Seasons and hues of London
Updated: Feb 5, 2019
Living in Portsmouth, an island city tucked in the southern coast of England just 75 miles from London meant we were always hopping a train or a coach to London on a whim.
To us, London is synonymous with liberation. It is bustling, vibrant and diverse in every sense – multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural. And its beauty is unparalleled. We have seen the gray of the winter, the green of the spring and the crimson and yellow of the fall; the gleaming sunshine of the day, the dreary cold of the night and incessant drizzling in between. And we are in love with all of that!
We have a lot of favourite things-to-do in London, so we thought better put them in a list and let the world know
1. Buckingham Palace
What an imposing structure! The boulevard leading to the palace is amazing and it’s wonderful to see the change of guards ceremony but you must go early and find yourself a place to get a good view, because the place gets ridiculously crammed with people during the ceremonial hours
2. Hyde Park
A 10-minute walk from the Buckingham Palace, and you are transported to quaint space in the middle of a bustling city. lo and behold, Manicured gardens, nibbling squirrels, ducks floating in the lake will soothe your senses!
3. Royal Observatory and National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
Wouldn’t it be fun to stand over the (imaginary) line that divides the earth into Eastern and Western half-spheres!! Greenwich is the home to that line, the 0 degree Longitude marked by a metallic strip running through the Royal Observatory. One moment, you are in the Western hemisphere. Then you jump over the line and reach the Eastern hemisphere. Or you can stand across the line, feet slightly parted and be in both the hemispheres at the same time! WOAH, the science geek in me is satiated.
Given the maritime heritage, why not arrive in style on a boat at this lovely neighbourhood! I boarded the Thames Clippers’ Catarman, and the ride was interesting, dropping me at the Greenwich pier.
Greenwich is a pleasant place that has it all – parks, a hill atop which the Royal observatory is nestled, museums, riverside street market, and great connectivity through road, rail, water and even the cable car!
The hill is inside a beautiful well manicured park, so one has to stroll a bit and then walk the ramp to the top of the hill to reach the observatory. Quite an effort!
But once there, the view of London cityscape is incredible and well worth it.
Sometimes I like to check the facts myself you see So the phone isn’t pointing to exact 0 Degrees 0 Minutes and 0 Seconds because the phone GPS uses the geodetic reference and the strip is marked using astronomical reference, both these references yielding meridians 102 m apart!
There’s a bright red ball on the top of the observatory that will unmistakably catch your attention. I come to know that this is a time ball, a time signalling device from the past era that was dropped at 1 p.m. everyday to facilitate the navigators aboard offshore ships. Though obsolete now, it is still dropped everyday for the visitors to take a look. I quickly check time. Tsk! It’s already past that.
There’s a lot of history literally ‘hanging’ out there, this place seriously deserves a visit!
The other two gems in the area are the National Maritime Museum and Cutty Sark, world’s only surviving extreme clipper, now serving as a museum ship.
4. London Eye
Be it a sunny day in summer or a chilly evening in winter, London Eye is never a bad idea! I am in love with the vibe of that area, thumping like it’s the heart of the city. This area has some great cafés, good food, magnificent views and the most happening waterfront.
And it is London’s official hot spot for kicking off the new year. You might have to brave the cold and the crowds, but the spectacular display of fireworks will be all yours to savour!
5. London Underground
More commonly known as Tube, it is world’s first underground railway network. Though not entirely below the ground now, this service has been there for over a century and a half. It has played such a crucial role in defining the culture and way of life that there are songs, poems and blogs dedicated to the underground, some of them pretty hilarious! Being the underground newbie, I could only marvel at the love-hate relationship that Londoners have with this inevitable part of their life.
Even the stations come in all shapes and sizes. Some were bright and beautiful, while others were damp and sad with dingy passageways and unending stairwells. I mostly found myself amid chaos, people shuttling in all directions making me lose my bearings. But to me, the underground symbol will always be a symbol of a reassurance of reaching home.
6. Historic buildings and monuments
Owing to the rich English heritage, London is packed with iconic landmarks such as Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, Tower Bridge and Horse Guards Parade and you must treat your eyes with the grandeur and the compelling architecture that London has to offer!
7. Contemporary architecture
Besides the traditional, victorian and gothic architectural styles, London has beautifully embraced the modern architecture that delightfully decorates it’s skyline by the day, and dazzles the onlookers by the night. My favourites are the Millenium Dome, City Hall, The Shard, Gherkin and the Canary Wharf Tower.
8. Sherlock Holmes Museum
With the BBC series Sherlock stoking the most obsessed squad of Holmes fanatics ever (including myself), his fictional London address has become a mecca and I showed up to pay my tribute as well.
221B, Baker Street, London much like the character Sherlock himself, was borne out of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s ingenious mind. In fact, at the time of writing the stories and for many years after that, the last number on that lane was 85. Later, a block of buildings from 219 to 229 was allotted to the Abbey National Building society, which then started getting flooded with letters addressed to Sherlock Holmes. Many years later now, building 239 (probably the nearest available in the series) has now been readdressed to 221B and it is a special address recognized by the post office.
Since 1990, The world’s most famous address houses the Sherlock Holmes Museum decorated with the artefacts and ephemera lying around. The character has truly transcended time, almost a century now.
9. Southall
Anirudh and I – We are everything that Southall represents – Asian, Indian and even Punjabi! It was inevitable for us to feel the connection even before visiting this neighbourhood. As soon as we were out on the Southall Broadway, we felt at home with the place. The smells, sounds and sights felt familiar. Even though there is a dark side to the place, we recommend a visit to this ‘little South Asia’ if you are into street food, exotic spices, Indian curries, clothes, jewellery, Mosques or Gurudwaras. You’ll love being here!
10. Portobello Road
This cosy lane is located in the Notting Hill district, meandering and curving along the entire length of it. On Saturdays, it turns into Portobello Road Market – the hot-bed for buying clothes and antiques. I didn’t visit on a Saturday, nonetheless this place felt intimate with a coloured streetscape and a culture of its own. The narrow windy lane transported me to another world as I saw every building coloured in bright hues of yellow, red, maroon, blue, green, teal.
11. Piccadilly circus
Super loud, super bright and super busy is how I would describe it. This shopping, dining and entertainment district makes a fun place to walk and observe people. There’s a buzz in the air and it gives us a lot of energy
12. Thames Riverfront
London is a walkers’ paradise. The area on the South bank of River Thames stretching from London Bridge to Tower Bridge makes a beautiful stroll with a perfect view of Tower of London and HMS Belfast anchored in the River on the left and City hall on the right. I have walked this path a couple of times and it has been a treat :)
13. Budget stay options
There are, without a doubt many budget stay options in London but you can’t go wrong with hostels for their ambience, subtlety and the laid back culture. We stayed at YHA London Thameside and loved this place mainly for its location. This is tucked in a quiet corner of London offering great views and walks along the River. Even the walk to the nearby tube station turned into a delight all thanks to the placement of this property.
14. Quick bites
These are the two places that had me hooked. Lovely coffee, great sandwiches, fast service – what’s not to love about Pret. And Wagamama, without fail offered me droolworthy noodles every single time. nom nom nom
London is so many things to so many people. How does London make you feel? What are your favourite nooks and corners in the city? Do share with us :)
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