In Love In London: 7th Anniversary Trip Part One

After subbing Monday and Tuesday, Bryan and I tested our almost-thirty bodies with a 3 am alarm on Wednesday morning to catch the first flight out of Sevilla. We were off to London!

You may be getting a little deja-vu because this will be our third trip to England since moving to Spain! For those keeping count:

1. At the end of our Iceland & Norway cruise, we spent a day visiting Stonehenge, Salisbury, & Bath.

2. We rang in the New Year in true Harry Potter fashion with a studio tour and a day at the theater seeing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child!
   

By now we realized it was time to knock off all those English touristy items in London, so what better way than for our anniversary trip?!

Wednesday, March 13: Shakespeare’s Globe & Les Miserables

So like I said- we started our morning at 3 am.

Left the house by 4 am.

Parked at the airport by 5:30 am.

On a Ryan Air flight to London by 6:30 am.

We are too old for this! Luckily we both were able to snooze a little on the flight but, whew, we (meaning I) have GOT to stop booking these crazy morning flights. (I say this, but I continue to find the cheapest flight option for our travels and then force both of us to suffer through while claiming “I won’t do this ever again...” knowing full well that I will.)

We landed, and then trained to our hotel to drop our bags before catching the next train down the river to Shakespeare’s Globe!

Borough Market

Now, I may have planned this trip down to the hour, but we did fit in a quick stop at Borough Market, which is world-famous for its street food booths and lively atmosphere. This market is one of London’s oldest and largest food markets, with over 100 booths selling fresh produce, meats, artisanal delicacies, and more.

After exploring several booths, we grabbed a spinach and feta pastry as we wandered around admiring all the choices. The Borough Market has definitely become a tourist attraction with tourist prices, so we opted for a full lunch nearby instead.

Shrigley's Moroccan Cuisine

With the help of Google, we found a local Moroccan restaurant, where we both feasted on pita wraps stuffed with chicken and lamb. It was GOOD! Shrigley's Moroccan Cuisine was cheap, filled with locals, and beyond filling! This place hit the spot and saved us a few bucks compared to Borough Market!

Shakespeare's Globe

Then we were off to the theater!

We checked in for our guided tour of Shakespeare’s Globe and enjoyed the hour-long walkthrough of the world’s most famous playhouse. Our guide was great and taught us a lot about the famous playwright and his playhouse.

Shakespeare lived during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and later King James I. Queen Elizabeth I thought that theater would keep people from attending church and would corrupt people’s morals, so she was adamant they stay out of London. So they popped up right across the Thames River in Surry, now a major part of London’s city infrastructure. King James I continued this tradition with similar reasoning: I mean, the man did commission the King James version of the Bible!

During Shakespeare’s time, women weren't allowed to act, so all female roles were played by boys 8-18 years old. Nothing like a 10-year-old boy playing “marriage” with a 54-year-old man. Whew! Thank goodness times have changed!

During Shakespeare’s time, one penny (in today’s currency about £5) got you a standing spot right in front of the stage. Shakespeare’s Globe Theater could fit 700 people in the standing area. Surrounding the standing area, are seats for 900 people, but at the time, Shakespeare was fitting 2,000 in there. Talk about tight quarters! Those sitting seats cost two pennies.

Six pennies got you in the “Lords rooms” which were balconies literally above the stage. The only way to get to those expensive seats was to walk across the stage. And would you like to guess which patrons always arrive shortly after the show has begun? Yep, those people who paid the most and wanted to make a grand entrance!

Richard III was Shakespeare’s most popular play during his life. This play called out the politics of the time and allowed the townspeople to understand more about the ruling monarch and the economic struggles of the day.

Back in Shakespeare's days, indoor theaters were lit by candlelight, making it very expensive to host performances inside. This was most popular in the winter season when daylight was limited. In summer, all shows were at 2 pm and all major theater houses were roofless to take advantage of the “free” stage lighting. Even though Shakespeare's theater has burned down twice since his original Globe was built, each reconstruction kept the open-roof design and standard wooden bench seating.

Shakespeare was a poet so his writing wasn’t the most understandable. Even during his time, his language was sometimes confusing to people in the audience! His plays were written to be performed- not read! (Does that make you feel a little better about your high school Romeo and Juliet experience?!)

