I had a hunch that I would be hosting a lot more visitors than at our previous posts, but even I underestimated the draw of London Town. In four months alone, I have had five guests stay with me, and I met up for drinks and/or meals with three more. With so many visitors, I was far from lonely during the holidays.
On Thanskgiving, my crew and I went to the The Mayflower, site of the former pub The Spread Eagle in Rotherhithe, where some Pilgrims boarded the famous ship before it picked up the rest of its passengers in Plymouth (left). Most of the indoor tables were reserved for an all-out turkey dinner (right), so we shared a toast on the pub's deck, where water from the Thames can splash through.
We made our own trans-water sojourn on the Emirates Air Line, which crosses the Thames near Greenwich to the Docklands (top left). The cable-car ride provides a good view of downtown, if you can ignore the otherworldly dome of the O2 Arena (top right). At one end of the line, you can head into the Emirates Aviation Experience, which includes a cockpit simulator, a passenger simulator (eating airline food in an airplane seat), and a baggage simulator (bottom left). The only simulation we opted for was a cheesy photo booth where we could recreate our trip with a less cloudy London in the background (bottom right).
Although we acted like Pilgrims, we are hardly Puritans, so another evening, we headed out for fancy cocktails in Shoreditch, at the underground speakeasy-like bar Happiness Forgets. We sampled plenty of "happiness," but somehow, we still remembered to eat, so we headed to the nearby Urban Food Fest Pump, a collection of street-food stalls sheltered under a former gas-station awning (top left). Later, a member of our expedition needed a second dinner, so we made a pit stop at some dueling kebab shops (top right). A few weeks after, a friend who eschews red meat inspired me to hunt down The Fryer's Delight, a delightfully old-school fish and chipper (bottom).
Sometimes, it's worth hitting a few long-standing attractions. Camden Town was once known for its punk-music and pop-art scene, as can be seen on the storefronts along Camden High Street (left). But then it turned pop-music when Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin moved into the area with Gwynny, and now it's gone totally mainstream, with the Camden Market selling mostly souvenirs (right).
Singer Amy Winehouse also lived -- and died -- in the neighborhood, and fans flock to see the life-size statue memorializing her in the North Yard of Camden Lock Market (top left). The statue appropriately stands within the Stables Market (top right), considering that it is a nexus of fashion, much like Winehouse herself. The "lock" part of the overall complex's name refers to the gate right next door in the Regent's Canal (bottom).
But to repay your hosting generosity, you also get to drag your guests to places they never would've thought of, such as a panto version of Cinderella (left). The traditional Chrismastime musical at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith was certainly a show-stopper, considering its final scene consisted of snow falling from the ceiling (right).
My demand to go mini-golfing didn't exactly live up to expectations, as Birdies Crazy Golf Club was a bit overpriced for its 9-hole course (top left). But it was nice to have a pint with my putt-putt out of the elements in The Vaults (top right). And we did stumble upon some great graffiti in action as we wandered around the tunnels under the train tracks to Waterloo (bottom).
Our first stop was The White Cross, whose dog-friendly patio often floods during the river's high tide. As we started to head back, we came across The Cricketers, which advertised that its interior welcomed animals alongside humans (left). Eventually, Sage signaled that it was time to leave (right), so we hit the Tube, which provided another smooth ride home in time for his dinner.
On Thanskgiving, my crew and I went to the The Mayflower, site of the former pub The Spread Eagle in Rotherhithe, where some Pilgrims boarded the famous ship before it picked up the rest of its passengers in Plymouth (left). Most of the indoor tables were reserved for an all-out turkey dinner (right), so we shared a toast on the pub's deck, where water from the Thames can splash through.
On Christmas Day, the trains don't run, and services are limited the day after, so TJ and I decided to use Boxing Day for a nearby field trip with Sage to see how he would fare on public transport. After an uneventful bus ride, we arrived in Richmond, just like Queen Elizabeth I, who would spend the holidays at Richmond Palace (left). Before hitting a few pubs, we walked along the river path besides the Thames (right).
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