Tag: Girls Trip

London-Girls Trip 2022

On By Travels with MelindaIn Girls Trip, London, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Arriving on the train from Bath where we started our Girls Trip 2022, we got settled into our ARBNB in Goodwin’s Court. This lovely historic lane in Covent Garden was used by the Harry Potter set designers as one of their inspirations for Diagon Alley. The curved front windows of the townhomes and gas street lanterns illuminating the cobblestones is indeed lovely and very Harry Potteresque. We stay in ARBNBs for our Girl Trips so that we can each have a bedroom and a bath. However, next time maybe we won’t book a five-level townhouse. It was huge, fancy, and in a great location but way too many steep stairs we had to crawl up after busy days wandering around London!

We had timed our visit to occur in mid-November after London had turned on their spectacular Christmas lights. I’ve travelled all over the world but never have I ever seen a big city light up like London does for the holidays. Streets are strung with lights, entire building facades are decorated and don’t even get me started on the lavish decorations inside the classic huge department stores like Harrod’s. It is THE most wonderful time to visit London. Besides shopping and taking in theater performances (see my separate posts on those!), we planned out an agenda to include Parliament (we are political junkies), a private taxi tour (vs. taking the Hop On, Hop Off bus), a fabulous museum (only time for one this trip!) and grabbing a view at Sky Garden. London is an awesome city that requires multiple trips to even begin to see it all. For This first time visit to London for Becky and Patti, they got a great overview. I’ve been to London many times in the past for both business and pleasure and I always look forward to a return visit to see new things!

PARLIAMENT

Our first morning in London, we journeyed across London to visit Parliament. The House of Commons and the House of Lords were both in session so there were no tours of the building going on because they were working. If you come when they are not in session, you can take a self-guided tour and see all the beautiful historic rooms, which I highly recommend. Thom and I did that a few months ago and loved it. But this time it was all about seeing Parliament debates. Ah, the political drama! After standing in the rain until the appointed time that we were told we could enter the great hall to get ready to go into the gallery, the security guards finally took pity on us and let us in about 30 minutes early. We checked out the great gift store (yes, they sell booze and lots of other cool stuff), used the facilities and waited while the docent warned us about the protocol involving the Speaker of the House Processional. About a hundred of us tourists lined up in the entry way to the House of Commons and stood at attention while all the pageantry took place. The Speaker walked right by me and said hello. Nice chap! Then, after he entered the Chambers, we all went up to the gallery after leaving our possessions (no cameras allowed) checked outside the gallery in the secure cloakroom. You sit above the action and can also watch on several monitors. The day we were there the representatives of the Treasury were discussing the energy crisis with members of Parliament and how they were going to help citizens stay warm this winter and pay their energy bills. We are political junkies so enjoyed seeing their government in action.

PRIVATE TAXI TOUR

We arranged a two-hour private Black Taxi Tour instead of taking the Hop On Hop Off bus, which I often take on trips depending on how much time I have to see the top sites in the place I’m visiting. We had a week in London and wanted to see specific sites, so the personal tour worked well for us to get the lay of the land. We booked our tour through Viator and told our tour guide to meet us at St. Ermin’s hotel, which was close to Parliament. We walked over after our Parliament experience and had a quick bite and tea at the hotel before our tour, which ended up being in a bright green taxi not the classic black one. At least the other cars could see us coming to get out of the way!

The guide was anxious to tailor our trip to what we wanted to see and also guide us to the top sights in London. We requested Buckingham Palace (of course) and the Princess Diana memorial. We got to see all the sights, jump out quickly while the tour guide waited with the car so we could get pictures and walk around. It was a full two hours of the best of London. It didn’t cost much more per person than the hop on, hop off bus would have been, and it was just our party of 3 in the car. Our guide dropped us off in our neighborhood afterward. Fun day!

VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM

We could only work in one museum on this trip, but I hope in the future to see all of the London museums. Good reason to return! So many fine museums in London and the entrance is FREE! From the moment you walk up to the Victoria and Albert Museum V&A · The World’s Leading Museum Of Art And Design (vam.ac.uk) you are impressed. The building is majestic and beautiful. The thing that makes this museum so unique is that there is something for everyone. Tip: this museum (and others) are open late on Fridays and are less crowded then. Also, make sure you have lunch in the V & A café. Not only is the food good but it’s gorgeous-oldest museum cafe in operation in Europe. Also, shop in their gift store. I bought a few Christmas presents from the wide variety of jewelry collections they offered. They carry various European designer collections to choose from including my favorite from Italy, Angela Caputi.

