London, England – If you only have a couple of days in London …

INSIGNIFICANT is how I feel when walking through the streets of London, England.I am blown away by the magnitude of history in this single city.  The multitude of historic architecture and royal structures that have marked this city for centuries will be here long after you and I are gone.  Seeing the sights and reading the history brought together a tornado of connections and societal events that shaped our democracy.  Being here is SO much better than World History class in high school! Our founding fathers were escaping a Monarchy and wanted to create a better place to live, a Democracy.  A Democracy with more freedoms, rights for all, and equal opportunity. However, it seems they kept the good stuff — so many similarities to the US in culture, architecture, fashion, and urban planning.

Our favorite Airbnb, in the Royal Borough of Camdon near the South Kensington / Chelsea neighborhoods, was within walking distance ( .25 miles) of the Earl’s Court Station on the Piccadilly Line (Train). TIP: If you plan to use public transportation (train or bus) purchase an Oyster Card where tickets are sold. Start with $10 and then “top off” as you go. Easy!

We used the Piccadilly Line to get to and from London-Heathrow Airport and to all of the sights we wanted to see in London. It was SUPER easy! You can buy good coffee and yummy food and sim cards for less at the train stations.
  1. Big Bus Tours in London are BIG on our favorite list. The tours and live guides were entertaining and informative. A must do early in your trip.
  2. Tea Shop – On Cromwell Gardens Rd. and just down the street from the Natural History Musem, there is an Indian tea shop, Ore Cafe, which doesn’t have a website, but does have great wifi, tasty generous treats and lovely tea for an afternoon treat.
  3. Live Music – Enjoy a casual dinner and an evening of live music (be sure to make a reservation) at one of Bob Dylan’s favorite haunts.  
  4. Extinction Rebellion is getting attention in the UK. We encountered and join in on a demontration in Trafalgar Square. This is not a drill, it’s our planet. We need our governments to pay attention, but before that happens every little bit helps. We need to do our part!
  5. Free Admission to the Natural History Museum and the National Gallery.  The Moon Exhibit at the Natural History Museum left me spellbound and I followed the evolution and extinction of the Dinosaurs.

Behind the Scenes

I am REALLY enjoying this! I was solo in London for a few days and then later met up with Jeff for a second and longer visit.  The top five favorites above are from those 2 visits.  We really enjoyed it.  I know, the Bus Tour really doesn’t sound like our sort of thing, but it really was great and totally worth our time. We went for it because it came highly recommended by a friend and she was correct.

Stay tuned … Scotland is next!

Enjoy the Climb!