Cheerio London

Crowded sidewalks mean taking to the street on Portobello Rd

Sunday, Sep 11 -- London

We were in fairly good shape Sunday morning as Julie spent most of Saturday night packing for her and Owen. With the bulk of the work behind us we decided to head out to Portobello Market in Notting Hill. The market is actually a bunch of shops and restaurants along Portobello Road peddling everything from 'said to be' antiques to the latest in fashion from All Saints Spitafields; ending with an open air market farther down the road.

I grabbed a pair of non-antique shoes and Julie an unworn dress before reaching the end of the market.  After some lunch we headed back along Hyde Park to the hotel to finish packing up and load up in our van; merely 20 minutes late from our booking time.  Quel surprise. Apparently our driver thought the hotel made a grave error in their time estimates as he figured we would never make it in time.  Quel surprise #2 -- but not our fault.  Fortunately traffic was on our side and we made it without delay or issue.

Aboard the plane the only noteworthy occurrences were a drunk passenger that fell into the seats of other passengers and had to be cut-off by the flight attendants and changing Owen on a slippery change table in the small washrooms aboard the plane in slight turbulence with him kicking and sliding all over his messy diaper -- resulting in the dirtiest washroom (including mirror) one has ever seen.  Ultimately a package of baby wipes were called in to wipe down the entire lavatory.

Happy time.

Sleepy times.

Sleepy times.

Owen was good on the plane with a few fussy times followed by sleepy time.

The British Museum

Lunching at Eat before our British Museum visit.

Saturday, Sep 10 – London

Returning late from Paris on Friday night we had no illusions that breakfast may not be in reach on Saturday – which is how things played out.  Unsurprisingly, we decided to walk over to the British Museum.  En route we made a stop at Eat to grab some lunch and also dodge the brief rain that seemed to be a constant throughout our trip and likely London life in general.

Main entrance to the British Museum.

Arriving at the British Museum we were refreshingly reminded that national museums in Britain charge no admission fee.  Jackpot. We also downloaded the Rick Steeve’s podcast for touring the museum.  We loved Rick’s podcasts, save the terrible jokes, on previous trips in Europe.

Entering the museum from the rear we encountered the first of many stairs.  We had debated the baby carrier versus the stroller as we knew the museum would be busy but still opted for the stroller for convenience. The museum does have an elevator but it's small and extremely slow -- particularly since many able-bodied people seem to take it instead of the very manageable stairs.

Rosetta Stone

The Steeve's podcast directed us first to the Rosetta Stone.  One benefit of the Steeve's podcast is that he guides you through massive tourist sites within a reasonable amount of time.  The rosetta stone provided the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs by offering the same text in three languages.  This is the first of many objects that foreign nations are demanding to be returned.

Shortly later we encountered some more stairs, 4 very lengthy flights, which were just a few too many to carry Owen+stroller up so we decided to take turns viewing the Egyptian burial (very cool) section.  While Julie was upstairs Owen and I continued to visit the Egyptian section.  I found the artifacts interesting while Owen found them, a bit scary.

Next we hit up the Assyrian galleries which were equally interesting.

Owen decided he wanted a closer look at the reliefs -- aka he was losing his mind -- but didn't mind not having the audio tour.

Viewing the Assyrian reliefs.

Lastly we hit up the Greek galleries -- the contents of which are subject to much controversy with the Greek government fighting to get the Parthenon artifacts returned.

Strange folks them Greeks

After the museum we hit up Roti Chai for dinner. Owen was kind enough to stay asleep until the food reached our table then decided no one should eat if he wasn't.  Taking turns to walk around bouncing him we each ate our spicy Indian dishes in record speed then walked back to the hotel only a few blocks away.

Everyone's happy eating; pre-mind-losing.

All in all a good day -- definitely recommend the British Museum.

This is London

Owen being bored at breakfast

Thursday, Sep 8 -- London

Today we had lofty goals of being super tourists by setting our sights on more than one attraction.  As usual we started the day down in the hotel restaurant for breakfast. Owen usually gets cranky around this time as he's already eaten and is ready to go so we need to resort to holding him -- which is quickly becoming a meal time ritual.

Hoping to see Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, London Eye and time permitting the Tower Bridge all before Owen's "babysitters" would arrive at 1830.  We set our foot course back through Green Park and past Buckingham Palace.  By chance we were passing by again during the changing of the guards.  There were noticeably more tourists about on this day.

Classy.

We cut through St. James Park once again ...

Buckingham Palace in the background from St. James Park

and followed the throng of tourist until Big Ben appeared.

"I see it!"

