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.
