To celebrate my 40th birthday my girlfriend arranged a last-minute trip to England. We had 100 hours and wanted to make the most of our limited time. We had to move fast so we could see and do as much as possible. This was not what I would call a “budget trip.”
Day 1 – Arrival
Upon our morning rush-hour arrival we check in to our hotel, the luxurious Royal Horseguards Hotel. Fighting jet lag, we spent the remainder of our first day exploring St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tower of London, and Borough Market.
Day 2 – English Heritage Tour
Our second day had an early start. We had booked ourselves on a day-long bus tour to check out the highlights of southern England; Windsor, Bath, and Stonehenge. Our visits to each location were brief and the drive long. The tour was described by the guide as a “highlight tour” and encouraged us to move quickly. Thanks to slow traffic, we had all of 45 minutes to explore Bath and just a little more time at Windsor and Stonehenge.
Day 3 – Princess Charlotte
The plan for our third day was to start by visiting Westminster Abbey. We had pre-purchased tickets assuming we would be able to by-pass the line to go in. What we found was an hours-long line of people holding tickets. We really wanted to visit the Abbey, but on this trip our time was too precious.
Instead, we headed toward Buckingham Palace, walking through the Horse Guards Parade and St. James Park. Hordes of people were at the Palace. We ran into a few others there that, like us, were wondering what all the commotion was about. A quick check of the news headlines on my phone gave us the answer – the new princess had been born that morning; Princess Charlotte.
To celebrate her birth, we decided to have a proper English Tea. We found that the nearby InterContinental Hotel was about to start their tea service and had a table available. We selected the Royal Tea which had been designed for the Queen’s Jubilee.
After tea, we walked over to Harrods. Everyone has to check out Harrods at least the first time they visit London. If you like giant, crowded, and expensive department stores, this is the place for you. It’s not the place for me.
Our final stop of the day was a trip across town to 221B Baker Street, the Sherlock Holmes Museum. Unfortunately the museum was closing as we arrived, but we did have a brief chance to visit the gift shop.
Day 4 – Joel
Our final day in England started with a boat ride down the Thames to Greenwich. We explored the area marking the Prime Meridian and wandered through the small town. After returning to London and meandering through the streets, we unexpectedly found ourselves at Trafalgar Square. Here we had plenty of time before our final stop of the trip to visit the National Gallery.
After cleaning up at the hotel, it was time for the the final birthday celebration; dinner at L’Atelier De Joel Robuchon.
Lessons Learned
- Every meal is served with peas, fresh or mushy. I hate peas.
- Steak & ale pie, served in many pubs, is wonderful.
- Cream tea does not include any tea.
- A table with a view at Joel Robuchon faces the kitchen. What else would you want to see?
