Sometimes you can get tanned even in London, trip to the United Kingdom capital

Flight Milan Linate - London Heathrow with Alitalia
Overnight at the Hotel Victor in 51 Belgrave Road, Victoria (London SW1 2BB) with breakfast included.

Good sites to find information:
www.visitlondon.com (may also require submission of information)
www.nileguide.com (can build their own customized guide - English only)

To book a ticket to the theater: http://www.londontheatredirect.com/

Remember to retrieve an adapter for the power.
Are welcome and credit cards for cash is sufficient to take with their ATMs at banks (SEPA)

 

London we are coming!!!!

This time, thanks to the Mille Miglia, we fly with British Airways from Heathrow to Linate.

The flight is quiet except for a passenger under 10 who decides to give vent to the lungs. When we land, we are told that the sky is overcast and there are 16 ° C.

At the airport there are the passport control, but the formalities for EU passengers are fast and when we get to tape the bags are still unseen.

We collect the tickets from Heathrow Connect machines that we had booked via the Internet (www.heathrowconnect.com). The airport is so large that the transfer between terminals is done with the underground!! We move from T4 to Central and expect our train.

In about half an hour we arrive at Paddington (nearly a yard!) And we recover our Oyster Card (3GBP deposit) to travel more freely (for information: https: / / oyster.tfl.gov.uk / oyster / entry . do).
With the Circle Line to Victoria Station and arrive with a walk we reach the Hotel Victor (www.victorhotel.co.uk/).
The structure is very characteristic and also the location of the room: in the basement! The room is small and spartan, but clean, the real drawback is the tiny sink! On the positive side however is the number 14 bus stop just outside the entrance!

But now it's late and hunger is felt: we go out now ..... and we opt for a Mexican restaurant (Loco Mexicano, 64 Wilton Road) just around the corner.

And with this note Tropical close our first hours in London ....

First day in London

In Italy we celebrate the Republic ... From our room "underground" celebrate the blue sky and clear that welcomes us to wake up!

Breakfast is only served until 9 o'clock, a bell'incentivo to start early the first day walking around London. We stuffed with coffee and toast and then .... off!

We set off immediately to visit the beautiful Westminster Abbey (www.westminster-abbey.org - an hour with an Italian audio guide) costs 15 GBP per person, but at least it does not take nor other grants from the Queen, nor by the State or the Church. Unfortunately you can not take pictures, but the elegance and majesty of the church are famous throughout the world.

Turned the corner we find the House of Parliament and Big Ben: we admire them both also from the bridge and then continued towards the 10 Downing Street, but it can be seen only by the cancellation.

Turning to the case in front of the Museum of the Horse Guards (Guards House), we see a concert of the band riding (about 11 hours) preparing for Buckingham Palace and the changing of the guard ceremony.

We follow the horsemen to the Mall with its many elegant flags and then turn towards Trafalgar Square where we stop for a break and get some sun.
We walk along the Strand (But we miss the Twinnings at 216 Strand) and come to Temple, with its manicured gardens.
Since the Inner Temple (www.templechurch.com) is still closed, we get to eat our first Fish & Chips by Ye Olde Cock Tavern.

For dessert we enjoy a visit to church this simple but delicious, became famous for a scene of The Da Vinci Code.

We head towards St Paul's (www.stpauls.co.uk), but before tackling the visit, take a walk along the Millennium Brige to the Globe Theatre (www.shakespeares-globe.org).

Let's go back and after we get a nap on the lawn in St Paul's (12.50 GBP plus audio guide for those who wish). Also face up to three levels of the dome, even if we feel a little weighed down after lunch are quite heavy. The first level is within the reach of many, and you can admire the interior of the cathedral known as the Gallery of Sighs.
The second level is more challenging and leads to the outdoor terraces that offer beautiful views, including a column and the other in London.
The third set of stairs (spiral) is a tough test, but pays off with a beautiful 360-'(and sight) of the city.

After leaving St Paul's, we head to foot to Monument (www.themonument.info), the column commemorating the Great Fire of 1666. For today we have had enough of stairs: we give up the certificate of participation that is given to the climbers and we go to admire the walkway of Tower Bridge from London Bridge.

Succumbing to exhaustion, take the bus to go back to Monument 15, which brings us back to Regent's Street and Piccadilly Circus.

The walk through the shopping streets (including a trip to Carnaby Street) takes us from Fortnum & Mason (www.fortnumandmason.com), but its shelves of jams and you are too endless to the limited time available to us! We intend to come back and we go to pick up the tickets for the musical this evening: Grease at the Piccadilly Theatre!!

When we get a pleasant surprise given that the balcony is closed, we "promote" free in the audience, with very good seats (row number L 5-6).

After the show (beautiful), we find ourselves wandering into the hotel looking for a place to dine, but the location offers almost no choice!
We find ourselves in a steakhouse by the parties in the case of Victoria.

We eat dinner and run quickly in the hotel: we deserve a good sleep!

A cruise on the Thames to relax the legs

Even today we wake up with the blue sky and bright. The weather even say that between Friday and Saturday could reach 27 ° C!!

After breakfast we walk to the Westminster Pier, Big Ben first because the program includes a cruise on the Thames to Greenwich (www.citycruises.com/)!

Buy a day pass so you can get on and off at will (Rail River Rover
13.50 GBP each) and we sit outside in the upper deck. The trip takes about an hour and a quarter (including several intermediate stops) and a leader (a volunteer) explains in English the main attractions that can be seen along the banks of the Thames.

