London was a memorable trip for us, and we cleared about a week to explore the city for my birthday. Today’s blog post will be about our experience in London and tips for exploring the city.
First-Class Seats
Our trip to London started with a bang. We chose London in the pursuit of experiencing the first-class cabin for the first time. Our trip was in the middle of winter, but as I’ve mentioned in a previous blog post, sometimes this can have its advantages. To obtain the prized seats, we flew in the opposite direction using our higher priority passes and transfer status to get on the top of the standby list. Our plan worked!
Our first-class seats were an experience all on their own. We were greeted by pajamas, amenity kits, slippers, and cozy-looking accommodations when we found our seats. Bedding was available for each passenger, as well as a large TV screen with a remote and a giant seat that could recline completely flat or spin to use as a desk chair, noise-canceling headphones, dinner menus, our own bin space, charging ports and cubbies for your things. We were presented with a pre-departure beverage delivered in a glass (not plastic) while we perused the menu. We had choices of apps, entrees, and desserts. Our tables were adorned with tablecloths and we placed our drink orders.
Meal Service
Dinner began with warm nuts and olives to prepare the pallet. Following the aperitifs, my soup course came. It was a creamy butternut squash soup served with warm bread. The soup was wonderfully flavored. They whisked away the dishes and brought the appetizers. I ordered shrimp, which also came with a lovely salad. The cold shrimp were succulent and tasty. Next arrived our entrees; crab cakes and salmon. These were fresh and delicious. We were getting quite full, but it was time for dessert nonetheless. Having heard previous rave reviews of the ice cream sundae, I chose this with berries. It was amazing, but too big to finish. Not to worry, if we got hungry later, snacks were available between the cabins.






Tired from an abundant feast, we decided to try out the lie-down seats and attempt to sleep. I changed into my provided PJs and brushed my teeth in the first-class-only bathroom while a flight attendant prepared my bed. He placed a mat down and assembled the bedding. The armrest even reclined for maximum space. I climbed in and attempted to sleep. It was remarkable to conceive that something like this exists in the air and that I experienced it. The flight attendant could tell it was our first time and delivered incredible service to make it memorable. We were served breakfast after our rest to complete our incredible journey. Upon exiting the plane, we breezed through the e-passport line and headed into the city on the tube. (I recommend using the restroom on the plane before landing so you do not have to stop before immigration.)
Parades
We chose the Hoxton Southwark and used a $200 hotel credit on our credit card to reduce the cost of our stay. This worked out great because it was right between all the tourist spots. (Pack comfortable shoes because walking is a great way to experience the city.) We stumbled upon many sights on foot that we would not have otherwise seen. In one such stumbling, we came across the Chinese New Year celebration and parade. It is the second-largest Chinese New Year parade other than in China itself. Intrigued, we watched the glittering dragons dance above us in the crowd as the beating drums marched the parade ahead.
Having seen enough of the spectacle and not wanting to miss the changing of the guard, we ventured off to Buckingham Palace. It was extremely crowded. I imagine it would be unmanageable during the high season. We were not early, so we did not have a fabulous vantage point but proceeded into a somewhat agreeable viewpoint. As musicians, we enjoyed hearing the various bands march in. We were surprised that the music was of a popular variety. I was expecting more patriotic or ceremonial-type music. My favorite selection they performed was the The Queens Gambit theme song. As a soundtrack lover, I was excited they would choose this. We had our fill and decided to move on to other activities.

London Pass
We had purchased the London Pass for our visit since it was our first time in London. Because we acquired the pass, we wanted to get a decent bang for our buck. The museums in London are free, so we decided to reserve most of them for a return visit when we would not buy the London pass. Despite this, we did not let it deter us from sights, even if that meant doing something not on the London Pass.
We found that sometimes having too rigid of an itinerary can inhibit the enjoyment of a trip. At times we had planned an activity, but in the moment, we just wanted to relax. One of these times, we were tired from walking, so we decided to partake in a leisurely activity: afternoon tea at Roast. We each selected a pot of tea of our choosing and we’re presented with a tower adorned with finger sandwiches, scones, and pastries. It was a delightful experience that provided a much-needed rebrief for our tired feet.

