Sunday, 4 August 2024

London

 


Well, I didn't really have long before the planning and preparation began again, as last weekend saw us back in London again. This was my first visit since running the marathon, and I'm happy to say that the weather was much warmer this time, no need for my hat and gloves :)




After dropping off our bags, the first stop was Richmond. By this time, we were feeling really hungry, so after a much needed lunch stop (a lovely picnic on Richmond Green) we walked along by the river, and up the hill towards Richmond Park. It was a gorgeous, sunny day and we had hoped we might see the deer, but it didn't look too promising. There were plenty of butterflies and bees, but we didn't notice any deer, not even in the distance.


We made our way a little farther along the track, weaving our way past the ponds, and returning through the trees, when I suddenly spotted a deer among the bracken. Just one. Whether there were any more close by, I couldn't tell, but you're not supposed to get too close to them, so we stayed where we were.


Having given our legs a good stretch on the walk (It had been a long train journey), we headed along the river again, back to Richmond Green, where we enjoyed an ice cream and watched some of the cricket. It was quite busy there, as you might expect on a Saturday afternoon, but everyone was happy and  relaxed, and making the most of the sunny day.

Dinner that evening, was a McDonald's, eaten on Clapham Common :) I think half of Clapham was there, and why not, it was a lovely evening for it. After a quick drink at a nearby pub, we went back to our hotel for the night, where we both slept incredibly well, unsurprisingly after all that walking. 


For ages now, Lily has been wanting to experience H22, the city's highest free viewing platform, but you usually have to book tickets in advance for this. I kept checking for cancellations, but I wasn't having much luck, until last Sunday, while we were eating breakfast. I refreshed the web page, and it appeared that there were just a handful of tickets available for 11.00 that morning. Cue much excitement, then a quick dash to get into central London, to make our time slot. We had been incredibly lucky to get these tickets, and it was the perfect morning for it.  



Once we had reached our destination, in sharp contrast to the heat and noise of the city, we stepped into a quiet, cool entrance lobby, where we were directed through security and into the lift. 58 floors later, we were greeted by the most amazing views. Previously, we have visited the Sky Garden, which feels high enough, but on this occasion, we were actually looking down on it. We had a wonderful time up there, searching for the landmarks down below. The Tower of London, especially, looking as though it was part of a model village. It was amazing, and I would definitely recommend a visit there, if you are ever in the city. 


From H22, we walked down towards the river, passing The Monument to The Great Fire of London, then caught the tube to Hyde Park, where we enjoyed another picnic lunch, before spending the afternoon by The Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. 


Then, all too soon, it was time for us to return home. Although, I was quite relieved, as the temperature rose even higher the following day. And I must admit, the city is not my favourite place to be when the weather is so hot.

J. X

28 comments:

  1. I'm glad you had a lovely time in London. My son used to live in Richmond so I am familiar with the walk by the river. I do love to see your photos of the places you visit when you visit the city xx

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    1. Thank you, Eileen. Richmond is a really beautiful part of London, and the walk along the river is so lovely. Xx

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  2. What a fantastic outing. As always, stunning photos too! I'm glad you had such a good time; I agree about the heat though. xx

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  3. Wow! What a beautiful city! Thank you for sharing your trip with us! Your photos are stunning, my friend.

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    1. We had some lovely weather for our visit. Xx

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  4. What a lovely weekend visit to London! Thank you for sharing your photos with us. The last time I was in London was in the mid 1980s.

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  5. The sky is gorgeous! I love blue skies with white, fluffy clouds. It sounds as if you and Lily had a wonderful time in London. I agree cities are not the best place to be when it's really hot. Have a great week!

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    1. We were lucky with the weather, and it meant we could make the most of our time there. X

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  6. You always find the best outings - you inspire me! I need to work harder to find those unique day trips. I won’t be in London, but I have to seek out even the little getaways. Looks like you had a marvelous time!

