Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX)

2008-07-06

Section: Your Life

Edition: Main

Page: F01

London calling

Museum moments. 'Groundling' tickets at the Globe. Window shopping, and walking through history. A mom and daughter find plenty of budget-savvy fun in jolly old London-town.

By JUDY WILEY

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

LONDON -- The businessman from Oslo was a little drunk, and he was deeply unhappy with the Travelodge City Road. Near as I could tell, this was mostly because he had set his concealer above the toilet, it fell in and he was unable to retrieve it. I wondered if there was a hotel in London where it was easier to get things out of the commode, and pondered men wearing concealer. I was a long way from Texas.

Actually, he was kind of right about the Travelodge in general. After a few days there I had come to view it as my main strategic error. The idea was a "budget London" story, which is just about a contradiction in terms. But there are ways to visit the city even if you're not a supermodel or an oil baron.

The main problem with the Travelodge was its location. I read eight or 10 guidebooks, and concluded that staying on London's hip and edgy East End was a good idea, partly because my 20-year-old daughter was coming with me. Sara is not known for her appreciation of museums, so I figured the part of town with cool boutiques, restaurants and clubs filled with people her age was the place to set up camp.

The interesting part only took about an afternoon. We would have been better off staying where we could walk to a few major attractions, instead of having to cram onto the Tube with everyone else in London every morning and evening. There were no nearby places for sodas, a quick snack, etc. that were open past the afternoon.

But the price was right, about $180 a night for the small room and one bed, a bargain here.

Breakfast at the hotel would have cost about $30 a day for the two of us. Remember that number -- $30. You'll see it a lot if you go to London.

What we did right: The room was spotlessly clean, everything worked, but it had no phone, no blow-dryer, no drawers. The front desk was either sweet and helpful or arrogant and mean, depending on who was on duty. Overall, the hotel chain idea was not a bad one.

If we had it to do over: I would try the Premier Inn London County Hall, near the London Eye. But book early.

Sightseeing

That moment that made me suddenly love London did not come after I paid $30 to see the Tower of London.

It did not come from riding a $30 sightseeing bus, although that was money well-spent in terms of getting our bearings.

It came the very first day, when I wandered out of the hot Travelodge room and across the street, I saw the castlelike Artillery Headquarters. I crossed to get a better look, and next to it, found a fence enclosing row upon row of very old tombstones, the moss-covered kind from fairy tales and Halloween.

Bunhill Fields Burial Ground may have started out as Bone Hill centuries ago.

England's dead have rested here for probably more than 1,000 years. Daniel Defoe (1661-1731), William Blake (1757-1827) Pilgrim's Progress author John Bunyan (1628-1688) are all occupants.

The old graveyard was tranquil and pretty. Grass and flowers grew amid the mossy slabs. Londoners lined the benches, reading, drowsing in the sun or walking the paved paths. A gaggle of schoolchildren in navy blue uniforms whirled through.

Time stood still while modern life danced past. This is what draws me so to Europe -- the reassuring sense of walking through history, of knowing what has lasted.

What we did right: The hop-on, hop-off sightseeing tour, good for 24 hours, let us get oriented, and stop where we wanted without wearing ourselves out walking the wrong way from a Tube station. The Thames cruise that came with the tour was a bonus.

If we had it to do over: The walking tours in London get high marks from everyone who's taken them. Go to www.walks.com to see details on one such company, London Walks.

Shopping

A day or two later, Sara and I did one of the things we do best: go shopping.

We shared a reverent moment of silence when we came upon the dramatically darkened designer-shoe section at Harrod's. We walked toward the chamber, looked at each other and said in hushed voices, as one: "Shoessss."

Christian Louboutins, to be exact. I held in my hand a perfectly balanced, exquisitely crafted red patent pump. I know you can touch a Louboutin at home. But you wouldn't be doing it while standing in Harrod's, wearing a spritz of the newest Dior scent after having paid $60 for one pizza and one salad in the store's Food Hall. Harrod's is a must-see, but there were more realistic shopping venues. Two were H&M, where we could actually afford the clothes, and Zara at Sloane Square, which was higher but still doable. Topshop, the London retailer known for fast fashion, also was within reach of our budgets.