SKY GARDEN

The best view in town at Sky Garden – London’s Highest Public Garden is FREE. Just reserve timed entry tickets online in advance (released 30 days in advance) and show up, get in line with your tickets, and go through security. Then you are whisked up to the garden view. You can go outside on the balcony, but we enjoyed coffee and treats inside while getting some great pictures. I love the comfy couches that you can relax into and rest while enjoying the view. There are tiered levels, and they often have events on the upper level like yoga classes. Enjoy the journey!

London Theater-Girls Trip 2022

On By Travels with MelindaIn Girls Trip, London, Uncategorized1 Comment

One of the many reasons that I love London is the theater scene. We try to go to NYC every year and always see a Broadway show. While some of the same shows are currently on stage in both places, there are some West End exclusives too. On this Girls Trip 2022, we checked out one London show exclusive and one classic musical available in many places.

The London theater district aka the West End is spread out over a larger area than the Broadway area in NYC. These theaters are lovely old buildings for the most part and rarely is there a bad seat. Usually, you want to arrive at least 30 minutes at least prior to the performance in order to find your seats and go to the bathrooms. I am always shocked at how few bathrooms they have at these venues for women so plan ahead! Some theaters allow you to buy beverages and bring them to your seats and others make you chug down your beverage in the lobby. Cheers!

First show on our trip was & Juliet, a “coming-of-age jukebox musical” that is a glorious eruption of dance and song. Shakespeare is introduced at the beginning and his wife suggests he change the ending to Romeo & Juliet, wondering what would have happened if Juliet did not kill herself.  At Romeo’s funeral, Juliet finds out that Romeo had many female AND male conquests besides her. Oops. Juliet takes a liberating road trip to Paris with friends and hilarity ensues especially when Romeo returns to pursue Juliet again. Winning many awards in the UK while playing at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London, & Juliet will close in March 2023 and has already moved to Broadway in NYC. A very diverse cast sings cover tunes from the Backstreet Boys to Britney Spears. This show can be enjoyed by anyone who appreciates music, dancing and an original story.

Our second show was the classic musical Mamma Mia. We all watched the movie prior to going to London to refresh our memory of the story and practice singing along! It was well staged, and, at the end, the talented cast all came back to the stage to lead a singalong of a few tunes from the show. We danced in our seats while we belted it out and loved every last minute of it. What a great way to spend your evening in London!

We only had time to check out two shows on this trip but on a previous trip, Thom and I went to the Globe Theater and saw a wonderful modern (goth punk style) rendition of Romeo and Juliet. Opening in 1997, Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, is a replica of the original theater, set in an open-air space with capacity for 1,400 patrons. It is located on the banks of the River Thames, in the Bankside Cultural Quarter. If you want to interact with performers, get tickets to stand vs. sit. When we went, the show moved from the stage to the floor and back, all the while staying in character. So. Much. Fun. Their shows go on even if it is raining so come prepared with a poncho. If Shakespeare isn’t your jam, not to worry. They also put on modern plays, music concerts, film screenings, etc. Attend a show, take a tour of the theater, and experience what it might have been like in Shakespeare’s days. Located somewhat close to London Tower, a perfect day might be taking a tour of London Tower, lunch and shopping at Borough Market and then taking in a theater performance at the Globe. All within walking distance, if you like to walk!

No trip to London would be complete without diving into the theater scene. Enjoy the journey!

Buying tickets and theater manners

With regards to theater manners, I would suggest not standing to dance and sing with your favorite musical unless everyone around you is doing it. Otherwise, you’re “that person” who is ruining the view for others. That goes for leaning too. For Mamma Mia, we sat in Dress Circle seats on the side of the theater and were on the railing. Which was fine until the very tall person next to me leaned way forward to check out the side of the stage, obscuring the entire stage for me. I tapped on her shoulder and asked her nicely to please lean back in her seat. While she was outraged, she did it and I enjoyed the rest of the play. Awkward yes but it had to be done. So don’t let some rude patron ruin your night. Be polite and tell them to behave. And, of course, for the singalong at the end, we all stood up and danced the night away!

