It’s been a while since I’ve been to big cities; in recent years, I’ve come to love small, quiet towns and villages. But then the kids say, “Ugh, your Italy again!” Fine, since you’ve grown up, choose the destination yourselves and bring me the list of places to visit.
This is how a week in London in July came together. I was worried about the heat, but I got incredibly lucky: every morning it was +8°C, +18°C during the day, and cloudy! On the very first morning, I discovered my camera wasn’t working. But even that didn’t upset me. In such weather, I can just walk and breathe, breathe and walk…
We stayed at Premier Inn Canary Wharf. The Premier Inn chain has a convenient perk – with the purchase of one adult breakfast (£11), up to two children eat for free. This was extremely beneficial for me financially, and for about 2-3 hours, no one complained that they were hungry.
The Canary Wharf area caught my attention from pictures, and the reality matched them. The area began construction on the site of former docks at the end of the last century. “Canary Wharf is considered an alternative to the City of London, being the second financial and business hub of the city. It’s a futuristic city of offices where the main activities include banking, media, and legal services. Many newspaper publishers and printing houses that relocated from Fleet Street are based here.” Two metro lines and a railway connect this area, making it very convenient to reach the city center.
KID’S LIST
Harry Potter
Website: Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter.
Address: Studio Tour Dr, Leavesden, Watford WD25 7LR, United Kingdom
Tickets: от £53.50
I bought tickets for the studio in advance, about 3 months before the trip. The only available tickets were for the evening, but we arrived about two hours early, and no one said a word—they let us in. We got there on our own by train from Euston Station, exactly as described on the studio’s website. It wasn’t difficult, and I don’t really understand why you’d pay for a shuttle. I’m not a huge Harry Potter fan, but even I was impressed by some things, and the kids were absolutely thrilled.
The British Museum
Website: britishmuseum.org
Address: Great Russell St, London WC1B 3DG, United Kingdom
Tickets: Free Entry
Daily: 10.00–17.00 (Fridays: 20.30)
You could probably visit this place every day for a month. It would definitely be interesting with a guide. We checked out the Egyptian section and the Parthenon Frieze.
The Science Museum
Website: sciencemuseum.org.uk
Address: Exhibition Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD, United Kingdom
Tickets: бесплатный вход
Daily: 10.00–18.00
I sat in the café while the kids explored everything on their own. There used to be a flight simulator, but unfortunately, it’s no longer there.
The Natural History Museum
Website: nhm.ac.uk
Address: Cromwell Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
Tickets: Free Entry
Daily: 10.00–17.30
I prefer live animals, but of course, it’s very well done.
The Sherlock Holmes Museum
Website: sherlock-holmes.co.uk
Address: 221b Baker St, London NW1 6XE, United Kingdom
Tickets: Free Entry
Daily: 9.30–18.00
The kids agreed with me that it was a tourist trap, but they really wanted to go.
Зоопарк
Website: londonzoo.org
Address: Outer Cir, London NW1 4RY, United Kingdom
Tickets: £31.00 per Adult
Daily: 10.00–17.00
Not too rich, but it’s convenient to combine with Regent’s Park and Camden Market.
Parks and squirrels
They went for it! We constantly carried a bag of peanuts, as the squirrels appeared in the most unpredictable places, and they weren’t interested in chatting without peanuts.
In my opinion, the most beautiful are St James’ Park and Regent’s Park.
Hyde Park seemed a bit dull; there’s only one lovely corner, the Rose Garden. However, you can ride a pedal boat there.
Flea Market
On Saturday, we went to Portobello Road Market. The kids read somewhere about vintage shops. We went into a couple, and they said, “Ew, it smells bad.” I ended up getting new shoes. But I didn’t find any porcelain. However, the place has a great atmosphere.
Covent Garden
The kids got stuck here for a long time, with constant performances by street artists.
I snagged some graffiti for myself ( Camden Market and Shoreditch ) and the National Gallery. Fortunately, there are no churches of interest to me in London, so I didn’t have to beg the kids for permission (otherwise, they’d count the churches for me).
The National Gallery is something amazing. You step inside the pages of art history books. It’s not very big, but it’s a masterpiece upon masterpiece.
I want to highlight the Regent’s Canal. We stumbled upon this canal on our way to Camden Market. The scenery is beautiful, with leaning trees and houseboats. Next time, I will definitely walk along the entire canal to Little Venice.
