London, UK
Once our excursion at Windsor Castle was concluded, our driver took us directly to our hotel in London. We booked the Riu Plaza Hotel in Victoria and I was so impressed. We were directly across from the Victoria Train station and within a few minutes walk of the theaters, pubs, dining spots, shops and fabulous little gelato place. The day we arrived, we just took a short walk around the area and grabbed some dinner before getting a good night’s rest. The hotel features stunning views and modern amenities, the check-in process was very easy & immediately we were greeted by someone to help with bags. The main lobby is clean, contemporary and features a bar restaurant. As a reminder if you are a new traveler to the UK, if you travel during the summer and the hotel offers A/C, you must place your room key in the little holder (usually located by the front door) to engage A/C and lights. Had to make the minorly embarrassing call down to the front desk to ask how to operate it but they were so kind & sent someone up.
We only had one full day in London so I wanted to prioritize what my mom wanted to see most. We both have always loved Westminster Abbey and that was such an incredible experience. The architecture and views are stunning but the presence you feel when walking through is unparalleled. It’s almost like a peaceful solemness washes over you when stepping through the doors, gently reminding you of the depth of history present there. We opted for the Queen’s Gallery add-on and I would recommend that if you enjoy looking at relics (and you get an indescribable birds-eye view of the Abbey). There are no photos allowed in most of the historical/preservation zones so I sadly didn’t get any photos from this vantage.
After the Abbey, we decided to do a walking tour around all the major tourist hubs. I led the way down to the London Eye & Big Ben then hopped on the underground over to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. There is a really cute restaurant near the boat loading area near the Tower called Coppa Club. I had drinks there with a friend while in London last year and decided to pop in again with Mom. We started off with the Parmesan Croquettes and both got fish & chips with mushy peas and sodas. The croquettes were fabulous, I really can’t even make an American comparison but they almost were like a mozzarella stick that the cheese was really light & fluffy, almost like a cheesy puff of air that melts in your mouth.
After lunch, we headed back to the underground station to zip up to Buckingham Palace and boy was that a minor experience! We got to the platform as the train was pulling up, we hop on & find a place to stand. Maybe within a few minutes the conductor comes overhead to announce there is a fire on the line and all routes are shut down. So after waiting a bit with no update, we hopped off and got an Uber to the Palace. The traffic getting there was wild, I think we had a total of about 40 minutes drive time. In hindsight, the walk was only about 20 minutes but it was quite warm out that day. The Palace is really incredible to see, especially if it’s your first time in London. We missed most of the major events during our time like Trooping of the Color and Changing of the Guards, highly recommend timing your visit with the Changing of the Guards. It was just a short walk back to the hotel, about 10-15 minutes.
On our walk back we got to stroll by the Apollo Theater which is currently hosting Wicked. I saw Wicked for the first and only time over a decade ago with my grandmother, whom we just lost in May. My mom is not a music enthusiast and I genuinely was not going to drag her to a theater show, I figured I could always make another trip myself to see it. But she really pushed me to get us tickets, that we only have one night here in London and we should take the opportunity while we’re here. It was such an incredible show and experience to have with her. As a die-hard Wicked fan, I know every song and nearly all the dialogue so I was entraced within the first few minutes. “No One Mourns the Wicked” left me with tears streaming down my cheeks and I turn over to look at my mom, she too was moved. Definitely my highlight of London.