We bought our theater tickets in advance at a savings (20-40% off face value) on TodayTix | Theater Tickets to Musicals, Plays, Broadway, More. Similar to TKTS where we buy our NYC Broadway tickets, you get a discount that gets steeper the closer to the date you attend the show. We wanted seats together (single seats are really cheap if you don’t mind sitting separate from your party!) with a good view so we booked a few months in advance. You can also check out the tickets on https://officiallondontheatre.com/tkts/ which is the London TKTS site. If you are really flexible and want to show up the night of the play and see if you can get “rush” tickets, which are tickets that are still unsold and cheap-usually single tickets and may have some obstructed view-that is the most economical way to see a show. Tickets are all digital and you just pull them up on your phone to be scanned when you enter the theater.

London Shopping-Girls Trip 2022

On By Travels with MelindaIn Girls Trip, London, UncategorizedLeave a comment

We had timed our Girls Trip 2022 to occur in mid-November after London had turned on their spectacular Christmas lights. I’ve travelled all over the world but never have I ever seen a big city light up like London does for the holidays. Streets are strung with lights, entire building facades are decorated, and don’t even get me started on the decorations in the classic huge department stores like Harrod’s. It is THE most wonderful time to visit London, a city I’ve visited many times over the years.

We had an entire day dedicated to shopping and checking out the department stores all decked out in their holiday finest. We started with the iconic Harrod’s where you can buy anything from very expensive designer items to tasty treats in the food court and affordable souvenirs in the basement where the tourist shop. I had to buy an extra suitcase for my Harrod’s Paddington Bear.

After the splendor of Harrod’s, we grabbed a taxi from the convenient taxi stand next to the store. Many stores are within walking distance of each other once you get from Harrod’s to Oxford Street. Luckily, the big department stores all have cafes and places to relax and sit. Shopping is exhausting work! We walked between these landmark stores:

  • Selfridge’s on Oxford Street – six floors encompassing 10 acres
  • Fenwick’s on Bond Street – from furniture to clothing, they have it all
  • Liberty of London on Regent Street – especially magical for anyone who sews and loves fabrics
  • Carnaby Street an entire street filled with specialty shops and cafes
  • Fortnum and Mason known for their selection of tea, biscuits, preserves which make great gifts

One of our tour guides clued us in to look for the signs above shop entrances that indicate that they supply goods to the Royal family. I guess it is quite the honor. These are primarily small bespoke stores like tailors, hat stores, hunting clothes, etc. For those who aren’t on a Royal budget, check out Marks & Spencer or the Primark department stores around town-these are where the average citizen shops for clothes. We loaded up on bargains for ourselves and gifts at these stores. Patti even bought a coat to wear home!

We also hit the markets to shop and eat-when in London, visit at least one or more!

  • Spitalfields Market-go to the The Flat Iron across from the market for lunch or choose from a wide assortment of food from the stalls in the market. There is great shopping at the market with everything from vintage clothes to vinyl to gift items.
  • Covent Garden Market has been around since 1845 for wonderful food and shopping and is especially lovely at the holidays. We stopped into the Punch and Judy pub in Covent Garden market for classic fish and chips with mushy peas. The showstopper though was the sticky pudding-heaven in your mouth.

After a hectic day filled with shopping, we rested our tired legs and enjoyed the treats on Brigit’s Bus Tea Tour. We were on the first Christmas lights bus of the season. Touring all around town while sipping on tea/hot chocolate/champagne, we sampled the treats wearing our paper crowns and singing holiday carols. The perfect ending to a perfect day in London.

I highly recommend going to London in mid-November-less crowded, beautiful decorations and fantastic shopping. The trifecta for a perfect Girls Trip!