It was interesting to learn that all West End shows have a minimum 6-week run at a theater house. At Shakespeare’s Globe, they have 7 shows running simultaneously and 36 different shows in a year! They have kept up this overlapping schedule and hectic array of performances still to this day!

First published collection

Original Queeen Eliz. costume

Lancaster Court Hotel

Speaking of West End shows, we got to see one that evening! West End is London's equivalent to Broadway, so we knew we were in for an amazing night. We also knew we needed a nap to make the most of it! After heading back to our hotel to check in and enjoy a wonderfully restful hour nap, we took off once again for the SoHo district to see the one and only, Les Miserables.

St. Paul's Cathedral

On the way back to our hotel for an afternoon nap, we passed Saint Paul's Cathedral, which is famous for being the backdrop for Disney's classic film, Mary Poppins. They filmed the "Feed the Birds" song on the cathedral's front steps!

Pizza Pilgrims

After our lovely nap, we were ready for dinner before seeing Les Mis! A quick Google search landed us at Pizza Pilgrims, where we devoured a hot honey & pepperoni pizza and a margarita pizza. They were so good and the vibe of this restaurant reminded us of a Mellow Mushroom back in the States! Good find, B!

Sondheim Theatre

And then, the theater.

When I say I thought I had died and arrived at the pearly white gates, you know I finally made it to my happy place! Bryan bought me not one, but TWO pins to add to our collection. As the curtain rose, I swear my heart stopped!

Now you know I love this play- I mean Hugo is named after the author of Les Mis, so it holds a special place in my heart, but this show was mesmerizing. Bryan and I both left the theater stunned into silence. (I know- me?! Silent?!)

It was beautiful. The stage design was fantastic. The performers were breathtaking. I can’t get over how great this show was!

And it was the first of seven we got to see on West End during our trip!

Piccadilly Circus

As we made our way back to the Tube, Bryan stumbled when he realized we were standing in the middle of Piccadilly Circus- London’s version of Time Square! Filled with bright lights and lots of drunk people (it’s almost 11 pm by this point) this place did look a bit like NYC!

Thursday, March 14: Walking Tour, Hamilton & Wicked

Day two started as all good days of traveling should: with a good cup of coffee and a unique breakfast experience!

Harrison’s Coffee

Around the corner from our hotel was Harrison's Coffee, a Chilean coffeehouse, where Bryan got a plate of eggs with chorizo and I enjoyed a delicious breakfast empanada stuffed full of olives, onion, beef, and egg!

Italian Gardens at Hyde Park

Filled with the energy necessary for our long day ahead, we made our way through Hyde Park to meet up with our walking tour! While a little misty and overcast, our stroll through Hyde Park really showed us how massive this area is! We may have visited a small corner of the park during the Christmas at Hyde Park festival back in January, but our “stroll” was nearly 40 minutes through beautiful gardens and open green fields filled with dogs, joggers, and baby strollers!

Wellington Arch

Eventually, we found Theo, our tour guide, and began our 2-hour free walking tour of the city! We started our visit at the Duke of Wellington Arch and continued our walk to Buckingham Palace! The Wellington Arch is named after Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington, a British Army General who is famously known for defeating Napoleon in the Battle of Waterloo.

Buckingham Palace

By now the skies were starting to clear up and we got the perfect view of the famous balcony at Buckingham Palace, where the royal family is known to stand outside and wave after major celebrations! The flag was raised, so we know the King was actually inside the palace during our tour!

Buckingham Palace, originally Buckingham House, was built in 1703 as a residence for the Duke of Buckingham. In 1761, George III purchased the home to be the private residence for his wife, Queen Charlotte, thus making it Buckingham Palace. This palace has been the official residence and administrative headquarters of the British Royal family ever since 1837.

St James's Palace

St. James's Palace was built in 1536 as a secondary home to King Henry VIII. On the west side of the palace is Clarence House, where Charles & Diana lived and raised William & Harry. King Charles and Camilla spend most of their time in this palace because it is where they are most comfortable. The palace side of the residence currently serves as the London home for Princesses Ann, Princess Beatrice & Princess Alexandra.

King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Memorial

The next stop was the memorial honoring Queen Elizabeth II's parents, King George VI & Queen Elizabeth. King George VI was never meant to be king. His older brother Edward VIII abdicated the throne so he could marry a twice-divorced American actress; he is the only British monarch to ever give up the throne.