Transportation
Along with walking, we used the Tube and the hop-on hop-off bus (part of the London pass) to get around the city. Transportation was easy to navigate. One thing to note is that the bus included with the London Pass is not the most popular route. Using the Tube was simple. We used Google/Apple Pay on the scanners. Remember to scan out of the card reader when exiting the train station, or you will have to pay a fee. It is pretty clear where to scan.
A tap-and-pay option on your phone is advisable so you do not have to fumble around with your wallet entering the train. Be sure your card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees if you opt for this payment method over an oyster card. The fare was reasonable, and each travel zone had a daily cap on train fare. Most tourist destinations are in the same zones (zones 1 and 2).
Worship Spaces
We saw some truly magnificent places of worship on our trip. Visiting churches around London was one of my favorite parts of the city. We walked through Westminster Cathedral, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, St. Martin and the Fields, and Southwark Cathedral. Southwark Cathedral and Westminster Cathedral we just stumbled upon by walking. We enjoyed the organ in the Southwark Cathedral and the impressive mosaics and architecture in the Westminster Cathedral.
St Paul’s Cathedral
St. Paul’s Cathedral was a breathtaking experience. It was massive and included an informative audio guide that explained various aspects of the building and its construction. Everywhere there was something magnificent to observe. We were fortunate to hear organ here as well. We were unaware of it prior, but you can climb to the top of St. Paul’s and view the city. When we saw the opportunity, we decided to go for it. As you go further up, the spiral stairs get increasingly narrow. We had great timing because we reached the top without too many others. As we neared the bottom of our descent, an enormous school group was all climbing to the top. It would have been an entirely different experience at the top working around a crowd of people.
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey was also a marvel. It was striking and covered in adornments anywhere the eye could gaze. The graves underneath the floor were especially memorable. Many famous people were buried there, including several esteemed composers. We admired the graves of George Frederich Handel, Henry Purcell, Ralph Vaughn Williams, Edward Elgar, and Benjamin Britten. As musicians ourselves, these especially piqued our interest. Many other famous people were buried in Westminster Abbey as well. The coronation chair was also in the Abbey.
We also stumbled upon St. Martin in the Fields and a group of choristers singing Ave Maria. This church is known for being a place for recording music. We were lucky to hear its bells chime. Like Big Ben‘s bells, it was a sound to behold. All of these places of worship were stupendous. Make sure to be respectful in places of worship and follow any posted or cultural guidelines.













Attractions
Some highlights from our time in the city included Big Ben, a tour of Ben Franklin’s only surviving house (as an electrical apprentice I found this especially interesting), the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the British Museum, Tate Modern, and Shakespeare Globe Theatre. Ben Franklin’s house offered a fun historical tour. We did not have to wait in line to see the crown jewels at the Tower of London because we were there in the off-season. Definitely go straight to the Crown Jewels when it opens to avoid waiting in line. One of our favorite features in the Tower of London was the ravens. We had never seen a raven before, and they were spectacular.
We loved the Tower Bridge and the views from the top. There was an adrenaline-pumping windowed floor to stand on and view the river far below. There were also sliding windows for photo-ops. The British Museum has the most extensive assortment of Egyptian artifacts outside of Egypt. The museum was huge, so in order to avoid museum fatigue, we focused on the Egyptian exhibit and a few other specific things we wanted to see. We found the display captivating, but sad that the objects had been taken from Egypt.
The Arts
As people who do not generally enjoy modern art, Tate Modern came as a surprise to us. There were several exhibits we found compelling. Our favorites included a tower of boom-boxes all programmed to a different radio station creating a unique listening experience for each listener as it never sounded the same from one moment to the next. For us, the effect was rather haunting. Being musicians, we also appreciated the modern orchestral score for a bird orchestra. This exhibit put birdsong to notation and included surround sound speakers performing an orchestra of birdsong recordings. There was also a unique painting, Atlantic Civilisation, that spoke to the Americanization of Europe and the adverse effects that this has had on their society.
We especially enjoyed our experience at the Shakespeare Globe Theatre reconstruction because we had a tiny tour group and were one of only two groups. As a result, we had a very customized experience with a hilarious guide. Apparently up to four hundred people could be touring it at peak times. When we were at the theatre, there were maybe twenty people.






