FLASHBACK #35: London With Bree

Bree had never been to London before. When his University announced that, in April 2003, the class would be expected to visit London for three days to attend some lectures, it was a perfect opportunity to introduce him to MY City. The planner that I am, planning commenced on a massive scale.

Shortly after our arrival on a Friday lunchtime, we dumped our backs at the hotel on Tottenham Court Road and headed to the centre. London doesn't really have an official centre, but in this case, the centre was Leicester Square. We came here for a purpose: to collect a cheap lunch from Boots in Picadilly before a nice leisurely stroll that would take in Trafalgar Square, Victoria, the Mall, Buckingham Palace and both Green Park and St. James' Park.

Having reached St. James' Park, we relaxed in the sun and even I was surprised how warm (23C) it was this early in April. We ate our Boots Meal Deals, people-watching as we did so. Behind us, I spotted two good looking guys who were taking care of a young baby, the burlier one of the two carrying the toddler in a bodywrap thingy. I pointed them out to Bree and it looked kind of cute, something you would never see in Finland! We continued our walk, heading back along the Mall and then down Whitehall. As we headed towards Parliament Square, we momentarily stopped at Horseguard's Parade and glanced through the security gates keeping Downing Street safe and secure.

Having reached Parliament Square, we were surrounded by Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. I love London. There's so much to see and do and, on a warm sunny day like this one, the options are endless. On the many rainy London days, there's plenty of museums, galleries and other attractions, but a sunny day like this is perfect to take in the history and architecture of this City.

By late afternoon, it was time to head back to the hotel for a nap so we could enjoy our first night on the town. We headed out about 7pm, bounded for ChinaTown, my favourite place in London for a good meal. We tucked into a plate of Hor D'ovres chinese-style; crunchy seaweed, prawn toast, barbecued spare ribs, satay chicken and spring rolls. We ordered a bottle of Rose to go with our meal and continued onto a second course of Aromatic Duck with Pancakes and plum sauce. Yummy! I was stuffed by the time the main course of meat and rice dishes came so I just had a few spoonfuls before admitting defeat!

After dinner, we wandered around what is known as London's Theatreland which comprises Soho, ChinaTown and Covent Garden. After a while, we were ready for a drink so we headed to Old Compton Street in Soho to check out the gay bars. We visited the 'Admiral Duncan', a bar that was bombed in April 1999 which killed 3 and left more than 80 injured. The bar has a nice, relaxed atmosphere and isn't as superficial as other parts of the gay scene. From there, we headed to 'Comptons' across the road where the majority of the clientele were skinheads. Later in the evening, we headed to G-A-Y, London's most famous venue for the campest pop music you can listen to in public. Every other song is like a flashback from your childhood with songs by Sonia, Big Fun, Kylie and Jason. Fab! Bree, however, didn't like it.

Fortunately, our hotel was just up the road so, about 2am, we were snuggled up in bed. When we woke up the next morning, we enjoyed the huge, hearty buffet breakfast which would leave us not needing to eat for the whole day! Once again, I had a great itinerary planned. First off, we headed towards Leicester Square, stopping to have our photos taken in traditional red phone boxes along the way! Don't you just hate tourists?! We then headed towards Trafalgar Square, jumping on board the City Sightseeing Bus. We had tickets that were valid for 24 hours and we could hop on an off as many times as we liked. Our first attraction on this second sunny, but cooler day would be the Tower of London.

The Tower has stood on this site for nearly a thousand years and has been the seat of government and the home of the monarchy. It has housed Britain's arsenel and the Royal Jewels. It was also been the final destination for many of the nation's most notorious traitors, including Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's second wife, who was publicly executed for alleged adultery and the practice of witchcraft. The guided tour by the Yeoman Wardens was very entertaining and Bree listened intently to the history that I was all too familiar with. After visiting the impressive crown jewels, which Bree marvelled at, we walked along the Thames where we had one of my favourite pictures taken together with Tower Bridge in the background.

Not as old, Tower Bridge has been mistaken for London Bridge by many tourists in line with the nursery rhyme, 'London Bridge Is Falling Down'. Opened in 1893 by the then Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII) and his wife Alexandra of Denmark, the bridge was a much-needed solution to London's traffic problems. We visited the Tower Bridge Experience, an exhibition housed in the two towers of the Bridge, detailing the History of London and the construction of one of London's most familiar landmarks. We ambled along the South Bank for several hours, taking in the city skyline, before reaching Westminster.