What we did right: Browsing the high-end stores let us see clothes and home furnishings we'd only dreamed of; hitting the chains let us buy a few things to take home.

If we had it to do over: Except for a small market set up outside Sloane Square, we didn't make it to any of London's famous markets, such as Portobello and Brick Lane. Plan a market trip in the morning -- by the time afternoon rolled around we didn't really want to fight crowds and walk for miles.

Entertainment

To stand on a perfect, warm night near the edge of the stage in the open-air Shakespeare's Globe Theatre watching King Lear is to be really, thoroughly alive.

Actors with rainsticks leapt offstage into the audience during a storm, the old king bellowed and agonized, an a capella singer punctuated the performance with her sweet voice.

We bought "groundling" tickets for about $10 apiece, and that means standing through the entire performance. While the vantage point about 15 feet from the edge of the stage was wonderful, the standing grew painful.

Sara's highlight of the whole trip was free, and not particularly British.

She had caught a cold and stayed all day in the sweltering hotel room. I returned in the evening to find her gone. She left a note saying the Sex and the City world premiere was at Leicester Square, the stars of the movie and TV series would be there and she'd set off to find it.

I hopped on the Tube and went looking for her.

A huge crowd had gathered around the front of the Odeon theater, where the movie opened. I went around bobbing low to look at feet, stretching high to examine the tops of heads. (I'm sure I looked crazy.)

I was thus engaged when off to my left I heard, "Mom! I can't believe I found you in all these people."

Just then, a scream went up. I helped Sara onto a barricade just in time for her to see Sarah Jessica Parker rolling down her window as she left, waving to the crowd.

What we did right: Shakespeare's Globe was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, standing or not.

If we had it to do over: Sitting at the Globe would have been better. Also, we had intended to also see a big West End production, but our inability to make it to the Half-Price Tickets booth early in the morning meant we never did, since we were unwilling to pay full price.

We also had limited success with clubs and bars. Other than the Hoxton Hotel's Grille, the bars down the street from the hotel were a dumpy pub and a high-dollar-looking strip club. Londoners seem to all flock to the nearest pub every single day after work and stand six-deep outside drinking for the next three hours -- not what a footsore traveler wanted to do at 6 p.m. A more central location might have let us find a sunny table for relaxing outside.

Museums

These are a pot of gold for a budget traveler. London has more than 120 museums with free admission.

Here's a tip: Don't go to the British Museum on a Monday during the school year, unless you like to mill around with half the schoolkids in London.

Here's another tip: If it's hot, head for a photography gallery in the Victoria and Albert Museum. The temperature here is kept chilly. Elsewhere in the Victoria and Albert, it's fun to gawk at fashion through the years -- from corsets and bustles to Vivienne Westwood.

At the British Library, you can see the Magna Carta -- the 1215 document that, among other things, established that law was a power in its own right, one that even kings had to obey.

The Tate Modern, housed in a former power station, left me vaguely disturbed, uneasy and absolutely in awe that a museum could thrust me into such a state.

The museum stands on the banks of the Thames, where the city relaxes. Couples stroll, a cellist plays under a bridge, groups of people sit on blankets.

It's a shock to move from this fresh and lively scene into the looming, shadowy Turbine Hall that marks the Modern's main entrance. Up the escalator, a roomful of Mark Rothko works are, by design, oppressive, prisonlike.

Elsewhere, Monet's water lilies dissolve into abstract blurs. Take the museum's word for it that the various projected images by Paul McCarthy in a separate room are sexually explicit. And disturbing.

Troops of teenagers were marching in formation around the museum and its grounds, counting their steps aloud, turning in unison and beginning the count again when they reached a barrier of any sort.

Kind of a surreal head trip, the whole thing, really. One well worth taking, for all the new ways I learned to see.

What we did right: The free museums are worth your time. Pack as many as you can into your trip.

If we had it to do over: I wish I had devoted an afternoon a day to visiting museums, instead of trying to cram three or four into one day.

