Back to New York

So this trip was only planned about a month ago. With a lot going on at work and being away four weekends in June to July, I didn't plan much for London. But I had a great time and experience with the client, colleagues, and friends!

Being here twenty years ago, seems so long ago! On the Uber ride to Heathrow, we passed Buckingham Palace and Harrods - places that I vividly remember. 

Unfortunately, I didn't get to revisit the British Museum, eat curry, or see the National Gallery - but it's something to leave behind for next time!

Marathon Meetings

So we had more meetings and everything went swimmingly, except for a small snafu with the conference rooms. My first trip to London for work, really couldn't have gone better. The client was super happy and asked if I would join next year.........Yes!

After all-day meetings, we went to Wapping and had dinner with their legal counsel based out of England. We went to an Italian restaurant called Il Bordello that was delicious and our client was super happy. We ate yummy food every day and great desserts. Here's a photo of my pasta:



We then went to the Dickens Inn in St. Katherine's Docks and had a Guinness. Here's a photo of the awesome bar with a wraparound terrace and my beer:

Then back to the hotel as we all had early flights to New York, Pittsburgh, and Dublin, respectively. What a great few days of jokes, stories, and of course, meetings. I'm truly blessed for my life and opportunities!

Meetings

Today we had all-day meetings. Our London office is swanky with nice views of the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Here are some photos:

For lunch, I had steak tartar and duck breast at Blanc Brasserie which is practically across the street from the office. For dinner, we went to the Don. I had salmon and then a lobster risotto. I've been eating incredibly well in London - especially since we always order dessert!

After dinner, we had drinks on the Doubletree rooftop which had a wrap around terrace and great views! You can see "the Cheese Grater" and "the Gerken" that dot the London skyline!

The Tower

The weekend is over and I have to officially work in London. Boo..... This morning, Sophia and I had breakfast on nearby Bermondsey Street and walked Gus around. I had a traditional breakfast with blood sausage and baked beans, pictured below:



I then called for an Uber taxi to bring me to the Novotel Tower Bridge, just across the river. After checking in and getting settled as I'll be here for three nights, I did a bit of work. This was also after I set off the alarms in my room! They gave me a handicap access room, so there were cords everywhere to pull in case of emergency. My curiosity got the best of me and next thing I know, alarms are going off, security is calling me, and there was a man at my door. At least I know they work!

Afterwards, I headed to the Tower of London. I had been here years ago, but as my company gets free tickets and practically every colleague said I should go, I decided to procure a ticket from our local office. Walking around this old palace with so much history was fun, but it was really crowded. The prized exhibition is the Crown Jewels where you can't take photos. Known for being a mint, storehouse, and a prison, many were executed and buried here including two of Henry VIII's wives and Thomas More. I must have read and seen every version of "A Man for All Seasons" in ninth grade English! Here are a few photos of the experiences including a raven as there has to be six on site or the monarchy will crumble!:

Afterwards, I explored the city: walked by the Monument, the Royal Exchange, Bank of England, and Leadenhall Market. Here are the pictures:

Here's a picture of the Lloyd's of London building, the iconic insurance exchange in this modern retro building. I could see brokers walking in and out with huge files and submissions - very old-school! So glad the underwriters come to us in the US!

I wandered some more and then met a colleague and our client for dinner. We walked across Tower Bridge and ate on Battery Wharf. I had oysters and fish and chips. I had also picked up macarons at Ladurée earlier as I knew my client loves sweets. So we enjoyed them before our walk back across the bridge. A photo of our walk and the bridge at sunset:

We pondered having drinks on the rooftop of the hotel, but decided on an early night before two days of back-to-back meetings!