Landed in Greenwich walk in the park and between ii palaces overlooking the Thames and then visit the National Maritime Museum (www.nmm.ac.uk - free), where he kept the uniform that Nelson was wearing when he was killed.

Then buy two sandwiches and soft drinks and suddenly a picnic on the lawn around the museum.

Walking through the park, we arrive at the Royal Observatory, the better the view and the museum of clocks. And of course you can not miss the hole at the turn of the prime meridian!

Then we take the cruise, this time going up the Thames and we stop to visit the Tower of London (www.hrp.org.uk - less than 17 GBP). The fort is a complex labyrinth of things to see: trenches, moats, towers and exhibitions ... to the delight of adults and children.
Of course we decide to make the line for the crown jewels, shimmering and majestic.

We take the boat (this time crowded) to go near Big Ben because we want to try the London Eye (www.londoneye.com - £ 18:50 per person), the huge Ferris wheel that rotates very slowly (one mile per hour) for possible to do a lot of good pictures (better to go in the morning because the sun is behind the north shore, where there are major monuments).

Let us return then to the hotel to take back a moment and find out ... we're pretty hot!!

We conclude the day with dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, fixed stage of our travels, we always leave with one question: why is not in Milan?

A bit of London's literature....

We dedicate this morning to two literary whims.

Just after breakfast (and after reloading our Oyster card), take the underground to King's Cross station in search of the platform 9 and 3 / 4, in honor of Harry Potter. The station is a site for restoration, but the entrance of the track is accessible. I try to push the cart, but we are both muggles with no magical power: the transition we're not allowed to Hogwart ...

Let's go then to the British Museum and admire from the outside: the weather is too good to close in a museum, as it is handsome and charming.

221b of the shoes and then to Backer street to greet Sherlock Holmes and, indirectly, the legendary Gregory House.

The steps are many and the climate (warm, almost hot) definitely does not help: take bus 74 towards Hyde Park. The choice turns out to be disastrous, because the London traffic forces us to a long tail and buses turn into furnaces without air conditioning and windows with small, evidently hot days like this are rare!

Entered into Hyde Park think of another literary milestone: the statue of Peter Pan, but since the time we decide to follow the example of many English: get something to eat, we identify a tree with some sun and a little e. .... pennica shade picnic!

We do, however, a tour of the park and we are a little disappointed by the Princess Diana memorial fountain, a circular channel filled with running water where the kids (but even some adults) happily wallow to cool off on hot days (like today ).

Leaving the park we were walking towards Buckingham Palace is not time for changing of the guard, we can rotate freely and to bring the huge gate, beyond which you can not enter.

The desire of shopping can be heard and to resist ... we go to Harrod's! Apart from a few souvenirs (I love Small bags door-book !!!!) and gastronomic delicacies of the department, all marks are out of reach ...

Then, as all the shops like this are excellent solutions for .... go to the bathroom! Harrod's, the services of the ladies, there's even a table with some perfume testers, surely an attempt to temptation!!

I did not feel his legs and feet ... Before finding a place for dinner, we decide to go to the hotel for a break.

For the last night we decided to go to Soho and find a pub that also do fish and chips. We went down in Piccadilly Circus and go up the crowded streets of the theaters. The area is popular for its bars, theaters, shops and local red-light "gay-friendly", and of course the many pubs. It 'Friday night and the weather is really good: there is no wind and even in this dark season is late (around 22), so many Londoners are on the streets, out of the pub with glasses of beer and lots of fun !

After dinner and the first hints of dark fast they take the opportunity to do some night photos: here first and then along the Thames, near Big Ben.

The last effort of the day is a race to take the 24 micro, download right in front of us.

The typical London markets

Tonight we're leaving ... We're not much happy: the sky is still blue and still be so many things to see ...

Unanimously elect London as the best European capital (at least among those visited, although those that remain difficult to compare !!!): will be that we have found good sunny days, but here to stay for a long time and never get bored ...

And head in the usual question: why in Italy (Milan and most of all) you can not create the same vitality of culture, music, people, city parks, historic and modern, new and old local pub ....

Weld the hotel after breakfast, but never deposited the suitcase, because there is still time for a few laps.

First stop: the Portobello Road market (www.portobellovillage.com)! Is there really so many people and lots of choice: clothes, antiques, fruit and vegetables, bread, souvenirs, CDs and more. The first purchase is a necessity: it is so that I fall to replace the opto jeans with a nice skirt, cotton (10 GBP). Also for refreshment, buy a walking salad (2 GBP): here a lot of fruit (oranges, peaches ...) is sold by piece. "

Completion of purchases and photos (Notting Hill is a really nice apartment on !!!), we take the underground to Covent Garden (www.coventgardenlife.com).

Also this place (partly covered) is very vital, frequented by many tourists looking for souvenirs or for a lunch break. We opt for the stands: hot dogs and cheese cake, not just diet, but tonight we are in Milan and we will have time to improve nutrition.

While packed lunch, we enjoy observing the many jugglers who perform on each side, entertaining the children but also adults.
Suddenly we notice a strange group of maidens dressed as characters (female) of the cartons, but a bit sexy: Cruella, Snow White, Cinderella .... Alice and, of course, with a beautiful pink sash "Bride To Be"!
Found a very nice to celebrate the bachelorette party and be photographed by tourists and the curious in general ...

The sky is overcast, muggy wearing a hood and additional fatigue. Not far there are Embarkment Gardens: green corner for a good nap or a rest before going to retrieve the suitcase.

And we're back on our Heathrow Connect, which brings us back to the Alitalia desk and the return trip to Milan. The sky is now overcast and Paddington drops a few drops of rain, to remind us how much we were lucky to only see the sunny London.