Eating

If you care a lot about great food, you will probably get hold of a restaurant guide and plot your course in London. If you're trying to just get a decent meal, reasonably priced, you'll have to work at it.

Gastro-pubs can be great -- just make sure you're really in one. Any old pub won't do. Your best bet is one with a menu posted, rather than just something scrawled on a chalkboard.

Our great food find was at Marks and Spencer, a department store chain with grocery halls.

We bought a baguette, a pound of gold Jersey butter, a half-pound of delectable Gloucester cheese and a couple of soft drinks for around $15 for a picnic in Greenwich. It would have been enough for several days' lunches.

Also try Eat., a daytime chain of coffee shops that serves porridge, pastries and full breakfast, and keeps its refrigerator case stocked with Greek yogurt and intriguing sandwiches -- crayfish, lime and cilantro, for example.

What we did right: Eating at the museums or sights can be a decent value.

What we'd do differently: Get a room with a refrigerator. And for heaven's sake don't pay $30 for the pizza at Harrod's.

If You Go: Details Getting there

American Airlines started nonstop flights to Heathrow this spring. Because it's closer to the city center than Gatwick, it's not a bad option. (Note: In late June, American announced that they will no longer have nonstop service from D/FW to Gatwick.)

A round-trip flight is about $1,195 per person now. We paid about $700 each for our tickets this spring. www.aa.com Getting around

You can get to your hotel via cab (about $100); bus (about $4 per person); express train (about $30 one-way on the fast Heathrow Express or about $13 on Heathrow Connect, both to Paddington Station) or Tube (about $8 one-way). www.heathrowairport.com

We took Heathrow Connect and also bought Oyster Cards (about $24) that were good for both the Tube and buses for the six days we were there.

Cabs might have gotten us where we were going faster, but we opted to save the money. Go to www.tfl.gov.uk for information about all forms of transport in London. Staying

Travelodge City Road at $130 a night offers breakfast with a 10 percent discount if booked online (about $180 a night for a double). Online booking not refundable. Two kids eat free for each adult breakfast bought, and it looked like a decent buffet: scrambled eggs, coffee, bacon, etc. Wi-Fi is $20/week; early check-in is $20. www.travelodge.com

Premier Inn London County Hall, Belvedere Road near the London Eye, rates start at $234/night. www.premierinn.com

The Hoxton Hotel, 81 Great Eastern St. near our Travelodge, is a beautifully designed, very cool hotel that is currently advertising rooms at $160 a night in November. www.hoxtonhotels.com Sightseeing

Two main companies run the bus tours: Original London Sightseeing Tour, www.theoriginaltour.com; and Big Bus, www.bigbustours.com. Agents around Trafalgar Square sell tickets for tours and admission to major sights.

Museums etc: Plot your course using a guidebook before you leave, or check them out at sites such as www.londonnet.co.uk. If time is important, you'll want to choose your exhibits -- many of the museums are huge. Budget eating ideas

Marks and Spencer, various locations, for sandwiches, desserts, salads, etc.

Eat., also all over the city, for a quick bite or take-out.

Founders Arms Blackfriars, near the Tate Modern and Shakespeare's Globe, is one of the Young's pub chain. I had the charcuterie, a wooden board laden with salami, ham, corned beef, pickles, cheese, balsamic vinaigrette and bread that cost $10 and would have easily fed two. Out of town

Take the Thames cruise that comes with your Original tour ticket. The Thames isn't particularly attractive, but Greenwich is beautiful and green, less crowded than the city and dotted with interesting shops. The Royal Observatory, where the prime meridian is located, is fascinating. www.nmm.ac.uk. More information

I liked Pauline Frommer's London. Lonely Planet's London guide offers good history and background. Also, go to www.visitlondon.com.

The bottom line

Here's how costs might break down per person for six nights:

Plane fare: $1,100 at current prices

Hotel (for a double -- singles also are widely available in London) at $130/night, total: $780

Dining about $30/day buying groceries and watching costs; no fine meals figured in: $180.

Admissions: $90 total to see two major sights and take a bus tour

Transportation: Can be done for about $40 using solely the Tube and buses by using an Oyster card.

Total: about $2,200