More!
We saw many more things in the city, like monuments, statues, buildings of importance, iconic buses and telephone booths, and more. I highly recommend seeing a show while in London. We were able to procure rush tickets to a Broadway musical. It was one of the highlights of our trip! Be sure to be on the lookout a few hours before shows to score cheap seats like we did. The app TodayTix is helpful for this. London is overflowing with theatre culture. I would consider it a must-do thing when in the city. There are more than forty theaters in London to choose from! I would also recommend taking at least one tour in order to understand what you are looking at and the history. Along with all of these things, we also saw:
- Royal College of Music
- Robert Napier Statue
- Queen Skate Dine Bowl
- Royal Albert hall
- Albert Memorial
- Whitehall
- Dawning Street
- Buckingham Palace Japanese Art Exhibit
- Covent Garden
- Seven Dials
- Royal Horse Museum
- Chinatown
- Victoria Tower
- Monument of the Great Fire of London
- Oxford Street
- Regent Street
- The Shard
- Eros Statue
- Cleopatra’s Needle
- Leicester Square
- Admiralty Arch



Ideas for Another Trip
We missed many sights in London, but we expect we will be back. When we return, some things we would be interested in doing are:
- Taking a day trip to Bath/Stonehenge and Windsor Castle
- St. Dunstan in the East (church garden)
- The National Gallery (European Art)
- Highgate Cemetery
- Camden Market
- Harrod’s (luxury store, fun window browsing)
- Carnaby Street
- 7 Sisters, Coal Drops Yard
- Hampstead Heath (park that inspired Narnia)
- Churchill War Rooms
- Old Royal Naval College (architecture and art)
- Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club
- Day trip to Canterbury (cathedral/river tour)
- Day trip to Cambridge (Kettle’s Yard, Fitzwilliam Museum, the colleges)
- Day trip punting on the River Cam (boat ride)
- River tour and the London Eye
- King’s Road
- Kensington High St.
- Notting Hill
- Royal Albert Hall Tour
- Parliament Tour
- St. James Palace
- Wellington Arch
- Marble Arch
- St. James Park
- Royal Opera House
- St. Mary Le Strand
- St. Clement Danes
- Royal Courts of Justice
- Uber Boat
- Globe Theatre Shakespeare Show
- London Symphony Performance
- Mercato Mayfair (market in a church)
While in London, we used our credit card, with no international fees exclusively. We had no need to obtain British Pounds. Jet lag was difficult. I had an upset stomach for a large part of the trip. Next time I would try the time-shifter app to aid in transitioning between time zones. We were lucky that it only rained once on our trip. However, rain is typical in London, so remember an umbrella.
Food
To conclude our trip to London, it would be inconceivable not to mention the food. London is saturated with adorable pubs and fantastic places to eat. We tried Three Crowns and The Kings Head. I ordered fish and chips at The King’s Head, which was fantastic. Bryan ordered the Scottish shrimp and game suet pudding. On a return trip, I would try fish and chips at an exclusively fish and chips place for comparison.
Markets
There are many markets that have spectacular food. In Borough Market I enjoyed a mushroom risotto, Bryan had a meat pie and we shared a cane sugar juice. I had a delicious Malaysian meal of fish curry and chutneys at Market Hall Victoria in a street food court. It was possibly my favorite food from the trip. Bryan got a pasta dish. We had a fun meal in Chinatown, but I might skip it on a future trip. We enjoyed pasta at Padella near Borough Market. At Pink Royal Doughnut, we indulged in both beautiful and tasty doughnuts. \
More!
Finally, we ate at Gordon Ramsey’s Bread Street Kitchen. We had fabulous specialty cocktails and an incredible Tuna Tartar. I ordered the fish and Bryan ordered the pork belly. We also ate breakfast at the hotel with a $100 credit we had to spend from the credit card (see post on our travel credit card) . I wished I had sampled Indian food, and Bryan was upset to have missed out on a Sunday Roast. If we were to return, we would accomplish these food bucket list items and seek out a scotch egg, Bangers and Mash, an English Breakfast, Middle Eastern food, and Yorkshire Pudding. With so many more places to visit and things to eat, we know we must return!







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