The Shard is an instantly recognizable building in the London Skyline, a 95-story skyscraper in Southwark. It's the tallest building in UK which means you can see some great views of London if you take time (and say bye bye to cash) to visit.
The Shard offers various experiences and you can enjoy the view by visiting any of several restaurants and bars or paying to go to the observation floor. "The View From The Shard" - The cheapest price is about 16 pounds if you reserve ahead of time online.
Even if you don't go up, it's still a cool building it pick out as you walk through the city. At night time they will often do a laser show. I know this because I overhead a grandmother tell her grand children as we roamed the streets. I promise I wasn't eavesdropping, we were close and she spoke loudly!!
Always keep an eye out for cook architecture and buildings. This other building had a neat light display that kept changing colors.
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English Ciders are trendy where we live and the prices reflect it. So if the experience is the same where you are from, but you really like Ciders, definitely pop into a convenience store and check the alcohol section for big cans (or bottles) of refreshing Ciders for a fraction of the cost back home! Total highlight. And yes, it's "possible" that we had to set them out on our window ledge at the hotel to keep them cool since we had no fridge. Shh!! ;-)
More From London:The George Inn is London's oldest galleried coaching in. Dating back to 1542. When people traveled by horse, a coaching inn was key for when they needed to stop for the night, eat and drink, or change horses. (My understanding of what I have read about them) This is considered a galleried coaching in because you can see the second story balcony/gallery where you could look down into the square. At times there would be performances held in the square! The original building burnt in a fire, but in 1676 it was rebuilt and that is the building that still stands, so it is quite old still This seemed like a great place to try out a delicious Sunday roast and sticky toffee pudding! Afterall, it The George Inn was good enough for William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, it's good enough for me! ;) Coming Up:
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If you love history and travel, you may enjoy touring the reconstructed ship of expedition its Sir Francis Drake, known as The Golden Hinde. During the Elizabethan era, Drake was chosen by Queen Elizabeth I in 1577 to sail around the world in a fleet of 5 ships. In 1580 Drake returned after an incredible voyage full of ups and downs. Check out the ship if you're into this sort of thing for about 7 pounds. Coming Up:
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The Tate Modern is a modern art gallery in South Bank, London. It is free to enter and there intriguing, inspiring, cheering, and confusing displays. Let's just say, it's good to have the explanatory plaques..
Check the hours of operation on theTate website. Since we were distracted making our way over to the museum, we didn't have much time before it closed that day. But no big deal, it was free after all!
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On our wandering stroll over to Tate Modern, we passed so many little food, drink, and gift stands as part of the Southbank Center Winter Festival. One caught our eye in a way we simple could not pass up --- duck fat chips. Yes, you heard right. Chips fried in the decadent fat of a duck (sorry vegan friends!) and appropriately seasoned. These were hands down the greatest fries, I mean chips, of my life. The taste had such depth, they were so fresh and crispy on the outside with just enough soft potato inside. The perfect balance of everything and it was a great snack on a cool night walking over to the Tate Modern. If you see this place.... stop.... IMMEDIATELY! Mmmm...
A quick picture could never do these justice, but this was a culinary highlight on this trip to London! Coming Up:
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A visit to Borough Market is a great way to spend the day (or any length of time) with tourists and locals alike. Lots of great photo opportunities and so much to eat. You'll find vibrant displays of produce, tempting trays of treats, cheeses of all kinds, and you can smell some truffles for free that you would have to take a loan out to purchase.
This was a great opportunity to try a Scotch Egg. This is a boiled egg, wrapped in ground sausage, breaded and deep fried. We learned that it can be eaten hot when it is freshly made, but is generally considered a picnic food and would be eaten cold. Who knew? Ours was cold and tasty, but I would *love* to try this fresh from the deep fryer. YUM!!
Keep your eye out for the Turkish coffee if you like a strong cup and if it's "holiday season" try the mulled wine anywhere!
