We used Go-Today to book a week in London over Christmas week. We left Sunday evening, December 22nd, from O’Hare.

We arrived Monday, December 23, around 0800 and caught the airport shuttle to our hotel, the lovely Kensington Close off High Street. I left Alex dozing on the bed while I went out to get 7-day travel cards for the Underground and change money.

I visited London in 1989 when we were living in West Germany. We drove to Belgium then took the ferry from Ostende to Dover and met my parents there for a week. We all went to see the Cabinet War Rooms, but Alex was a toddler and being fussy so my Mom and I just went to St. James Park and walked around while my ex and Dad visited. I tried in 2001 when Alex and I spent a week in London and Paris. I didn’t check hours and it was closed when I tried to visit the last day, so I missed it again. I was determined to see this museum this trip.

After I picked Alex up we went straight to the Cabinet War Rooms, part of the Imperial War Museum. We spent about 1 1/2 hours here, the underground rooms where Churchill and his ministers directed the British government and the plans for WWII. Even Alex was interested or at least faked it well enough not to be annoying as I enjoyed the exhibits and amazing history.

We went on to Trafalgar Square to see the huge Christmas tree, a gift from Norway every year since 1947. There are many events happening in the square, carolers and more, and, of course, the huge Nelson’s Column, honoring Admiral Nelson, Britain’s most famous Naval hero, and his win over the French and Spanish during the important battle of Trafalgar.

On our way to the British Museum we also went through Leicester Square, home of the theater district, and bought tickets for Thursday and Friday. We had some so-so pizza for lunch then went on the museum staying until they closed at 1700. This was my first visit to the museum in multiple visits to London. Amazing artifacts and exhibits, but, like other history museums, it reminds me of western imperialism and colonial history, with all the items they have from other countries. Many of their items have been taken from their home countries when under British colonial rule and those countries have requested they be returned, such as the “Elgin Marbles” from the Parthenon in Athens or the Rosetta Stone from Egypt. 

Back in Kensington, we found a little pub, the Princess Victoria, where we split a big plate of appetizers for dinner. We went back to hotel for an early night after our overnight flight.

Tuesday was Christmas Eve. We spent most of the day shopping on Oxford and Regent’s Streets. Alex got new black boots, from Clark’s, black pants, a white shirt with ruffles down the front from Marks & Spencer, plus dark Godiva chocolates. All the stores were packed with last minute shoppers. We found a Slug and Lettuce, from the “London for Less” coupon book we were given by Go-Today, and had a good lunch, Lincolnshire sausages and mash. I don’t remember any good meals whatsoever during our visit in 1989, but this was a very good meal.

We went back to High Street and we stayed until around 1800, and then found an Italian place, Bella, for dinner.

Christmas Day, we had booked a tour with Golden Tours, Salisbury and Bath. I packed Alex’s stocking and a few gifts I had purchased for her. I told her the shopping she had planned to do was going to be a majority of her Christmas gifts and she was quite happy with that. After Alex emptied her stocking, and I opened the gift she bought me (the Rolling Stones 40 Licks) we caught the bus, provided by the tour company, to their office. We changed buses for our tour. First stop was Stonehenge. Unfortunately, the site wasn’t open but we stopped to see it and walk around the perimeter. My first and only visit, unfortunately.

We went to Salisbury and arrived in time for the 1145 Christmas Day service. We had time to walk around the Cathedral before meeting back up for lunch at 1330. Due to the tour company not confirming reservations with the restaurant, we didn’t get in until 1430 then didn’t get served until 1530. Our bus left at 1600 for Bath. It was almost dark by this time so we didn’t get to see the area and it was fully dark by the time we got to Bath. We drove around for about 20 minutes not seeing much more than street lights. Very disappointed in the company and this tour.

We made it back to London around 1930. Nothing was open so we ordered room service (sort of). We ordered some BLTs (made with Canadian bacon) and ate them in the lounge while we played cribbage. I know it’s not fair to travel during the holidays and expect everything to be open and other people to be working. I do respect all the people who provide essential services, not limited to hospital workers, fire and police, and of course, the hospitality workers. They are all appreciated. Christmas Day, the Underground in London is closed. 

