Johnny Jet's Travel Tales

Travel dates: Dec 7-10, 2001: London, England

London is the most amazing city in the world - if there is any doubt that you can tire of London easily, you just have not looked in all the right places or are just not adventuresome enough. I have been to London no less than seven times in 18 months and I still feel there’s so much to do and it can be done reasonably too. I like the Eyewitness Travel Guide series as a good reference.

First my choice in hotels have centered on the Mayfair or Hyde Park Corner area for location. The Holiday Inn Mayfair is a first class hotel, with very upscale furnishings, while the Intercontinental Hotel - Hyde Park Corner has some of the roomiest suites around - and don’t forget to try the concierge floor with fabulous breakfast and afternoon refreshments. My favorite hotel is the Crowne Plaza St. James located near Buckingham Palace. It’s 3 minutes walk from Buckingham Palace, 5 minutes to Victoria Station but most of all, it has a great staff and one of the nest gyms I have seen in a while. It was built first in 1897 and now comprises 342 rooms and has three excellent restaurant. The health club has whirlpool baths, wet and dry saunas, and treatments available through the Shiseido Salon. The workout nautilus equipment together with 4 treadmills, 2 elliptical cross trainers , 2 rowers and 4 stationery bikes should keep even the most dedicated exercisers happy for a while. Most of all, the concierge and front desk staff are anxious to take care of your needs - when inquiring about Quaglino’s Restaurant, within seconds, I had a map, an offer to make reservations and was told about dress code. Straggling in late at night, I am always greeted by the staff (who at some other hotels tend to ignore you or could not be bothered) with a warm welcome. For more info about this great hotel.

During this trip, I managed to get tickets for Fame playing at the Cambridge Theater in the West End. You can get half price tickets at Leicester Square, and this is a great musical, which is inspired by the movie of the same name. It’s great fun and a plethora of restaurants abound in the area for pre-theater or even post theater dining. Londoners tend to eat late, so don’t be surprised if a restaurant is packed at 10:30 pm! At the half price ticket booth, you can get tickets to other shows such as Chicago, Starlight Express, Blood Brothers, Les Miserables to name a few. Tickets for current hits such as Mama Mia, The Producers, Art, or The Lion King can be difficult to come by, let alone at a discount, but if you really want to go, stop by the box offices at the individual theaters for last minute availability. With the downturn in the US travel, seats are more available than ever.

For an absolutely incredible view of London, don’t forget to go to the London Eye right on the River Thames, and enjoy a full 360 degree experience you won’t soon forget. Tickets are about UKL 8 or USD 12. You can go by day or night, and reservations are essential in the summer. I did a sunset/night viewing and the lights were just magnificent. You go up in a bubble glass capsule which holds about 30 people and it takes a full hour to complete the rotation and don’t forget your camera!

This time, I discovered another great place to get a good view. Believe it or not, St. Paul’s cathedral offers a full 360 degree view of London from its dome. St. Paul’s Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of London, which is part of the Anglican Communion. The present building was started in 1675 and took 35 years to build. There are 259 steps to the Whispering Gallery, another 119 to the Stone Gallery and then a further 152 to the Golden Gallery. The steps are narrow and not for the faint hearted, but once you make it up there, you just can’t help but be taken away by the view. St. Paul’s boasts the largest crypt in Europe and the weight of the dome is about 65,000 tons! Admission is UKL 6 to the nave, altars and the dome. St. Pauls

My favorite way to get around London is the Travelcard, which allows you to travel by bus and tube throughout most of Central London. For long term stays (7 day/14 days passes) you can pre-purchase travel cards from your travel agent or on line. I usually get a one day pass UKL 4 for use after 9:30 am Monday - Friday. On the weekends it’s UKL 6 for Saturday and Sunday usage, and literally gets me all over London - just grab a tube map, figure out your closest tube stop, and you’re set. All major attractions will tell you what tube stop to get off at - and then it’s usually walking distance. Be warned though - the tube stops running at midnight, so you’ll have to resort to the Night busses, or night cabs (private cabs).

One of my favorite eateries in London is “Balans” which is located in SoHo and Earl’s Court. The service is friendly and accommodating, and while gay friendly, has a good mix of clientele. The food is a nice blend of English and continental favorites. You can get a hearty English breakfast with sausage, eggs, mushrooms, bacon, tomato and toast and a coffee for about UKL 10. Other great options are their sandwiches and salads, and their daily specials. My friend Guido also recommends Dome, close by at both locations too which offer a 3 course set menu for about UKL 14.00. If you want really affordable, you can meander along Chinatown (adjacent to SoHo) and after staring at the hanging ducks in the window, you can grab a quick plate of rice and meat or a bowl of noodles at China China for about UKL 5.00

My favorite stop in is Pret Manger, which offers pre-made sandwiches, soups, salads, beverages and sushi to eat in or to go. (or as they say in the UK - Take Away). I like the vegetarian sandwich, which is a selection of grilled vegetables on tomato hummus on wheat bread or the smoked salmon sandwich. Other good combos are curried chicken, BLT. Pret claims to have a freshness standard of about 45 minutes and with the volume they get, it’s easily managed. Now if you choose to get a sandwich, a bag of crisps, and a coffee to eat in, you’ll end up paying a little more (tax and surcharge) vs grabbing it to go and sitting in the park. This is true of any deli etc - so you’ll see an Eat In/Take Away Price for everything. A complete meal here costs about UKL 6!

I met my friends Matt and Lannie at the very decent and diverse Quaglino’s. it’s located at 16 Bury Street close to the Ritz Carlton and Mayfair. Individually painted columns, numerous sculptures and the sweeping staircase make up this glamorous restaurant. Some excellent seafood and meat dishes make up a diverse menu together with some good desserts. Service is attentive and reservations are highly recommended. More information on this restaurant is available at Conran

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