The name of the big bell in the north clock tower, Big Ben is often used to referred to the entire tower. I'm now one fact smarter -- and so are you.

Two of London's icons.

Westminster Abbey was our next stop ..

Most will remember the recent wedding of Prince William and Kate at the Abbey. 

Owen wasn't that interested in the Abbey nor audio tour

From the Abbey we headed across Westminster bridge, which boasts stunning views of the parliament ..

... over to the London Eye -- a ferris wheel providing panoramic views of the city. But first we stopped for a quick lunch on a patio.

Then... on the London Eye we go!

 

One of the pods on the ferris wheel at the top over looking Parliament and the river Thames

Even Owen enjoyed the views!

We hurried back to the hotel picking up some cupcakes from Selfridges for our babysitters on the way. A friend who formerly lived in London put us in touch with some of her good friends who were willing to tend over Owen for a few hours -- and to boot, they were OTs!

Mandy & Karen; Owen's London babysitters!

Julie and I headed over to Randall & Aubin a small joint in SOHO that doesn't take reservations.  On the way we ran into some trouble.  After 60 quid we had only traveled part way to the restaurant.  Traffic was absolutely stopped and it was Vogue's fashion night out so people were absolutely everywhere with lots of places booked for private events.  We bailed from the cab about 3/4 of the way when we saw a pedestrian accidentally knock a cyclist over and to asphalt. Not pretty.  Randall and Aubin had a small line down the sidewalk but we joined the queue and were promptly served the bottle of wine we ordered.. while outside in line on the sidewalk.  Not too shabby. While in a bit of a seedy spot we'd definitely recommend the restaurant.

The City of Lights w/ Family

At the Jardin des Tuileries with the Louvre in the background.

Friday, Sep 9 -- Paris

Today we ventured across the English channel to visit my cousin Kim and her husband Justin in Paris.  Kim and Justin are traveling around Europe during Kim’s  HLTA -- no idea what this stands for -- as she’s on tour with the Canadian forces in Southern Italy.

A tip to any would be Eurostar travelers – book well in advance.  We paid a small fortune for the one day trip because we booked last minute but we love Paris and always want to meet up with friends and family abroad.

We booked on the 0652 train to make the 2.5 hour journey plus the one hour gained in France. Arriving at the train station at 0640 we were in good form to miss the train provided a) the ticket required 30 min check-in b) we have never been to the international train station c) as an international trip there is airport level security; and d) customs. Our driver was kind enough to save us from entering the wrong door and upon checking the departure sign 10 steps inside the building the board already read ‘closing’.  We kept moving quickly clearing the empty security point and reaching French customs (inside British train terminal).  A few stamps and we’re moving full pace up to the platform and on to car 16 to take our seats.  Incredible – we made it.  Train travel is the greatest thing ever.

Early morning travel aboard Eurostar

Ten minutes later we realize the train is moving. Absolutely the quietest thing ever – gotta love the high speed trains of Europe.  We booked into economy class and the seats offer plenty of space and we were sure to book nearest the baby change stations.  Zipping along the track the pressure changes felt like we were flying with ears popping as we moved along.   There are food/bar carts but as with most places in Europe you can bring your own food/drinks (incl. alcohol).  We didn’t bother either except to grab some bottles of water from the hotel. While bottles of water are free I discovered the gym has fridges full of them so I always lug up as many as I can after a rowing session.

Absolutely knackered after less than a few hours sleep the night before we arrived at Paris’ Gare Nord around 1030. We owe a special thanks to the soon to be defunct RIM for facilitating our meeting with Kim/Justin who were also at the train station depositing their luggage for their trip later that night. Denying the attempted scammer we hopped the metro over to the Louvre station. Taking a stroll through les jardin tuillerie and to the Louvre gardens we had our first pit stop on the grounds of the gardens to change Owen and for I to swap to shirt #2.   Without great effort we couldn’t bring the stroller so we opted for the carrier and 3 changes of shirts for me. Friday was expected to be the warmest day of our trip – how convenient.

Nothing like an open-air diaper change, inside the ropes!

We stopped for some lunch at les Deux Magots in PSG to enjoy some beautiful weather and typical Parisien people watching.  As we crammed into the super tight seating of a typical Parisien bistro Owen made it until mid-meal until he decided he was ready to be somewhere else.  Wiggling back out of patio seating Owen and I went for a quick hoppy stroll to calm “ourselves”.  Mission moderately accomplished.

Lunch with Kim & Justin

Starting out on foot for the catacombs we had to make another pit stop to feed and change Owen.  Fortunately les jardins Luxemburg were nearby and on our list of  places to check-out. Chalk up Paris park diaper change #2.  Strolling around the park it took a while before we found the gem of this well regarded park.  The massive tree line and palace(?) were definitely worth seeing.

