Back to London

My fiancée, Maxine, and I spent four great days in London in September ’10. I had been there for business many times during the ’70s and ’80s, but this time it was strictly to enjoy the sights as enthusiastic tourists. It was Maxine’s first visit.

We traveled with another couple, who made arrangements through an online agency for a car from Heathrow Airport to our hotel, the Royal Park in Bloomsbury. (Unfortunately, she does not remember the name of the online agency.)

As our primary form of transport, we took the Hop On/Hop Off bus to see all the major sights. We rode the London Eye, saw Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London and Harrods and took a Thames River cruise. We also took the Underground for a few stops to see what that was like. What a great way to see all the major neighborhoods of London!

As far as eating, each day we had a quick breakfast at the Starbucks near our hotel, then lunch on the run that included local and ethnic foods — a far cry from the “one thin slice of meat on two thin slices of bland white bread” sandwiches that I remember from my previous visits.

One dinner was in Chinatown, one in a local pub and one in a café that featured French dishes. All three were picked as we walked past the restaurant and liked what we saw on the menu. Not a bad meal or bad service at any one of them!

On the way from the airport to the hotel, we had decided on a day trip to Bath and Stonehenge, which we arranged with a quick call to the online agency. The all-day trip included Windsor Castle, where we saw the Changing of the Guard, then a visit to Bath, concluding with a walk around Stonehenge.

There is so much more we would like to do there.

KENNETH SHERMAN
Jackson, NJ