Travel Adventures for Grown-Ups
London
Info
Visit London
2 More London Riverside
London, England, SE1 2RR
Web:
www.visitlondon.com
Phone:
(+44) 08701-566-366
E-Mail:
visitorinfo@visitlondon.com
London Information Centre in Leicester Square
One Leicester Place
Leicester Square
London, England WC2H 7BP
Web:
www.londontown.com
Phone:
(+44) 020-7437-4370
Oyster Cards
1st Floor, Albany House
55 Broadway, London
England, SW1H 0BD
Web:
https://oyster.tfl.gov.uk/oyster/entry.do
Phone:
(+44) 0845-330-9876
E-Mail:
travinfo@tfl.gov.uk
Note:
Oyster Cards are bought by time period (1-, 3- or 7-days) and "zone." Zones 1 and 2 access most of the central city neighborhoods. Subway travel to/from Heathrow requires an extra fare that can be built into the card.
Visit London
2 More London Riverside
London, England, SE1 2RR
Web:
www.visitlondon.com
Phone:
(+44) 08701-566-366
E-Mail:
visitorinfo@visitlondon.com
London Information Centre in Leicester Square
One Leicester Place
Leicester Square
London, England WC2H 7BP
Web:
www.londontown.com
Phone:
(+44) 020-7437-4370
Oyster Cards
1st Floor, Albany House
55 Broadway, London
England, SW1H 0BD
Web:
https://oyster.tfl.gov.uk/oyster/entry.do
Phone:
(+44) 0845-330-9876
E-Mail:
travinfo@tfl.gov.uk
Note:
Oyster Cards are bought by time period (1-, 3- or 7-days) and "zone." Zones 1 and 2 access most of the central city neighborhoods. Subway travel to/from Heathrow requires an extra fare that can be built into the card.
Making Our Way Around London
by Mitch Kaplan
photos by Mitch Kaplan
When we wearied of walking around London, we'd hop on a double-decker bus. Penny, liked to sit upstairs, preferably in the front row. More preferably on the right side—the driver's side in that land of right-hand driving. I dubbed this right-most front location the "Terror Seat."
The perspective up there is so skewed (you're sitting above the driver but your view begins about 10 feet in front of the bus), and the busses moving in the opposite direction pass so close, I was certain we'd be smashed, or would smash into something or somebody, at every turn and stop.
Think of it as a trans-London thrill ride.
We indulged in many of these thrill rides. We also walked a great deal and rode the Underground as we explored the city.
Welcome Back
This most recent visit was my fourth London sojourn and, for Penny, my spouse, perhaps the sixth or seventh. We'd done the traditional tourist sites, thus felt little reason to revisit Buckingham Palace and the like. Instead, we concentra
ted on walking neighborhoods, concert-going and visiting ore re-visiting museums.
London's a fine walking city. And walk we did. I'd guess we crossed the Thames on foot a dozen times in a week. We also strolled along both its banks, admiring the classic views—Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, the Tower of London, all that postcard stuff.
We ventured off one morning into a neighborhood called Little Venice. The name is self-explanatory—the neighborhood centers on the Regent's Canal. This is an upscale area, and somewhat overlooked by tourists.
You've got to love the canal boats moored along the tow path. Many clearly
function as permanent or semi-permanent residences, and each show personalization through its paint, decoration, potted plants and personal effects like barbecues. We saw just one that was actually in motion. But, commercial boat tours are available.
We walked the tow path. It passes a variety of mansion-like homes and goes through several underpasses and a tunnel. The tall masonry walls flashed an ivy that turns autumnal bright red. The multi-colored boats added a visual cheerfulness.
We exited at Regent's Park, skirted the London Zoo, and emerged into an expanse of playing fields—pitches, as the locals say—spreading as far as they eye could see. It was a Thursday morning. Few soccer or rugby players were in sight. But, the park bubbled with dogs and their walkers. I've never seen so
many well-behaved dogs in one place.
