In London, we stayed at the Huttons Hotel, a nice little hotel within about ten minutes walk from Victoria Station. Our room was truly tiny (I mean really tiny) but it had everything we needed; the staff were very helpful, a free breakfast was included, and each day, we were out on the tourist trail.
We found on this visit that the bus system worked for us better than the tube; we had a bus stop right in front of the hotel and were able to go most anywhere from there. We visited the Imperial War Museum, shopped at Foyles Books - one of the most respected bookstores in England, and took an out-of-the-ordinary tour of Westminster Abbey. On one evening, we took the #24 bus from in front of our hotel to the #52 bus to the Royal Albert Hall to hear one of the BBC Proms concerts. These concerts have been going on for nearly 100 years and we have long wanted to see one of them. The Royal Albert Hall is really quite a grand place at the edge of Hyde Park. The Proms are an effort to engage the regular public in orchestral music: the ticket prices are very reasonable, and there is no dress code. We were seated in “the stalls,” which are nice seats, but in “the pit” (corresponds to the flat area in any arena) folks just stand there and watch for the whole concert. Some were in blue jeans, while others appeared to be businessmen with brief cases in hand. All in all, it was great fun.
London is a marvelous city that is always exciting.
(Click on the Images to Enlarge)
The Huttons Hotel. A charming hotel just minutes away from Victoria
Station, and a short walk from the Pimlico tube station. The Huttons had
everything a traveler might need, albeit on a diminutive scale. There was even
internet access available so we could send e-mails back home. The staff were
very helpful, breakfast was tasty, and there were several other places to eat in
the immediate neighborhood.
Victoria Station is a center of traveler's activity in the Westminster
part of London. From Victoria, there are tube and bus connections to
anywhere in the city, and a direct train to Gatwick Airport every 15 minutes.
There is decent shopping in the station, with book stores, a small grocery,
clothing stores and more. There is even a fine pizza shop on the second
floor. Victoria served as a hub for our activities each day in London.
Imperial War Museum. Housed in a former hospital for the insane, the
Imperial War Museum has a staggering collection of military artifacts from
Britain's past. During our visit, we focused on World War One material, but it was very
difficult to pass any other displays. The museum's collection of paintings
that depict the horror of war is not to be missed.
Large Exhibit Room at the Imperial War Museum. Filled with tanks and
airplanes from allies and antagonists in Britain's wars, the Large Exhibit Room
alone is a place to spend hours.
World War One BE2c at the Imperial War Museum. Hanging high above
the floor of the Large Exhibit Room, the diaphanous
wings of the BE2c seemed to glow in the
morning light
Foyles Books. A not-to-be-missed stop for bibliophiles, Foyles Book Store
on Charing Cross Road has been a London institution for over one hundred years.
No visit to London is complete with browsing the stacks at Foyles.
The Royal Albert Hall. Home of the BBC Proms concerts, the Royal Albert
Hall is located at the edge of Hyde Park and is a marvelous place for an evening
of fine music. The Royal Albert Hall opened in 1871, and the Proms moved to the
hall in the early 1940s after their original venue was bombed during World War
II. The hall is also a popular choice for variety shows, sporting
matches, and the circus.
The Houses of Parliament. Located on the banks of the Thames River, the
Houses of Parliament, along with Big Ben, are an essential sight for every
London tourist's camera to capture. The earliest remaining portions of the
buildings are nearly 1,000 years old, although most of the site dates to the
19th century.