Chairs in parks make perfectly acceptable changing surfaces.

After this stop Kim/Justin wanted to stop by “tower” as they had already bought tickets.  Sure, we were up for anything.  Aside from the “tower” being an absolutely eye sore it provided amazing views over all of Paris.

By the end of our tower advantage it was too late to make it over to the macabre catacombs so we decided to head over to another bistro to grab a bite and a pint.  We were quickly reminded that in Paris it’s practically impossible to get food before 730pm but drinks flow freely.  After grabbing a beer we continued to search for a bistro or restaurant that would be serving food at 6ish.  We finally took down some pizza and then were ready to hop the metro back to Gare Nord.  After arriving back at the train station for our 910 departure Kim/Justin realized there were at the wrong train station.  Fortunately they had enough time to make it to where they needed to be.  We headed up to the Eurostar level to get checked-in and pass through customs.  This trip resulted in four passport stamps; an in/out for each country.

Luckily I had stumbled on the fact that the British version of the Amex I carry grants complimentary access to the Eurostar business premier lounge – similar to airport lounges.  I figured I’d try my luck and assume they wouldn’t look on the back of the card to see Amex Bank of Canada – and they didn’t.  Next trick was to convince them to allow a guests, which is standard at airports, but not at Eurostar.  Easy peasy as I had a child strapped to my chest and obviously needed my wife! The lounge was a welcomed sight as the seating area was full and it’s difficult to disagree with free drinks, food and other treats.

Back in Paris at approximately 1030  we concluded our trek with relative ease.  Owen handled the train similar to the plane only getting a bit fussy at the end.  Fortuntely the train offers more flexibility and I simply took him to the baggage/bathroom car and bounced him around. We were likely our taxi drivers least favourite fare with a screaming baby but we all made it back safe and sound.

The Arch London

Entrance to the Arch

The Arch opened in Jan 2010 -- a newcomer by all measures. This property incorporates seven listed Georgian townhouses and two mews homes has 82 elegant and individually decorated rooms.

Traveling with Owen requires some extra space and amenities so we booked into a room with a kitchenette. For London, and particularly near Hyde Park, these were in short unless you're an oil magnate -- of which there seems to be no shortage in the area. Here's a video of the digs -- any accommodations that boasts a viewing window into the shower from the bedroom is aces in my books.

We chose the Arch for its location which is critical for us as we tend to walk absolutely everywhere -- at least within 60-90 minutes.  Also for the boutique feel as London didn't give us the hotel chain vibe and of course the room met our requirements for Owen.

Hotel location relative to sights we saw -- all by foot.

The above image briefly highlights some of the places we traveled (by foot) and the hotel location in the 'green house' icon.  You may need to click the image to enlarge.

Overall we were content with our choice and would choose to return on our next visit to London.  That said, London has many great hotels and areas so we'd likely stay elsewhere -- probably a Firmdale property which we tried for this time but they were all booked.

Recovery Day

Julie's turning Owen into a tourist.

Today was a recovery day. With some good rest behind us we almost missed breakfast at the hotel and had to rush down and eat only to head back to the room to get ready for the day. Finally getting out of the hotel at noon we headed over to Selfridges as Julie hadn't been.  I was hoping to pick up a Groovin' banana hammock but Julie didn't seem into it.  A shame as blue's my favourite colour.

We wandered about for a while before deciding to grab some lunch in the foodhall. A combination of Marche and a grocery store we loaded up our bags and checked-out; finally realizing it was more like a grocery store and less like Marche with the food arriving cold.  With this poor plan in play we decided to head back to the room and re-heat the food in the kitchenette -- another delay to an already slow day.

Softball sized pork ball.

Julie opted for the safe play with a chicken sandwich and some fruit while I dared to go with something more absurd -- a massive breaded pork ball and a safe play -- a slice of frittata.

Surprise! There's an egg inside.

 Much to my surprise and delight there was a friggin egg inside that pork ball.  Delicious.

Owen in envy as Julie enjoys her sandwich.

Back out on the streets we made our way over to London's famed 250-year old toy store, Hamleys.  The store was fun but as with many European buildings had old lifts and of course only one was functioning.  After a wait of eternity to get up one floor we decided to bail but not before playing with this great marionette that squawked.  Owen didn't really get it but I thought it was good fun.  It's on my Christmas wish list.

Owen actually had more fun sporting the Ray Ban's.

After Hamleys we continued on to famed Piccadily Circus.  It's known for its traffic craziness and didn't disappoint with roads seemingly in every direction merging at this intersection.