Cotswolds-Girls Trip 2022

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London is amazing but we also wanted to experience rolling hillsides covered with sheep and visit charming villages and winding country lanes in the Cotswolds. We booked an all-day small group tour and met our driver/guide early one morning. Avoiding a car accident on the motorway aka highway, our driver quickly took us on a country road detour so that we could keep to our schedule and see all the sites. Along the way and before every village we visited, he shared with us the history of the region and told entertaining stories to keep us engaged. He explained how important sheep are to the history and economic growth that happened in this area and cautioned us that “here in the Costwolds we don’t eat sheep because their wool is renown and has earned residents great wealth”. The largest sheep market in the Middle Ages saw 20,000 sheep pass thru in a day. Duly noted. Sheep rule.

Established in 1966 and designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) the Cotswolds  (name comes from “cot” meaning sheep enclosure + “wold” meaning elevation or hill) covers 700+ miles of rolling bucolic hills and country manors. While there are many quaint villages within the Cotswolds, on our tour we visited Burford, Bibury, Bourton-on-the-Water aka “Venice of the Cotswolds” and Stow-on-the-Wold, the highest elevation in the region. Stopping about an hour in each place, we got to wander around, eat at the local pubs, shop, and take pictures of all the picturesque sites. My sister grabbed a wonderful framed original drawing at a community yard sale. I picked up lots of Christmas gifts from a local church holiday bazaar. Lavender is a popular Cotswolds grown product, so I picked up soaps, lotions, oils, etc. Local treasures that you can’t get just anywhere.

As we walked around, I couldn’t help but take pictures of literally everything I saw. The buildings made out of golden-colored Cotswolds stone (limestone) are architecturally gorgeous. Stone walls along the roads and separating the fields are an important characteristic of this region. Local limestone rocks are stacked with no binding element holding them together with the rocks on top pointing vertically, so they lean into each other and hold themselves together. We saw gated estates adjacent to the small village/church where the estate workers lived. Very Downton Abbey. It is rumored that Stow-on-the-Wold, where JRR Tolkien visited often, was an inspiration for mythical locations described in his books, especially St. Edwards Church’s unique doorway with the two trees.

I could imagine renting a thatched roof cottage in the Cotswolds, renting a dog to trudge through the fields in the rain and drinking lots of tea in the local cafes. We enjoyed our quick day trip through the countryside. It is a very restful and beautiful place. Enjoy the journey!

Bath, England-Girls Trip 2022

On By Travels with MelindaIn Bath, Girls Trip, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Our Girls Trip 2022 to the UK began with a few fabulous days in Bath before we immersed ourselves in the bustle of city life in London. Bath is one of those cities that requires time set aside for wandering the quaint cobblestone lanes and squares while imagining the past where couples promenaded along the river in their finery. Be sure to watch Bridgerton before you visit Bath as they film portions of the series there!

Flying into Heathrow, we had a private car service pick us up and take us straight to Bath, a two-hour (depending on motorway traffic) car ride through the countryside. Along the way we saw Windsor Castle in the distance, standing very majestic in the surrounding fields, and caught up on our journeys so far to get there. Patti and Becky flew in from Indiana, where we grew up, and I had an even longer flight from Idaho. Since the pandemic, we have made a pact to explore new places together at least once a year despite our busy schedules and some push back from our spouses. Last year we went to Florence. So fun! For our 2023 trip, we are thinking about Paris. Girls got to get out and see the world! YOLO, amirite or what?

Checking into our ARBNB townhouse (so many steep stairs!) in the heart of Bath, we quickly settled in and then went off to enjoy pizza and salad at a café next door. Yum! I do think ARBNBs are great for longer term stays and for groups like us, three girls who need more bathrooms and beds than a hotel room would provide, plus we like having a kitchen. The weather was fine (even in November!) so, we sat outside and did some people watching while we ate, drank and enjoyed being together again.

The bookstore across from our ARBNB, Topping & Company Booksellers on York Street, is the bomb, spread over several floors and many rooms. I love bookstores and this one is both extensive in its assortment and a cozy, intimate book experience with numerous nooks to sit and peruse whatever book you may be looking for. I was surprised by all their signed first edition books. I asked one of the book clerks and they said they do get a lot of book readings there and I don’t doubt it. This bookstore is an author’s dream. Who wouldn’t want to come to historic Bath to this lovely place to read their books? The bookstore sent us down the street for the best coffee in Bath at The Columbian Company at 6 Abbey Gate Street to get the day started.