Rainy London

I woke up and walked about 20 minutes to the Tate Modern. Opened in 2000, it's a converted power station filled with the modern works of Picasso, Dalí, and other amazing artists. I saw the Matisse Cut Outs exhibit and Malevich exhibit. The Matisse exhibit was excellent and I still remember learning about Malevich's suprematism theories in art history class. The museum had beautiful views of the river and St. Paul's Cathedral. After about two hours, I walked across Millennium Bridge - felt very "Bridget Jones" as she walked across the bridges in London! Here's a photo from and of the Tate Modern:





I took the tube from the St. Paul station to Marble Arch where I met my client and his wife for lunch at the Grazing Goat. Recommended by Sophia, it's an old-fashioned country pub on an adorable street near Hyde Park. We had Sunday Roast and fish and chips. Sunday Roast is what you usually eat with the family in Sundays and is the typical hearty fare of British cuisine. We also enjoyed desserts and tea. This client actually is not whom I here to accompany for market meetings, but rather another client who is starting a train vacation throughout Europe. I had also met his darling wife at Super Bowl, so there was indeed a comfort level and familiarity. Here's a picture of the Sunday roast with a popover, vegetables, and gravy:

After lunch, we walked over to the Marble Arch and through Hyde Park. Hyde Park reminds me of Central Park and we people-watched and enjoyed the friendly dogs. We made our way to Serpentine Lake and to the Diana Memorial Fountain. The fountain was a water ring made of Cornish granite stone with children who enjoyed wading in the water. Here are a few photos:

We then made our way down Flower Walk and past the gaudy Albert Memorial, pictured below:

At the end of Hyde Park is Kensington Palace where several Royal family members live in separate apartments, including Prince William: 

We sat for a few minutes on a bench and chatted away before we separated. They were off to touring more of London with a package tour, then to Paris, Nice, Venice, Florence, and Rome - all by train!

I opted to explore the park some more by finding the Peter Pan statue and the Italian Fountains. Here's a photo of the fountains:

It began to thunder and the clouds were settling in, so I decided to leave early to head to Charlotte Street. This is where I had plans to meet a colleague of mine who is doing a stint in the London office. We met at the Charlotte Street hotel for a drink and then had dinner at Siam Central for Thai food. We sat for hours talking and enjoying a bottle of white wine while the rain drizzled around us. 

Eventually I took the tube back to Sophia's apartment and Gus gnawed on a bone next to meet as I typed away on my iPad. Tomorrow will be last day of sight-seeing before two days of back-to-back meetings!

London Bridge Is...

Today I landed early in London with a very empty flight - luckily I was able to sleep and spread out comfortably. Ended up watching Blue Jasmine on the flight which was very good. I took the Heathrow Express that gets you into central London in 20 minutes and then took the tube to London Bridge where Sophia lives! Here's a photo of the tube sign and her adorable French bulldog, Gus.

After a shower and a nap, we walked along with Gus on the south bank of the Thames where people were milling. We stopped by a street fair and had a great Brazilian steak wrap and cocktails.

From the river, we could see the Shard (the tallest building in the EU), the Tower Bridge, and many other buildings and bridges.

We walked by the Shakespeare Globe Theater, the Tate Modern, and Borough Market. After some mango sorbet, we headed back to her apartment to rest and drop off Gus. We then took the train to the West End. My friend, William, had given me a list of shows to see and Sophia had seen them all except "Let the Right One In". I have to say, the concept was a little too modern and gory for me. It's based on a book and a movie. Here's a picture of the theater and its cool ceiling that had collapsed last year:

We then had dinner nearby at Jean-George's Spice Market and walked to Picadilly, Trafalgar Square, and crossed the Embankment Bridge where we could see the London Eye (a Ferris wheel) and Big Ben. Here are some of our night walk photos:

We finally made it home and my legs and feet were exhausted - exceeded 26,000 steps today!

London Bound!

So I haven't been to London since I was 13! I'm sure lots has changed considering I'm two decades older!

After a busy week at work, I made my way to JFK and after some major E train delays. I have work meetings Tuesday and Wednesday. And while other colleagues are flying Sunday / Monday, I decided to head early to enjoy the weekend in London.

On the agenda: Hyde Park, British Museum, Indian food, and general walking around.

I had originally booked a hotel for the weekend, a much cheaper one than the hotel during the week that's next to my office. As I was making plans to have dinner and brunch with various friends, Sophia, Nakia's friend who joined us in Barcelona offered me a room for the weekend. I couldn't pass up a local's take on the city and her hospitality!

I enjoyed a Shackburger and a Long Island Blue Point beer to savor New York before I left. So, off I go, cheerio!

Some Amazing Travel Tips!

Thought some of these were pretty clever!

http://news.distractify.com/dark/trivial-facts/24-travel-tips-that-will-change-your-life-forever/?v=1