After a coffee at the flying saucer-like Hub, a mid-park fitness facility and café, we passed through endless grassy spaces until we finally reached formal gardens and the streets, where a Terror Seat bus ride took us to the London Metro Ski & Snowboard Show.
We'd passed a fine strolling/bussing morning, but heading home, the choice was the Underground.
Where Are We?
Upon arriving at Heathrow, the first order of business had been to arm ourselves with Oyster Cards, a public transportation pass. Why it's called an "Oyster Card" I don't know. But, it simplifies transport. Just plant the card face down on the electronic target as you enter/leave the Underground or enter the bus, and that's it.
Orienting when you depart an unfamiliar Underground station is another matter.
Because when you come up from beneath the earth into strange surroundings, it's hard to know which way to go. But wait—each station has a rack of free maps showing the immediate area's streets. Great idea.
Or, you can ask a local.
Penny is good at this. I am not. These Londoners, however, seemed more than pleased to help.
After riding from the airport, the woman jet-lagged Penny asked spent five garrulous minutes recommending theatre and sites to see, waxing happily about her upcoming visit to Florida, and how she loved tourists and being a tourist. And then, oh-by-the-way, she showed us the proper direction in which to walk.
The next guy she asked escorted us three blocks.
En route to a London Philharmonic concert at the Southbank Centre, we disembarked at Waterloo Station during rush hour. No place to be lost. We bounced through the crowd like lottery balls in the hopper. We finally arbitrarily exited onto any street, and then did the cliched thing—asked a Bobby.
Going back, we walked across Golden Jubilee Bridge to the Embankment Underground Station. Much calmer, and the Thames views were enthralling.
What's This?
Unexpected discoveries are another benefit of neighborhood walking. Of a Saturday morning, we strolled Kings Road in Chelsea en route to the Saatchi Gallery. There, we found a market in progress in Duke of York Square.
Not your typical green market. Here was a gold mine of homemade prepared foods for sale: meat pies, quiches, Caribbean salads and sandwiches and, best, baked good beyond deliciousness. Apres-gallery, over-eating was the next activity.
An excursion to the Cabinet War Rooms allowed us to join the tourist crowds at Big Ben and Westminster. A much quieter, neighborhood was revealed in a bus ride/walk to the Imperial War Museum.
In the end, getting around London by foot, bus and Underground, while confusing in many ways, is pretty easy. True, problems are encountered. Such as:
The Terror Seat notwithstanding, I recommend the busses. Yes, they can take forever to get you from your Point-A to your Point-B, since there appears to be millions of them creating their own traffic jams and they stop every few blocks. But, the perspective and sightseeing are their own reward.
And, a time-consuming bus ride is an excellent way to rest tired feet.
by Mitch Kaplan
photos by Mitch Kaplan
When we wearied of walking around London, we'd hop on a double-decker bus. Penny, liked to sit upstairs, preferably in the front row. More preferably on the right side—the driver's side in that land of right-hand driving. I dubbed this right-most front location the "Terror Seat."
The perspective up there is so skewed (you're sitting above the driver but your view begins about 10 feet in front of the bus), and the busses moving in the opposite direction pass so close, I was certain we'd be smashed, or would smash into something or somebody, at every turn and stop.
Think of it as a trans-London thrill ride.
We indulged in many of these thrill rides. We also walked a great deal and rode the Underground as we explored the city.
Welcome Back
This most recent visit was my fourth London sojourn and, for Penny, my spouse, perhaps the sixth or seventh. We'd done the traditional tourist sites, thus felt little reason to revisit Buckingham Palace and the like. Instead, we concentra
ted on walking neighborhoods, concert-going and visiting ore re-visiting museums.London's a fine walking city. And walk we did. I'd guess we crossed the Thames on foot a dozen times in a week. We also strolled along both its banks, admiring the classic views—Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, the Tower of London, all that postcard stuff.
