The London Traveler

There’s something wonderful about walking past a really good coffee shop. The smell of roasting coffee grabs you by the nose and pulls you in the door…
And that always used to happen to me when I wandered down Monmouth Street, just off Seven Dials.
This is a real coffee shop, not a Starbucks or a Costa Coffee. It’s one for the gourmet, with coffees from Rwanda and Ethiopia as well as more ‘regular’ sources like Colombia, Brazil and Kenya. And they roast their own beans. Hence the lovely smell, I suppose.
You can buy your beans here. You can also buy a …read more

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I’ve always been fascinated by glassblowing. The way that molten glass flows and oozes, the way a piece slowly takes shape.  All this beauty and delicacy created out of what starts as a misshapen lump.
That’s why I was excited to find out that you can go and watch glassblowing in Southwark. The workshop at London Glassblowing is open every day in the week from 10 to 5 – though there’s no blowing from 1 till 2 in the afternoon, when the craftspeople knock off for lunch. There’s no charge,  though it’s suggested you might want to make a donation to …read more

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The Romantic City – I’m in lurve
You can’t have failed to notice that Valentine’s day is coming up. And if you’re in love, and want to show it, what could be nicer – London can be one of the most romantic cities in the world.
Now you could, if you wanted to, take a Valentine’s trip on the London Eye. It’s been decorated with a huge heart for the occasion, and offers special ‘Red Rose Flights’ and ‘Champagne Flights’. But it will cost you – £20 for the red rose and £33/35 for the champagne one.  Or, from the same site, …read more

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It’s raining again – and you forgot your umbrella. What can you do?
Of course you can buy a brolly from Boots, or even from a street vendor. You can buy one of those cheap and ugly fold-up black umbrellas, that will last a couple of outings before it blows inside out. You see dead umbrellas rolling along Tottenham Court road sometimes in a rainstorm, deserted by their owners…
Or you can turn to the professionals. That means a visit to James Smith & Sons, at 53, New Oxford Street. They’ve been there since 1830, behind their splendid Victorian shop front. They …read more

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Twinings is one of the most well-known English tea brands, and has had a London store since 1706.
Since 1717, Twinings has had a shop on the Strand in the heart of London. It still exists today, and is a must-see shop for anyone that has a spot in their heart (or palate) for tea! It’s good enough that they have a Royal Warrant… ie, they supply the British Royal Family with tea.
Be forewarned, though… the Twinings shop is tiny! But it’s filled with all kinds of varieties of tea, coffee, biscuits, and everything else you need for …read more

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One of the more interesting party areas in London is the infamous Old Compton Street in the heart of Soho. It is known as the center of the gay/lesbian community in London, and the area is vibrant and a lot of fun at night, no matter who you’re attracted to.
Soho in general is home to a number of the bars and clubs that are open until the wee hours of the morning. Old Compton Street, while not officially “pedestrianised,” is very pedestrian-friendly and very vehicle-unfriendly. (As you can likely tell from these photos!) During the day …read more

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Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American readers!
If you plan on visiting London during the holiday season, here are some events that you won’t want to pass up:
Ice Skating at the Natural History Museum
Toy shopping at Hamleys (go early to avoid the crowds!)
Christmas Lights

On Regent Street
On Oxford Street
On Marylebone High Street
Also St. Christopher’s Place!

Perhaps a “flight” on the London Eye
The Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park
And if you’re looking for inexpensive places to stay, check out my post on how to keep costs down on your visit to London.
Happy Thanksgiving, and I hope you have a great visit to this wonderful …read more

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When shopping for Christmas gifts, there is only one store you need to go to for toys… Hamleys. It is by far the greatest toy store in all of London.
Hamleys started as a toy shop back in 1760, and first had a Regent Street location in 1881. They moved into the current Regent Street premises in 1981. Spread over seven floors, it was once the largest toy store in the world.
Here is a quick guide to the floors:
5th – Boys
4th – Hobbies
3rd – Girls
2nd – Preschool
1st – Games
Ground – Soft toys
Basement – Interactive
I have to warn you, …read more

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I’ve talked before about two big Christmas Light celebrations in London, on Oxford Street and Marylebone High Street.
This year looks to have an even bigger and better display on Regent Street, which will officially be lit up on Tuesday, November 20th.
Nokia is sponsoring this years’ display, named UNITY, which is a bit of a nice break from past years where cartoon characters from holiday films have been featured. Nokia is opening a flagship store on Regent Street, and have sponsored the lights in celebration of the store opening.
As a bit of a geek, I like how they describe this …read more

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Greenwich Market is a little off the beaten track compared to some of the other London markets, as there is no Tube station nearby. (The DLR station nearby does connect to the Tube fairly efficiently.)
The main focus of the Greenwich market is arts and crafts. The large majority of the stalls offer handmade items, unique gifts, and clothes. That said, there is also a good food market in Greenwich, as well.

If you’re really a market “junkie,” Greenwich might be a great place for you to go. It’s right next to the National Maritime Museum and the …read more

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