Sometimes You Have to be a Little Bit Naughty

Location: London

Introduction:

We chose London to launch a six-week European vacation because that’s where we scored a cheap one-way airfare deal to on Norse Airways. We lucked out with mild weather and no rain during the last week of May. It took a few days of sleeping in to catch up to the five-hour time difference. We’ve been here several times before but it was the first with our daughter, which completely changed how we experienced the city. For example, we now try to avoid lines to keep her engaged and entertained. This caused us to pass up some old favorites while being introduced to some fun new attractions.

Sights Visited:

We were impressed by the Natural History Museum’s offerings despite the crowds. The dinosaur exhibit stood out.

Once we learned there was a KidZania in the extensive Westfield London Mall, we just had to make time for it. On the way out after spending an entire afternoon, Adelaide asked if we can come back another day. Enough said.

We also took a stroll by Buckingham Palace, where we couldn’t get close enough to the guards for Adelaide to try to make them laugh but she enjoyed seeing lots of baby geese parade by.

Play:

We sought out some nice playgrounds: Southwark Park and King’s Stairs Gardens Playgrounds were within easy walking distance.

The Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial playground in Hyde Park was worth the visit. Just be prepared for sand and water play. Adelaide liked it so much that we returned for an encore later in the week.

The Jubilee Gardens playground beneath The London Eye (featured at the top) was centrally located and had plenty to offer. The St. James Park childrens playground near Buckingham Palace was good but compact.

No matter where we go, Adelaide has a knack for finding all sorts of little creatures. So, it came as no surprise when she found a large snail one evening when we were walking to dinner.

Accommodation:

We chose a 2-bedroom flat from City Stay London in the Bermondsey section of London conveniently located near the underground, a bus stop, shops and a park. It was just a few blocks off of the River Thames and not too far from the Tower Bridge. It was modern, clean and the WiFi was fast. With daylight lasting until almost 10pm and the sun rising at 4:30am, the room darkening shades came in handy. The place featured air conditioning but it wasn’t turned on yet in the building for Summer. This led to us opening a window at night to cool things down but then that let the city street noise in. We had a single unit washer/drier machine. We still haven’t mastered how to properly work them. Overall, the place suited us well.

Food and Drink:

There’s hardly a better place for a spot of tea than the UK. Elizabeth made reservations at The Ampersand Hotel in South Kensington for an afternoon Jurassic Tea. It was quite the indulgence.

Aside from tea, we drink a lot of coffee and you can find brewed coffee in London but espresso drinks are dominant and Café Americanos provided the necessary caffeine jolt whenever we needed one. Our flat included a Nestle Dolce Gusto machine that used pods to make them and they were pretty good. While it’s no secret that we enjoy wine, it’s hard to pass up the beer and ale offered in British pubs. We made a point to hoist a few pints like this one celebrating our 13^th wedding anniversary at The Angel, one of Samuel Smith’s Pubs.

On our first night, suffering from jet lag, we simply opted for Vietnamese take-away located a block away. They only accepted cash. No worries, Rich had cash from our last UK trip in his pocket as we usually keep any large bills leftover from a trip rather than pay the hefty currency exchange commissions to cash out. However, the cashier quickly rejected the paper bills. It turns out that Paper Pounds are now Plastic. Luckily, there was an ATM a few doors down to reload and the Pho was delicious.

Aside from getting an adequate Fish & Chips fix at the Tower Bridge Arms, there isn’t a local dish that interests us. Fortunately, there are plenty of alternatives to choose from. For example, we enjoyed some authentic Thai fare at Rosa’s Café. French pastry shops were plentiful and we couldn’t resist frequenting them.

Transportation System:

We flew Norse Atlantic non-stop from Orlando. This is about two hours from where we live, so we booked a one-way rental car to get to the airport. We landed at Gatwick and took the train to the Transport of London’s Underground and then the Tube. We were pleased to learn that children under twelve ride free on the Transport of London and the fare was minimal for the train with an adult purchase. We frequently used the Underground, Overground and bus services with no problems (except when we mistakenly went in the wrong direction or missed a stop. Oops). They make it really easy to pay the fare with a contactless credit or debit card. Just tap in on the bus and tap in and out on the Tubes.

For Your Amusement:

We had to do a double take when we saw an ad for New Jersey, where we used to live, on a local taxi.

We’d be hard pressed to come up with a better name for toilet paper than this display as we entered a Whole Foods grocery store.

While we’re on the subject, let’s make a game out of it.

Highlight:

We greatly anticipated seeing the musical Matilda in the West End. Leading up to it, Elizabeth read the book by Roald Dahl to Adelaide who then repeatedly watched the two movie versions on Netflix. We soaked up the live production and couldn’t have been more entertained. It’s a bit edgy and not all parents would approve of the content. But if you take a step back, it boils down to a story of good and evil and good wins this one. Our favorite song was “Sometimes you have to be a little Naughty”. Remembering the experience continues to bring a smile to our faces.

Shout Out:

We send out a big thank you to Elizabeth’s book club friend: Parvonae Shaw who turned us on to Matilda.