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Also Check Out:Quintessentially British is Fish 'n' Chips so it seemed logical it would be one of the first things we would eat. By the time we finished showering and hanging out at the Plaza Premium Lounge at Heathrow Airport, got our Oyster Cards, took the tube to Russell Square, checked in at the Grange White Hall hotel and unpacked, we were starving and it was a little late! We found The Fryer's Delight nearby. It was empty when we walked in, but had a homey feel to it. The staff were very welcoming. Two were from Portugal , and we enjoyed chatting with them. I love a small restaurant over a chain any day. An upscale restaurant may look fancy, and sometimes they are definitely fun to visit, but on the day-to-day I just like down to earth places like this one. After we had been there, people started filing in, and soon it was full! Needless-to-say (then why am I saying it? 😜), I joked that we drew the crowd. Delusional much? Loved the food, though! We got an order of fish 'n' chips (what's the correct way to write that?), mushy peas, and drinks. It hit the spot! Ever the sucker for a pun, I also loved the window which said "A Plaice in the Sun" (Plaice is a type of fish, not a typo) I would definitely come back to visit The Fryer's Delight if I have the chance. :) Have you ever been? Coming Up:Also Check Out:Grange Hotels - Bloomsbury, LondonThere are so many choices when it comes to places to stay in London. So many neighborhoods and so many types of places - hotels, flats, airbnb, houseboats (seriously), and the list goes on. After much deliberation, we settled on the Grange White Hall hotel in the Bloomsbury area of London. This hotel was a Georgian townhouse in the 18th century, so it has a lot of character! Grange Hotels have a number of hotels around London (17!) most of which are 4 or 5 stars and have an affordable price point for their respective locations. Grange Hotels own several hotels on Montague Street and the parallel Bedford Place. This makes for charming walks down the street in the evening. Grage White Hall - LocationYou're also literally steps away from the British Museum! You could easily pop in and out of the museum throughout your stay because it is so close. See artifacts like the Rosetta Stone, Samurai armor, ancient Mummies and more. I've heard there is a fabulous Bible themed tour here that you can reserve in multiple languages. You are also a short walk from the Russell Square Tube Station. If you would like a shortcut, walk through Russell Square. Just be aware that the gates do shut later at night. In that case you'll just have to walk around the perimeter. No big deal, just a few more steps. Check out the blog post "Getting Your Oyster Card" so you can hop on at Russell Square Station with ease, if you haven't already :) Grange White Hall - BreakfastThe breakfast at Grange White Hall Hotel was lovely. Our reservation included the full hot breakfast which was served buffet style in a charming room. Toast and coffee or tea were served to you by staff. The rest of the food you could help yourself to - fruit, cheeses, cold meats, boiled eggs, fried eggs, sausage, ham, grilled tomatoes. Lovely additions like nutella packets and Wilkin & Son's Tiptree preserves and honey in adorable tiny jars were also available. Grange White Hall - RoomThe room featured a double bed with two small end tables. A closet with a safe, a hair dryer, tv, and wifi. There was a console on the wall next to the bathroom which you could pull down and it housed a hot water kettle for making tea or coffee which was also available along with sugar and creamer in that console. Each day we enjoyed biscoff biscuits along with our tea!! I was pleased with the room. It had everything we needed. It kept very warm, and at times we had to open the windows which was no problem. We requested a garden view room per a tip from tripadvisor, and enjoyed hearing some of the birds singing outside our window! The bath tub was incredibly tall. I've never had to step so high up into a tub/shower. Be careful when entering, but even more so when exiting because it could be easy to slip when the tub is wet. Grange Hotel Revarew Rewards ProgramBefore our visit, we signed up for the Revarew Rewards Program. It's a free program and when you sign up you get some immediate perks like free wifi, express check in and check out, complimentary room upgrades, and complimentary bottled water to name a few. You also gain points for your stays which can be redeemed for free stays, discounts at Grange Hotels or other partners. I have 400 points now. and Afternoon tea for 2 starts at just 225 points. Or a 3 course table d'hote dinner for two starts at 250 points. So I'm hoping to pass through London again soon so I can cash in on these points! ;o) In SummaryI had a great experience at Grange White Hall Hotel and would not hesitate to return to this hotel or try another Grange Hotel! Coming Up:
Also Check Out:You have a lot of options for getting around London from the Underground, Overground, TFL rail, to buses, taxis, uber, bicycle rentals, and even via the Thames river! Avoiding taxis will obviously save you a ton and if you plan to use the Underground during your stay, you can easily obtain an Oyster card at Heathrow airport. After picking up a SIM card for our phone (cheaper than our international plan), we sauntered down a few steps down the hall to get our Oyster cards. Be mindful that pricing for the Underground is relative to which zones you are traveling to and from. Knowing what zone your accommodation is in and where your destination is will be key. Sometimes by a short 5 minute walk to the next station you will have crossed into a new zone, making your trip cheaper than if you had hopped on at the closest station. Whether the effort is worth the savings is up to you, of course! Check the cost of fares on many modes of travel on the Transport For London site here. |