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    1. I like to make the most of our time in London. And my daughter enjoys it, as she gets to be a tourist for the day :)

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  7. Good grief ladies…what an outing…Lily is lucky to have you take her on such adventures! Xx

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  8. Thank you for posting the picture of The [protected] View from The Terrace Gardens on Richmond Hill towards the Thames, one of my favourite views of my home town, still my home area. DH and I talk about going away on holiday, we keep concluding there is no need, for example last Sunday we lunched at The King’s Head in Teddington then walked in the Woodland Garden in nearby Bushy Park.
    No concerns about packing for uncertain weather, flights, train times, driving around M25, hotels where there is no service at breakfast. Main concern when one drives in London is the widespread 20 mph almost anywhere plus far too many pedestrian crossings close to each other all controlled by traffic lights.

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    1. Thank you for your comment, Madeleine. I didn't know that it is a protected view, although it is easy to understand why. Richmond is a beautiful part of the city.
      I agree, it is often far more relaxing to stay close to home. In fact, I recently enjoyed a week's 'holiday' in The Lakes. X

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  9. Your weather looked perfect and Richmond at its best. How lucky were you to get those tickets. An amazing experience. B x

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    1. I believe they also hold back a number of tickets for walk in admissions, but I wasn't willing to risk it. X

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  10. Gorgeous photo's. You must have a very good camera. Not sure I would want to be that high up, it sometimes bothers me. But, how lucky you were able to get a spot after all your efforts. My tour of the UK last August ended in London; but we didn't really see much. I was rather disappointed. Our hotel was within walking distance to Buckingham Palace, so we walked there and around the outside. We didn't have tickets to go in though, and there weren't any available. The tour took a short bus tour, but that wasn't very beneficial and then we toured the Tower of London and that was it. Hope to come back some day to actually visit London. Yesterday we had 3 fawns in our yard, and later in the day 3 adult deer. We're in a very residential area and normally only see one or maybe two in a year, so yesterday was pretty unusual. But, I wasn't particularly happy with them, as they ate my favorite plant and now I have no blossoms. Plus they ate all along the back and now I have quite a mess to clean up. Got my fingers crossed they didn't damage those plants, as I just had the landscapers put them in last year and it was a rather costly venture. I sure hope they don't come back. Hubby and I tried to chase them off, but they kept coming back. Persistent and annoying.

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    1. Thank you for your comment, Sandy. No camera here, I just use my phone, so please don't zoom in too closely :)
      I'm also not a fan of heights, but H22 was an amazing experience. From the moment we were greeted at the door, it was all very straightforward and the staff were really lovely and reassuring.
      The two tours you mention are ones I haven't done yet. I would love to go to Buckingham Palace and it's been so many years since I visited The Tower of London, that I can't actually remember any of it. Maybe during my next visit. X

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  11. Wow, what amazing views. You were lucky to have such a clear day too, allowing you to see so far into the distance. You're giving Lily some wonderful memories of her childhood summer holidays for her to look back on.

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    1. I couldn't believe my luck when I managed to get H22 tickets on the Sunday morning. We could see for miles. Xx

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  12. It sounds like you had a fantastic time in London! Richmond and the parks must have been lovely in the sunshine, and how exciting to finally get those tickets for H22! The views from there sound incredible. I’m glad you managed to fit in so much, from a picnic on Clapham Common to enjoying the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. Safe travels back home, and I hope the cooler weather returns soon!

    I just posted a new blog post at www.melodyjacob.com. I invite you to read and let me know what you think about it. Thank you!

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    1. Thank you. Yes, we always enjoy our trips to the city and especially discovering areas we haven't visited before. X

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  13. I have been to the Sky Garden but hadn't even heard of H22. It's been a while now though since my last visit to London, I think maybe 7 years. X

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    1. H22 was so great. It was Lily who first told me about it. I think she'd seen something about it online. Xx

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  14. An amazing trip to London and Richmond in particular. Those views must have been stunning from the top of H22 and worth the scurry across the city to get your time slot. Not sure I would be very good that high up myself but such goood fun for you both.

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    1. It was amazing, Beverley. I really don't like heights, but I was so busy enjoying the views that I didn't really think about it. Xx

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