Best month ever! That’s what I usually say at the end of our month-long stays. When people ask what place we liked best in all our travels, we like the place we are right now. This year in London the weather was gorgeous (one day! of rain, only one!), the mudlarking was a lot of fun, we met new people, went to a cocktail party at the Ivy Club, toured the Tower of London, snacked at Harrods, drank tea at Fortnum & Mason.
Were there a lot of other things we could have done? Naturally. This is London, and all world class cities have more on offer than visitors can possibly do and see. Just as we were leaving, I got recommendations for more museums, shows, and places to go than we could get to.
One of our final mudlarks was in Greenwich. Afterward, we strolled by the Cutty Sark sailing ship, then took the river boat service back to Battersea. We could use our Oyster cards, just like on the tube, though it cost a bit more. I’m not sure what route it was, as there are several going up and down the river. A great river tour, no commentary, just views. It took almost an hour and was perfect for us. This service is part of the London transport system, though the boats are all marked “Uber Boats”. This is an easy and fun outing for any London visitor.
L-R: Cutty Sark, London Eye from the river, heading downstream, watching the view.
We had a lovely day at Kew Gardens, walking around outdoors and in one of the giant greenhouses.
We saw the tall buildings that all have nicknames, The Cellphone, The Gherkin, and The Shard.
L-R: The Cell phone, The Gherkin, The Shard
We saw the traditional buildings on our walks, too; (L-R below) St. Paul’s, Big Ben watching over a demonstration near the houses of Parliament. We saluted Nelson on his column in Trafalgar Square and took many photos of Tower Bridge.
Whimsical places and interesting details captured our attention, too. Clockwise from upper left: We saw the stained glass picture window of the Michelin Man, a gorgeous doorway in Chelsea, a long terracotta frieze on the London Atheneum, art with phone boxes in front of the Royal Academy of Arts, wire jungle animals at the Tower of London, and the best office in London. A woman emerged from a tiny house in Green Park and we asked what it was–her office!
We’ve been to London in the past, but I’d venture to say we enjoyed it more this time than ever before merely by living in the city. It was a spectacular visit, and I haven’t even talked about all our mudlarking finds.
It was difficult to leave just as we felt we were settling in, but that’s travel. We left our flat in Kennington just after noon, left Heathrow just after 3 pm, and arrived in San Francisco around midnight (after a stop in Seattle). It was absolutely clear over San Francisco Bay, beautiful and welcoming.
Llywindatravels 2022 
You might give London another try sometime. The Thames Path is 57 miles of trail along the river. There are a lot of obstacles, but you might be able to bike down one side and back along the other. Just watch out for the reverse traffic!
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That does sound like a wonderful month with great weather. I was in London once as a kid and remember that it was freezing, cold and rained almost every day. I vaguely remember the British museum but I definitely remember eating kippers for breakfast.
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