London is one of my favorite destinations in Europe, perhaps because of the ease of language, and also the convenience of travelling around in the tube, the history, the varied entertainments to keep you entertained like museums and musicals, and the countryside just a couple of hours away. You can never be bored in London. Each time I visit London, I will go back to the same places like Oxford Street, Borough Market, and add on a different museum each time.
This trip to London was primarily for a conference, hence I ended up staying at Hilton London Metropole located at Edgware Road. The hotel is not convenient for the tourist, as there is nothing much to shop apart from a nearby Mark and Spencer, so I changed to another hotel later in the week. I was quite surprised that with such a brand name, I would expect fancier hotel rooms, but it is just a standard room, where only toiletries that stood out differently. One has to take extra care when in London as they have both smoking and non-smoking rooms, so if you are allergic to smoke, be sure to make a request for a non-smoking floor.
After the conference was over, I extended my holiday and did a couple of day trips out of London, using Viator. I know Viator trips are generally more expensive, however, the confidence of a good land tour assures you that you will be in safe hands.
My first day trip on Viator was to Salisbury, Bath, and Stonehenge. Just an hour out of London and you are already in the countryside with miles and miles of rolling greens. Salisbury was our first stop, and I was so thrilled to see one of Britain's finest medieval cathedrals, Salisbury Cathedral. It is more than 750 years old and is mostly in one architectural style, English Gothic and has Britain’s tallest spire. The surrounding grounds is so refreshing as well, crisp air, people just lying around basking in the sun. Such a pretty little city, time stand still. All I can say, I wished I had more time to explore the city of Salisbury.
After breathing all the fresh air, we moved on to Bath. I was really excited going to Bath, having devoured many of Jane Austen books when I was young, and it was a treat to be able to have a glimpse of the city and what life would have been like in the olden days. Now, on looking back, it would have been perfect if I could have an overnight stay at Bath, to be able to explore this area leisurely. Famous for its Georgian architecture and known as one of the prettiest cities in England, we got the opportunity to explore the Roman Baths and the history behind the baths. With a little more time to spare, we walked out to the streets and had cake and tea in nearby cafe. Such a perfect backdrop, and with a little bit of chill since it was autumn time, it is just so perfect to sit outdoors and watch the world go by.
Our last stop was to Stonehenge, personally I would have liked to spend less time here, as this to me was just a bunch of rocks, no one can tell where they came from or how the rocks moved to the area. We did a walk around the stones, which was a lovely walk, but quite a bore as there was nothing much to see apart from the rocks. It was quite lovely anyhow to be in the outdoors, and breath in such fresh crisp air, something I don't get to experience often.
We checked into another cheaper hotel in London after my conference was over - London House Hotel located at Bayswater. There is never a better location, as there are two different London Underground lines within walking distance. The area is a residential area, and is quiet and serene, with several shops to pick up food on our way back home each day. London House Hotel has tiny rooms, however with the budget price, this suited our needs as we just needed a place to sleep that was clean and safe.
My next full day trip out of London was to Oxford, Stratford on Avon and Warwick Castle. I have learnt if you plan to take full day trips, its best to space them apart instead of back to back as it can be physically tiring.
Being on the grounds of Oxford was so special, I actually felt a little more clever walking the grounds! We got to see and wonder about the famed Christ Church College dining hall where the Harry Potter scenes was filmed.
Thereafter we proceeded to Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. It was almost inspiring walking through his Tudor-era home and just having a glimpse of what life was like in the past seeing the bedrooms, kitchen, and craftshop. We had a little more time to wander about the streets which is so pretty and quaint, and stopped for some delicious cake and sandwich at Patisserie Valerie. I wished I had more time here to explore the shops and pick up some gifts, but with limited time, we had to choose food over shopping.
We moved on to Warwick Castle built in the medieval times, it is older than 1000 years, a castle built for banquets and battles. The castle is built in an area that is so isolated and windy cold that you don't want to miss your bus home. We got to explore both inner castle as well as the grounds, and it is exciting as this was my first time touring the grounds of a castle.
Check out my article about things to do in London here.
