London – A Royal Adventure

The capital of Great Britain holds a special place in my heart. Since I was small I had dreams of visiting London. Maybe because so many of the stories I’d read and films I saw as a child were set there – Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks. It always seemed like a magical place, so the first time I visited there at the age of 16 was a childhood dream realized. My father flew us over direct from New Orleans on British Airways. I remember a very lame film on the plane (“H.M.S. Pinafore”) and about half an hour before landing, my sister accidentally upended her food tray into my lap on my white pants. I had a puddle of Coke in my shoe and a brown stain across my waist when we arrived, but I was still happy when we landed at Gatwick. The train into the city was like something out of a film and when we got to our hotel, The Cumberland at Marble Arch, it felt as if we had stepped into a storybook. I remember the smells and sounds and different accents of the staff, as well as the abundance of Indian guests milling in the hotel lobby. My father had booked one large room for the three of us to stay in, but this wasn’t ready, so the staff asked if we would be happy with three Single rooms. This was even better and my sister and I were thrilled to have our own private rooms on different floors of the hotel for the full week. Once we’d checked in, we went across to Hyde Park and walked around the meadows. My father took us on a double-decker tour bus, which was fun – until jetlag kicked in and we all ended up falling asleep.

London has so much history and so many amazing buildings and monuments – Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey – and we visited them all. The highlight for me on this particular visit was going to the top of St. Paul’s Cathedreal. I initially just wanted to climb up to the interior dome, but then learned you could go all the way to the very top. I kept going higher and higher, giving little thought to my family waiting (not so) patiently below. The view from the top of the spire was something I will never forget.

Another memorable excursion was a boat ride down the Thames to Hampton Court Palace, last home of Henry VIII. The structure and grounds were vast and impressive. I particularly remember the indoor tennis court and the hedge maze.

We attended a showing of Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” – which at the time was the longest running show in the West End. And the show is still playing more than 30 years later. My father kept calling it “The Mouse that Roared” by accident and got several strange looks from the theatre staff.

A visit to Portobello Road was another favorite. I purchased a classic bowler hat from one of the vendors and felt very English. Harrod’s department store and Madame Tussaud’s wax museum were also high on the list. During a more recent visit to the Baker Street area, I went to the Sherlock Holmes house and museum. The classic book was actually set at a fictional address, but they have created a faux resident for the famous detective, with everything detailed down to his chair and pipe. Visitors to London can also see one of the last homes of author Charles Dickens, which includes several original notebooks and manuscripts.

Today, I have probably been to London more than two dozen times. One of my favorite neighborhoods to stay in is Mayfair, which is catty-corner to both Green Park – a short jaunt to Buckingham Palace – and Hyde Park, with a nest of wonderful little shops and restaurants in between called the Shepherd Market. The city never ceases to amaze and inspire me.