A Week in London for 2

[davidmal]

Before i start i just want to give a special thank you to itsyehuda & mmgfarb for editing & reviewing my TR.

& here we go....

-Monday-
My wife and I started our trip on Monday night and made our way towards TAP Portugal at Terminal 5 in JFK airport. Unfortunately, no lounges in T5 accept priority pass. We were booked on the TAP Portugal deal from a while back, where you could get to many European cities via LIS for < $200. The deal was too good for me to pass up on – but that meant we were flying economy. I had checked in the night before and secured 2 seats, window and aisle, in an exit row with a 2-4-2 seat configuration. What I didn't foresee was how empty the plane would be.  I spoke to the flight attendant and really pressed my case, and was finally given the green light to switch seats and the doors were sealed. I quickly leaped and secured a 4 seater row for DW and a 3 seater Row for me further towards the back. Score!

TAP Portugal in my book is an “International JetBlue“: leather seats, touch screens with swipe gesture support, an individual USB charging ports per seat and 1 AC Plug Per Group of seats. The cabin was clean and the personnel were friendly. It almost made me forget that airlines like United exist. But, it’s just luck of the Irish as I heard this was one of the new planes. We lucked out, but you can’t count on getting the new plane. They served 2 kosher meals during the duration of the flight to LIS. We took the cold portions to go and never even looked at the hot entrée that was served, but the cold parts we did have were more than adequate.
       
Kosher meal 2 Served on Tap Airlines JFK-LIS by davidmal, on Flickr                           Kosher meal 2 Served on Tap Airlines JFK-LIS by davidmal, on Flickr

[davidmal]

-Tuesday-
We arrived at LIS and headed to our gate which was on the other side of the airport from the Priority Pass lounges. That meant that even though we had some time to kill, we couldn’t use the lounge! So far we were 0 for 2 on lounges. An hour or so later, we boarded the next flight from LIS-LGW. This plane had a 3-3 configuration with no media or entertainment for a 2 1/2 hour flight. The flight was crowded except for J, which I was too cheap to pay the 119 euro to upgrade per person at the gate for such a short flight. No meals were served, but there was a standard drink service.

We arrived at Gatwick airport and headed through immigration, which went pretty quickly, and picked up our luggage. I had borrowed Oyster cards from a friend, and went to go “top up” our cards right outside of baggage claim. The ride to Victoria Station costs 8 Pounds each and the ride was relatively quick, under 30 mins or so. Unfortunately, the station is a headache to get out of, the train station’s exit puts you into a shopping mall. After we finally got out, we hailed an Uber that was 1 min away on the screen, but took 15 minutes to get to us because of the crazy traffic. I would suggest taking another tube closer to your hotel if it’s between 3-7pm. Other hours might be easier to get out.

I started using a nice, free app called “Sygic Travel” which is a simple app for mapping your trip out, day by day. I pulled up the app on my phone and instantly had access to all of the points of interest around me. That's where the duke lived… That's an arch... Well, you get the point. I also enjoyed this app immensely for mapping out more than single day itineraries. This is a must have for anyone making a touring schedule.

We arrived at the Sheraton Grand Park Lane and can say that the “Grand” moniker is well deserved. Their renovation came out beautiful. We checked in and received a fantastic Park View Suite on the 8th floor, but opted for a bigger suite on the first floor (not Ground) which was more ideal for Shabbat. The club lounge is as impressive aesthetically as it is functional. Serving afternoon tea and happy hour as well as fresh squeezed orange juice at 5pm! A few minutes later there was a knock on the door with a very impressive welcome tray full of gin and tonic and fruit which I politely had them swap for scotch.
Park View Suite @ Sheraton Grand Park Lane  Welcome Amenity - Gin & Tonic @ Sheraton Grand Park Lane
   
Welcome Amenity - Scotch @ Sheraton Grand Park Lane           Desk of the Park Suite @SGPL

      
Tea Time @ Sheraton Grand Park Lane                                                                  Master Bedroom Park Suite @SGPL                                                                        Dinete Park Suite @SGPL by davidmal, on Flickr


We unloaded the mini bar & ordered a second one (free,) unpacked our food and clothes, and headed out to Rueben’s. We decided to stay upstairs and opt for the famous Rueben’s Sandwich which is the Salt Beef (Corn Beef) on 2 pieces of white bread with coleslaw and pickles. I rather enjoyed it plain on plain without the coleslaw and pickles and not on the rye bread. We got a chicken noodle soup which was on key. Some other options were a Rueben burger which looked nice, or 5pcs of lamb chops at a quite reasonable price of 25 pounds for next time. We did have the chance to taste some remarkable potato latkes. 


