A Few Days in London Pre-Cruise

We are flying into London's Heathrow Airport a couple of days before the cruise to enjoy this beautiful city. Tickets have been ordered (& have arrived!) for a West End theatre production of Jersey Boys. Yeah, I know... Jersey Boys in London? What's she thinking? One of the most recent acclaimed West End shows is War Horse, but I really want to see something fun & upbeat before departing on this cruise; and since I haven't already seen Jersey Boys and could get great seats... we will be there in wonderful seats watching the show & eating ice cream (as they do in the West End theatres)! The West End is considered the heart of London and if you're a theatre lover, you will think you've died & gone to heaven!

We are staying at the Renaissance Chancery Court as it is very nicely located within walking distance to many major sites and neighborhoods (including the West End and Covent Garden, the British Museum, Chinatown, and more... did I say shopping?).

If you've never been to London, take a tour on a double decker HOHO bus!. One reputable company that offers these tours is the Original London Sightseeing Tour It's a hop-on hop-off bus tour that also includes a Thames River cruise.

While in "The City", you may want to see the Cabinet War Rooms that housed Churchill's WWII bunker, watch the changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, visit the British Museum or Tate Modern. Need a break? Have a pint in a pub or visit a famous London tea house!

For shopolics, there's Oxford Street as well as the famous Harrod's department store. After I realized that I couldn't afford much at Harrod's or Harvey Nichols, I discovered Selfridge's a more mainstream department store. A couple of years ago, Ken & I walked to Selfridges and then split up, each going to pursue our own shopping passion. We were to meet at a designated time & place for lunch. When he spied me at the appointed time, I only had one very small bag. He was quite impressed that I had such a small bag and that it contained hair accessories (clips, bows, and such). BUT, when our AmEx bill came a month later, he was shocked beyond all measure! I had conveniently forgotten that US dollars and British pounds are quite different and so thinking that the amount was a dollar amount, it looked good to me. That is until the AmEx statement came and showed the true conversion! Needless to say, I am still proud to sport those expensive hair accessories!

If you have a craving for some excellent Chinese food while in London, be sure to head for Chinatown, just off Leicester Square (pronounced Lester). You won't be disappointed! Of course, I am always on the look-out for an interesting, historic, fun pub for a fish & chips dinner!

By the time we get to London, things will have settled down from the Royal Wedding!