We ventured off one morning into a neighborhood called Little Venice. The name is self-explanatory—the neighborhood centers on the Regent's Canal. This is an upscale area, and somewhat overlooked by tourists.
You've got to love the canal boats moored along the tow path. Many clearly
function as permanent or semi-permanent residences, and each show personalization through its paint, decoration, potted plants and personal effects like barbecues. We saw just one that was actually in motion. But, commercial boat tours are available.We walked the tow path. It passes a variety of mansion-like homes and goes through several underpasses and a tunnel. The tall masonry walls flashed an ivy that turns autumnal bright red. The multi-colored boats added a visual cheerfulness.
We exited at Regent's Park, skirted the London Zoo, and emerged into an expanse of playing fields—pitches, as the locals say—spreading as far as they eye could see. It was a Thursday morning. Few soccer or rugby players were in sight. But, the park bubbled with dogs and their walkers. I've never seen so
many well-behaved dogs in one place. After a coffee at the flying saucer-like Hub, a mid-park fitness facility and café, we passed through endless grassy spaces until we finally reached formal gardens and the streets, where a Terror Seat bus ride took us to the London Metro Ski & Snowboard Show.
We'd passed a fine strolling/bussing morning, but heading home, the choice was the Underground.
Where Are We?
Upon arriving at Heathrow, the first order of business had been to arm ourselves with Oyster Cards, a public transportation pass. Why it's called an "Oyster Card" I don't know. But, it simplifies transport. Just plant the card face down on the electronic target as you enter/leave the Underground or enter the bus, and that's it.
Orienting when you depart an unfamiliar Underground station is another matter.
Because when you come up from beneath the earth into strange surroundings, it's hard to know which way to go. But wait—each station has a rack of free maps showing the immediate area's streets. Great idea.Or, you can ask a local.
Penny is good at this. I am not. These Londoners, however, seemed more than pleased to help.
After riding from the airport, the woman jet-lagged Penny asked spent five garrulous minutes recommending theatre and sites to see, waxing happily about her upcoming visit to Florida, and how she loved tourists and being a tourist. And then, oh-by-the-way, she showed us the proper direction in which to walk.
The next guy she asked escorted us three blocks.
En route to a London Philharmonic concert at the Southbank Centre, we disembarked at Waterloo Station during rush hour. No place to be lost. We bounced through the crowd like lottery balls in the hopper. We finally arbitrarily exited onto any street, and then did the cliched thing—asked a Bobby.
Going back, we walked across Golden Jubilee Bridge to the Embankment Underground Station. Much calmer, and the Thames views were enthralling.
What's This?
Unexpected discoveries are another benefit of neighborhood walking. Of a Saturday morning, we strolled Kings Road in Chelsea en route to the Saatchi Gallery. There, we found a market in progress in Duke of York Square.
Not your typical green market. Here was a gold mine of homemade prepared foods for sale: meat pies, quiches, Caribbean salads and sandwiches and, best, baked good beyond deliciousness. Apres-gallery, over-eating was the next activity.
An excursion to the Cabinet War Rooms allowed us to join the tourist crowds at Big Ben and Westminster. A much quieter, neighborhood was revealed in a bus ride/walk to the Imperial War Museum.
In the end, getting around London by foot, bus and Underground, while confusing in many ways, is pretty easy. True, problems are encountered. Such as:
- being swamped by pedestrian shoppers on Oxford Street
- being swamped by tourists at Piccadilly Circus
- sorting through the red river of busses which current flows in all directions
- having the #15 bus never show up
- having the #23 bus suddenly be diverted from its route
- not knowing which train to board when two lines seemed to be using the same platform.
The Terror Seat notwithstanding, I recommend the busses. Yes, they can take forever to get you from your Point-A to your Point-B, since there appears to be millions of them creating their own traffic jams and they stop every few blocks. But, the perspective and sightseeing are their own reward.
And, a time-consuming bus ride is an excellent way to rest tired feet.
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