Trip to London
We just had one of our (exceptionally rare) trips to England, for a couple of days of self-indulgence, and stayed in a hotel in central London.
Although I worked in London for many years, and have visited it at many other times, it’s almost the first time that I’ve visited as a tourist and definitely the first time I’ve stayed in a hotel in the centre (and the first hotel I’ve ever stayed in which said wifi was £10 a day, but the ipad found a signal for free).
It is surprising how different a place looks when you are strolling around as a visitor rather than heading straight for the office!
We went to see Les Miserables, strolled around Covent Garden, and crossed the Millenium Bridge to see the Globe Theatre – all very touristy things. We even followed a guided route of the City to see all the most interesting modern architecture (there is lots to see – at least some of those ill-gotten gains in the financial sector have been put to good use).
I stood grinning while Mrs B took my photo, because it’s much more fun visiting the City when you don’t need to spend 10 hours a day working in an office while you are there (although I was surprised that the City pubs were all crowded by 4.30, so perhaps people don’t work quite as hard as they used to…)
Visiting somewhere you are familiar with ‘as a tourist’ makes you realise that a place looks completely different through the eyes of a visitor. Have you recently visited any of the museums, castles and historic monuments near where you live? Had breakfast in a cafe or a picnic next to a lake…?
So I think that as an expat my New Year’s Resolution for 2012 had better be to spend time exploring the region around us as a tourist rather than as an expat trying to earn a living.
Unless of course I can think of something better in the next two weeks, which I probably will.
Glad you enjoyed your break. It is strange how different places can be when you look through different eyes. Its so good when I go to london not to be going for meetings etc and we spent the day at the new St Pancras station as we had the time. Time is the next best thing to health.
Pleased that you were not ‘tired of London’. My early years were lived 25 miles south of Kings Cross, and we were often up to the shops, sites and even shows( especially matinees). I would be unable to suggest an itinery for a visitor that would be a winner for all tastes, so I have yet to go to Paris and hope to be able to ‘do’ that city. As a kid, and even much later, The Science Museum and V&A etc were good places to go. Does Paris have the equivalent? Lots of research before a visit required, and a small bank loan before staying in a cenral hotel.
It took me a long time not to be tired of London but now I can see it as a great city and I look forward to returning soon. Of course, Paris, Rome, New York are also very great cities and whenever I have visited any of them I swear I’ll return more often – it just never seems to happen.
Just got to sort out the small problem of paying for all this pleasure, as you say central hotels are not at all cheap, even in a recession!