Only a fraction of the action at Piccadily Circus.

Owen loves the head bobbing action of cobblestone.

Back at the hotel we took the easy route ordering up some room service for dinner.  Another London day in the books.

Get Me Some Brooks Walking Shoes

Brooks Addiction Walker: pimp.

 There are few good reasons to own a pair of Brooks shoes. Foremost, you qualify as a senior citizen in the territory you reside; or you intend on walking over 7 hours in a single day.  Today we wished Santa had brought us both a pair of Brooks for Christmas.

Starting the morning off at HUNter 486 for a quick breakfast we loaded up and set sail on an epic voyage.  After re-charging the night before the squad was ready to bring their A-game. Zig-zagging South down the backstreets of Mayfair admiring the 15-20 million GBP townhouses an their equally priced vehicles we reached Green park.  Part of the Royal Parks, Green park is a tree covered park with pedestrian only pathways.

I found this looker in Green Park.

Without any direction we were fortunate that Green park funneled us directly to Buckingham Palace and timely enough to catch a portion of the charging of the guard.  Masses of tourist line the streets and gates of the palace -- so our view was obstructed but we did catch the ponies rolling in. Not overly caught up in the pageantry we continued on to St. James park.  As the oldest of the Royal parks it's also far superior to any we've seen.  Beautifully landscaped and filled with birds it's definitely worth a visit even if you skip "Bucky". The resident pelicans are quite the scene as well.

Owen and I --unimpressed with the changing of the guards -- standing in front of the gates leading in to Green park

Bird with feathered feet -- what?

Le pelican.

Since we had no plan or direction, we continued walking what ended up being South then West landing us on Kings Rd to Sloane Square and all the shops of Chelsea. Realizing we had traveled significant more  South than we hoped we started to work our way back up to Kensington then Knightsbridge ultimately stopping for a quick pizza lunch. There is a significant Arab presence in the area and in turn many, many shisha bars.  Despite being in England we've noticing English is spoken very little while most are speaking some Arab language.

Afterward we headed to Harrods, London's famed luxury store.  Harrods is a happening place with a great food hall well worth the visit alone.  Owen even got into the action in the pet section of Harrods.  I think we have his first birthday gift picked out.

Owen loves fish or anything brightly coloured that moves.

 Making our way back towards Hyde Park we wandered past the Royal Albert Hall and zig zagged our way back to the hotel.  All told over 7 hours of walking.  A solid showing that makes up for a slow start after day one. Sore feet to follow -- damn I wish I had those Brooks. 

Later in the evening I met up with a colleague who happened to be in London on business.  We headed over to the Punch Bowl formerly owned by Guy Ritchie and Madonna -- and recently only by the former.  Guy wasn't around and neither were any of his celeb friends but it's always good fun catching up with friends when out of town.

Settling in .. and not much else.

On arrival at the hotel we completely unpacked and got settled in.  Atypical, for me at least, but we're sitting tight at this location for the entire duration so it's nice to have an at home feel. The accommodations are nice with the room feeling more like an apartment with a few separate spaces (kitchenette, living, bedroom) connected by a hallway.  The hotel itself is relatively new and therefore the finishes are modern.  We'll post a quick tour video in a subsequent post.

Once settled in at the hotel and unpacked the family decided to take a nap.  I took the opportunity to log some miles running in one of London's largest parks; Hyde Park. Our hotel is well positioned at the Northeast corner of Hyde park allowing easy access to all areas of the city.  Hyde park is bookmarked by Kensington Gardens and Kensington Palace -- where Prince Charles & Princess Diana used to lay their heads -- and Park Lane. Heavy construction around the palace obstructed most of my 'on the move' views. The perimeter of the park has a horse riding path and the accompanying horse crap -- so steer clear.  The park, while huge, wasn't overly impressive compared to New York's central park although the history pre-dates the aesthetic considerations that Central Park would have had.  For example, Rotten Row was established to allow William III easier passage between palaces -- tough life. I didn't hear anyone ranting at the famous Speaker's Corner but we'll stop by again on the weekend.

King's Private Road -- aka Rotten Row

After clocking 8km around the park I hiked back up Park Lane past all the swanky hotels to hit the shower.  The fam was still sound sleep so I showered and headed over to Selfridges -- London's equiv of Holt's on steroids -- to kill some time.  On the way back I grabbed dinner to bring back to our "home" as Julie keeps calling it.  Surprisingly, everyone was still asleep!  Needless to say, jetlag should be cleared up after today and we'll set our sights on seeing a bit more of London tomorrow.

Sleeping with our arms up is cool in London.