I had pre-booked tickets for us to go on the London Eye, the largest observation wheel in the world. Reaching to a height of 135 metres, the London Eye is set adjacent to County Hall. The Eye has been voted the best tourist attraction in London many times and I always recommend it as it's perfect for taking in the city, especially if time is limited. After passing security in the queue, we waited for our 'campsule' to become available. We boarded for the 45 minute journey and gazed out as the city expanded more and more the higher we reached. This was my third time on the London Eye, and it still hadn't lost its appeal.
When our 'flight' ended, we disembarked and walked towards Westminster Bridge. As we crossed

When our 'flight' ended, we disembarked and walked towards Westminster Bridge. As we crossed the bridge, we had photos taken with the Eye as a backdrop. It was late afternoon by now, but there was one more surprise in store. Knowing that we would be tired by now, I had organised a boat trip up and down the Thames. We boarded on the North Bank, very close to Westminster Underground Station and were transported all the way back to the Tower of London and all the way back to Westminster again. It was nice to enjoy a coffee on the boat in the glow of the late-afternoon sun.

During the boat trip, we saw the Tate Modern Gallery on the South Bank and St. Paul's Cathedral on the North Bank, linked with the recently opened Millenium Bridge, London's first pedestrian-only bridge. By the time, we got back to Westminster, it was nearing 6pm so we rushed to the City SightSeeing stop at Parliament Square. We waited and we waited, and it was obvious we had missed the last bus back to Trafalgar Square. What did we do? In true British style, we hailed a black cab, of course. Bree loved it and the experience impressed him more than the London Eye or the boat trip! Within ten minutes, we were back at the hotel and I took a picture of Bree paying the fare!

We had two hours to rest and get prepared for the evening. After a meal at an Italian restaurant in Leicester Square, we were once again on the move. I had bought tickets for us to see Mamma Mia at the Prince Edward Theatre in Old Compton Street. I had seen the production with my friend John on an earlier visit to London and it was something Bree just had to see. And he loved it! The production feature many of ABBA's hits which have been cleverly mixed in with a storyline about a young girl who yearns to find her real father so that he can give away at her wedding. It's great, go and see it! I have! Four times!

After the theatre, we went for a couple of drinks before making our way back to the hotel. As we ambled through ChinaTown, however, we spotted a 'bobby' which is slang for a policeman. Much to Bree's embarassment, I asked if 'bobby' would kindly have his photo taken with Bree. Even now, you can see the embarassment on Bree's face in the photo! Ha ha! We were in bed after midnight, exhausted from a tiring day of non-stop sightseeing!

Sunday would be just a little bit more relaxing. We used up the remainder of our time on the 24-hour CitySightseeing bus tickets we had, before getting off at Baker Street, where we would pay a visit to Madame Tussaud's, the world famous waxwork museum. This is perhaps the only place in the world where you can rub shoulders with the rich and famous. During our visit, we bumped into Kylie Minogue, Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Gerri Halliwell, Marilyn Monroe, Steven Spielberg, John Travolta, Arnold Schwarzeneger, Sir Anthony Hopkins and David Beckham.

The highlights of the visit to Madam Tussauds were when you could stand next to the Queen and, in the background, were the rest of the British Royal Family. Likewise, there was another installation with Tony Blair and George Bush standing on either side of a podium. Visitors formed an orderly queue, taking it in turns to stand in between the two Superpowers, appearing as though they themselves were addressing a conference!

In the evening, we visited Porter's, a wonderful restaurant in Convent Garden which specialises in traditional English food. I tucked into a succulent Steak & Kidney Pie followed by Spotted Dick (Bree laughed when I pointed it out in the menu!) and Custard. Yummy! Owned by the 7th Earl of Bradford and opened in 1979, the restaurant aims to serve simple, traditional food at reasonable prices in what is no doubt an expensive city. Give it a try, I am sure you won't be disappointed.

Night came once again and, after a wander around Covent Garden, we headed back to our hotel. The next morning was an early start. It was Monday, the start of Bree's three days training. I spent the meantime with my family, meeting up with Bree again on the Wednesday afternoon at his hotel in Green Park. Our reunion was kind of bizarre: on Saturday, it had been 23C and sunny with a clear blue sky and now it was snowing! Shivering, we headed to Green Park Underground Station, bound for Heathrow Airport and our flight back home.

The trip to London with Bree was wonderful. Everyone loves to share their city with people, but as Bree and I were heading towards our first anniversary, it certainly was a special trip. Our flight home went smoothly and, once again, we were back in chilly Suomi (Finland).