On Boxing Day, we slept in. After breakfast we went downtown to go on one of the tours with London Walks, the Famous Square Mile, with Julia as our guide. We saw the original site of the Roman settlement, Londonium. We also went to the Leadenhall Market, the city’s first covered and one of its oldest markets, the gorgeous St. Paul’s, Guildhall, the Bank of London, and lots of narrow alleys. We saw lots of great old buildings and heard lots of interesting history on the earliest residents of the area.

I am not sure I would have noticed all the Roman ruins without the tour. Londonium was originally a settlement established on the current around 47–50CE. It was located on the River Thames serving as a major port and commercial center for the Roman Empire until around the 5th c. 

After the walk we went to Oxford Street and had lunch at the Slug & Lettuce again. It was good, they had a large enough menu to get different items, plus I was getting 20% off with my “London for Less” card.

We did some more browsing and shopping in the stores, the ones open at least. Lots of things were still closed for the holidays. We went back to the hotel to change clothes for the theater. Alex put on her new outfit – black pants, frilly white shirt and new black boots. My daughter is very beautiful!

We took the underground to Leicester Square. We wandered around looking for some place good for dinner and found a Hogshead Pub, also in my “London for Less” book. We took a wrong turn leaving the restaurant and headed in the wrong direction from the theater. We barely made it to St. Martin’s in time for the show, “The Mousetrap” by Agatha Christie, the world’s longest running play. It was a great show. I have read all of Christie’s books and short stories so knew the murderer but both Alex and I enjoyed the show very much. She kept whispering guesses to me and never did get it right. We got back to the hotel around 2300.

Holidays are officially over after Boxing Day, so everything was open again on Friday, December 27th. We went to the Tower of London. It was my third visit but I really love the place, 1000 years of history. It is a very expensive ticket, but there is a lot to see. We took a tour this time, with a Beefeater named Alan. We saw the Chapel Royal of St. John the Evangelist for the first time, plus the Crown Jewels again.

I spent a ridiculous amount of money on a board game called “Outrage! – Steal the Crown Jewels”. Not sure why we bought this, vacation syndrome? People “buy leather jackets for much more than they are worth” and also other stupid items when on vacation. We never played it and I tried to sell it for several decades, repeatedly lowering the cost, and ended up just donating it. 

After the Tower, we went to Oxford Street again and found a pub called the Old Explorer for a late lunch. More shopping. After returning to the hotel to change, we went to the Duke of York Theater to see “Stones in His Pockets”. What a great show! At intermission, both Alex and I said that we didn’t think we were going to like it during the first 10 minutes or so. There were two actors using a bunch of different voices for 15 different characters. But it was wonderful. It was an interesting story and the actors did a fantastic job. 

On Saturday, we took the 1000 Shakespeare’s London Walk. Our guide, Emily, was very knowledgeable. We all got to say some Shakespeare lines at the site of the original Globe Theater. We saw the New Globe and lots of London I hadn’t seen before on the south side of the Thames. After stopping at The George, a pub and restaurant from the 1600’s where both Shakespeare and Dickens hung out, we took the tube to Camden for the Saturday Market.

Alex, at 15, said she was a little “intimidated”, there were lots of “punk” people running around with spikes on their faces and big black boots. I thought it was fun and interesting. I also appreciated that it wasn’t packed wall-to-wall like the market in Rome we visited. I bought Alex a long grey wool coat here.

We left around 1500 to return to the hotel, then went to Somerset House to go ice skating. Unfortunately, all the times were already booked so we went down to Tower Hill and had dinner. We went for another London Walk, Jack the Ripper at 1930 with Peter. We walked all through Whitechapel seeing sites associated with Jack. Another great tour and guide.

We had an afternoon flight, Sunday the 29th, and weren’t getting picked up until around 1300, so we went back to Oxford Street to return a bathing suit Alex bought. The hotel had a very nice pool and she had forgotten to pack one, but we never had a chance to use it anyway. We also picked up a knockoff Burberry scarf for 5 pounds, an original is 175!

We returned to the hotel then to the airport. We had time to buy some more Godiva, dark chocolate truffles this time. We had lunch and wandered around the stores. After having to use my ATM card to get more money, I had 20 pounds left over to turn in at the airport, at a loss of course.

We had an uneventful flight and we made it back to Chicago around 1800. What a lovely holiday week.