After some coffee for me and hot chocolate for the ladies, we set off to be the first customers of the day at the Roman Baths. Last time I was here in September with Thom, we didn’t have time to see the Baths so this was a “must see” for me. I would recommend you buy timed entry tickets in advance to avoid standing in line. For $20BP we got entry and a free audio guide so we could learn all about Bath history. They had different channels you could listen to including author Bill Bryson telling you stories about the exhibits. Everyone who visits Bath goes to visit this site (except Thom and I because we went to Stonehenge instead for a day trip from Bath) so plan ahead. The facility is well done with lots of interactive exhibits and historical details. They even have characters in period costumes that are scattered throughout and will chat with you and share historical details if you ask them questions. Also, the Baths are a beautiful place to take some photos. Definitely worth the entrance price. Plan to take a few hours to walk through and experience it all. You can even drink from the spring at the end of the visit. And the gift shop is enticing with a wide array of souvenirs to take home. I scored a Roman warrior duck for our collection that our grandkids will enjoy in their baths. Of course, like any proper UK museum gift shop, they sold a variety of hard alcohol, all local, including everything from gin to brandy. Cheers!

After visiting the Baths, we enjoyed a private tour of the city with Daniel from Bath Insider Tours, who provided us with three hours of fun storytelling and expertly driving around us Bath in his van covering all the historic facts and taking us to Bridgerton filming sites. Starting with a drive up to the highest point overlooking the city across the river, we began by learning from Daniel all about the prince who got leprosy and was kicked out of his castle by his dad. Wandering the countryside as a pig herder, he stumbled upon a place (now called Bath) and discovered the hot mineral springs feeding the mud where his pigs with skin wounds would wallow looking for acorns. The mud miraculously healed his pigs. The legend is that he applied this miracle mud to his leprosy, which went away and thus allowed him to return home. As we explored Bath, our tour guide pointed out the acorns scattered around the city that architects used in sculptures on building cornices to honor the acorn’s place in Bath history. After the transformed prince spread his tale far and wide of the legendary healing properties of the mineral hot springs, Bath became famous and prosperous.

The Bridgerton film sites we visited included:

  • The Modiste now a deli
  • The Tea Shop
  • The Royal Crescent
  • Lady Danbury’s house

Happily tired after our tour, we settled into a proper British Roast at the Huntsmen pub close by our ARBNB. While they were already out of the beef roast, the ladies had the port loan roast along with Yorkshire pudding (which is like a light pastry you pour gravy over), potatoes, carrots, cauliflower with cheese and potatoes. A light meal! I had a spicy chickpea salad for my main as I don’t like meat. Of course, after that “light” meal, we had to have gelato because it was right next door to our place. Was it better than Italian gelato? Well, all gelato is pretty good, and we appreciated the tasty treat to end our busy day. We took our gelato and walked over the Bath Abbey, a gorgeous cathedral where you can take a tour, ring the bell or just wander in and check it out. It’s right on the main square where you can get a hot chocolate at Mrs. Potts, a Bath Bun sweet or gelato all within a few blocks. Everyone hangs out there munching and listening to street musicians. Afterward, stretch your legs with a walk over the Pulteney Bridge (shops line the bridge) and along the path by the River Avon. Channel your inner Jane Austen (they have a Jane Austen festival every year in Bath) and soak in the beautiful sight of the Pulteney Weir directing the water in the river since 1603 to protect Bath from flooding.

What else is there to do in Bath? Well, my husband and I were there a month earlier and enjoyed the Thermae Spa very much. Both the outside rooftop pool and the inside pool were delightful. When you are in the inside pool, let the strong current take you away and float around the pool. Just be careful not to bump into other patrons-it is a very strong current. Outside, you can enjoy the view of downtown Bath from the roof (no cameras allowed so no pics of the view) and let the waterfall at one end of the pool soak you. Make your reservations in advance and enjoy the warm waters. Do they have healing properties? Who knows but you will definitely relax and enjoy this unique experience. When in Bath, a soak is a must do!

I love Bath and would highly recommend you visit for a few days. One day is not nearly enough time to soak (literally) in the waters and wander the charming streets. Enjoy the journey!