Because of this abdication, King George VI became king and reigned alongside his wife, Queen Elizabeth. This power couple was incredibly popular with the British people during World War II because they refused to leave London during "The Blitz," a German bombing campaign.

Duke of York Monument

Just up the street is the Duke of York Monument, built in honor of Prince Frederick, second son of King George III and Commander-in-Chief of the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Theo explained that this Duke was known to squander money during his lifetime. To finance the monument, all British soldiers gave up a day's wage for it's construction in 1832.

Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square is a public square in front of the National Gallery, named after the Battle of Trafalgar. This battle occurred in Cape Trafalgar, located close to us off the coast of Cadiz, Spain. During this battle, Admiral Horatio Nelson valiantly led the outnumbered British Navy to defeat the French and Spanish forces with a significantly smaller navy!

Equestrian Statue of Charles I

The Equestrian Statue of Charles I is the oldest original sculpture in London, having been built in 1633. Fun fact: this statue is commonly considered to be the midpoint of the city, so when you type in London, England on Google Maps, the center point is directly over this statue!

Royal Horse Guards

As we walked up the street toward Big Ben and the House of Parliament, we passed the Royal Horse Guards who stand guard on the east side of St. James's Park. I was sure to get a picture with the famous guards! I can check off another big tourist photo checkbox!

Downing Street

Our next stop was Downing Street, where the British Prime Minister lives in House Number 10. A common misconception is that you can walk straight up to the famous black door of Number 10 Downing Street, but the street was closed in 1989 by then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher due to fears of public bombings by the Irish Republican Army.

She was smart to do so because on February 7, 1991, the IRA launched three homemade mortar shells at Number 10 Downing Street. While the bombing failed to kill any of the cabinet members or the Prime Minster, you can spot some of the damages that were patched with off-colored marble in the second photo below.

Big Ben

Elizabeth Tower, commonly known as Big Ben, was originally built in 1859 and known as the Clock Tower. It was renamed in 2012 during Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee celebration to commemorate her 60th year as queen. Big Ben is the nickname of the largest bell in the tower but has also become the nickname of the tower itself.

Westminster Abbey

The last stop of our tour was outside of Westminster Abbey, famously known as the final resting place for numerous kings, queens, and famous British scientists, authors, and philosophers. Bryan will touch more on this place during our tour of Westminster Abbey in the next blog!

Nostos Coffee

After our walking tour, we needed a little pick-me-up before our first West End show of the day: Hamilton! Our guide recommended Nostos, and we were happy with our coffee choice!

Victoria Palace Theatre

This was our second time seeing Hamilton, and it was just as good as the first time! Bryan and I added a new Hamilton pin to our collection and enjoyed picking out the nuances of the British production. It was strange seeing people's reactions to various scenes since England and King George III were the "bad guys," but this show was amazing!

So far, our West End rankings are:

1. Les Miserables

2. Hamilton

Hamilton was a close second, but it's hard to beat perfection! ;)

Bone Daddies Victoria

With a little over an hour until our next show, we needed dinner. On our way to a chicken shop, we stumbled upon Bone Daddies Ramen Shop and we both changed our minds on dinner.

Now, you know Bryan and I have grown a little uppity when it comes to our Ramen choices, as we have high standards for Japanese cuisine. While not authentic, Bone Daddies was tasty! Their ramen flavors were really good and Bryan and I both enjoyed their "chu-low" beverages (get it, virgin versions of chu-hai). This was a win and a perfect dinner choice close to the theater!

Apollo Victoria Theatre

Stuffed from our nostalgic meal, we were off for our 7:30 pm showing of Wicked! This was the first musical Bryan had ever seen, back in 2012 when we were still only dating. His love for the theater has only grown since marrying me, and seeing this performance again was a little nostalgic as well!

While we enjoyed Wicked, it didn't bump either Les Mis or Hamilton from their current rankings. We both felt the size of the theater along with the performing arts students sitting nearby distracted from the show's magic. Don't get us wrong, Wicked will be a show we see again during our lives!

Ending this second day with our third West End show was a reality check. I'm reminded how blessed we are and how lucky we are to experience all that we have! Seven years together has been a roller coaster around the world, but man, there's not anyone else I would want to do it with!

Stay tuned for the final part of our anniversary trip! Bryan's got more to share with you!

xoxo-

Katie