Where to next? London, England (best of)

Attend a show

If you are looking for a reason to get dressed up one day, besides for a business visit, then go to a show in the theater district. London, and Paris, are large cities that always have productions going on. Even from the highest balcony at The Lion King, it was fun and relaxing. 

Afternoon tea

There is no doubt that the British like their tea and know how to do it well. Find a place to sit and enjoy some afternoon tea and snacks whether it is at the hotel, Fortnum & Mason, Kensington Palace, The Ritz Carlton, The Library at County Hall (near the London Eye) or Ting in the Shard. 

Kensington Gardens

Surrounding Kensington Palace is a giant park in the middle of the statue. Despite the number of people in the gardens it is relatively quiet as families, dogs and cyclists mill about or lay in the grass soaking up the sunshine. If you are luck, you might catch sight of royalty.

Mios Italian Restaurant (near Big Ben & Westminster Abbey)

In a desperate attempt to find food in the rain, again, I found a small Italian restaurant tucked away, especially by comparison to the pub less than half a block away. Since the place was so small we had to wait a little bit, but once seated the service was good and the food was even better. 

Scotch eggs & sausage rolls

There are many “traditional” British foods, but before the trip I heard how gross some of them are. I did however end up trying the Scotch egg (hard-boiled egg wrapped in a meatball and breaded) and a sausage roll (a sausage with bread). Both of these foods are smaller than say a shepherd's pie so you only have to endure a few bites before it is gone and are less expensive than something that is a full meal. 

Tower of London

Go early. The Tower of London opens at 9a. If you can get tickets for 9a that don’t conflict with other schedule items, do it. The lines in the morning are much shorter for entry and for any of the featured exhibits. The crown jewels exhibit is a must visit. It features crowns, scepters, serving dishes and other sparkly possessions used by the royal family throughout the years. If you do get the early entry to the Tower of London, go to the crown jewels first, it is only a matter of time before the line builds up and is hours long. Other key exhibits at the Tower of London are the armory, the prison and the ravens (the beefeaters will tell you their story or you can look it up).