, there was no need to see Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s, the Horse Guards, Churchill’s War Rooms, Piccadilly Circus, et. al.
That said, we decided on a walking tour that began at St. Paul’s. So we used our Oyster Cards from our last trip, which still had some value on them, and took the tube to St. Paul’s station. Amazingly, they now charge £15 ($22) just to get in the cathedral. We viewed the outside and started our walk, stopping in order at:
- The Millennium Bridge over the Thames.
- The College of Arms where Queen appointed heralds record and keep track of coats of arms.
- A Church now converted into a bible school and/or a tea room. We had hot chocolates and a oatmeal raspberry muffin.
- The Guildhall (official headquarters of the Lord Mayor of London since the 12th century. Boris didn’t come out to greet us. Bad form on him. We visited the art museum here. The clock museum is being moved to the Science Museum and won’t reopen until October, so we couldn’t see that.
- St Lawrence Jewry at the Guildhall, the Mayor’s official church
- We briefly viewed Mansion House, the Lord Mayor’s residence.
- We stopped in at St Stephen Walbrook church designed by Sir Christopher Wren, a predecessor of St Paul’s.
- The Bank of England and it’s museum
- Leadenhall Market, which dates back to the 14th century, and is now a popular meeting spot for locals working in the financial industry and needing a cup of tea or a pint of lager.
We also stopped at Waterstone’s so I could buy a new book. (Remember when Waterstone’s had the best bookstore in Boston in the Back Bay?)
I had a beer at The Swan while Elaine did some shopping at Marks and Spencer. Some of you will remember having beers at the Swan with us in London. (You know who you are!) Well, this is a different Swan. There are at least three pubs named the Swan in London, probably lots more.
Then we topped up our London Transport Oyster Cards and took the tube back to Kensington, had a brew at the Courtfield Pub where we chatted up some locals, and ambled back to the Nadler for naps. It was a great day!
CLICK PICS TO ENLARGE IN A NEW WINDOW
Very cool day. We are in Dublin, and after rain in the morning, sun for the rest of the day, the weather changes by the hour. Love all your pix!!