Salt Beef & Chicken Matza Ball Soup @Reubens by davidmal, on Flickr



[davidmal]

-Wednesday-
The next morning I prayed at the Marble Arch Synagogue. Shachris followed by a very nice breakfast which I did not partake in. I returned to the Hotel and was in awe by the complimentary kosher breakfast that was served at the Sheraton Grand Park Lane. This was a lot of work and emails to get but luckily after a lot of persuading, luck, and a lovely hotel staff, I was ecstatic to find out they would do it for me. In the future if you’re looking to get Kosher Breakfast as well, PM me for assistance and contacts. I asked politely if the chef could come up to verify the kosher status and was delighted after speaking with him. Wagner catering under the KF of London. They didn’t even serve me the milk since it wasn’t CY, but we arranged for Non-CY from the Hotel.

Eggs, Lox, assortment of baked goods and fresh cut fruit, fresh squeezed juice, coffee, and tea, all served with kosher china and cutlery.
        
Marble Arch Synagogue                                                                                                                         Baked Goods @Sheraton Grand Park Lane                                   Eggs, Lox, Veg, Fruit, Baked Goods, Fresh Juices & Coffee

We took the tube to the Tower of London had a great tour from the Beefeaters which starts every 30 minutes. I would highly suggest it. After that we left the group when they reached the chapel (also a burial spot which I can’t go into as well being a Kohen) and headed towards the Crown Jewels. Then to the white tower all within the walls of Tower of London. After that, just outside the walls of the Tower, is the Tower Bridge. We didn't bother going on it but took some fantastic pictures.

             
Beefeaters Tour @ Tower of London                                                                           Tower Bridge by davidmal, on Flickr

Just a few feet away was the boat ride which was included with the big bus tour. While I wouldn't suggest a big bus tour, the boat ride was extremely nice and mildly humorous, all the while being informative. The big bus tour, although heavily suggested, was repetitive, boring and slow (due to traffic,) and you really don't see so much. I later found out the Red Line(Big Bus Tour has several Routes) was supposed to be guaranteed live recording! Unfortunately we had a headset playing a prerecorded message.  I would suggest taking the boat tour and skipping the bus tour. The boat tour drops you off near the London Eye, Big Ben, and the House of Parliament. From there, we stopped back in at the hotel, dropped off our bags, and had Afternoon Tea – after all, this is London!
 
             
Thames River Boat Tour @ London Bridge                                                                         Palace of Westminster


We then headed to Harrods Department Store by Uber and went shopping for the next few hours. For dinner, we hopped on the tube to edgware for dinner at Aviv. Aviv is a sit down steakhouse with generous portions and delicious food. We ordered the lamb ribs (incredible portion, flavor and cooked to perfection) and “mazza” appetizer (an assortment of Israeli dips and foie gras.  For the main course, my wife ordered the mixed grill (an assortment of grilled meats ranging from lamb to chicken) and I ordered a hamburger with a side of French fries and fried onions. For dessert we ordered the chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream which was acceptable.
BBQ Lamb Ribs @Aviv by davidmal, on Flickr Mazza Platter @Aviv by davidmal, on Flickr Mixed Grill @Aviv by davidmal, on Flickr Burger @Aviv by davidmal, on Flickr
Schug @Aviv by davidmal, on Flickr


[davidmal]

-Thursday-
The next morning, as was becoming my habit, I prayed at Marble Arch and then had my breakfast at the hotel. We headed to Piccadilly Circus to meet up with Matt's Tour of the Changing of the Guard. Although it is unnecessary to repeat since so many people say how good it is, this is a MUST Do. Changing of the guards normally consists of standing in front of Buckingham palace for 30-45 mins to secure a spot near the gate. Matt takes you to the back end where the guards are coming from. We started to walk towards the horse guards and hoped for the weather to hold out; if it rains they still change the guards, but without the band or the long ceremony. Based on the guards’ uniform, Matt was able to tell us that the queen was at the castle and later showed us that there is a special flag which indicates her status as well. After seeing the horse guards, we walked through the park to where the band marches, and marched alongside them to Buckingham palace. Then we went to see the foot guards and back to the palace, where the guards stand motionless for 30 mins while the band plays movie themes and pop songs such as the imperial guard or the Beatles. We were also privy to a performance of the James Bond and Austin Powers movie themes.
     
Eggs, Lox, Mushrooms, Tomato  @ Sheraton Grand Park Lane                                    Fresh Fruit & Baked Goods @ Sheraton Grand Park Lane by davidmal, on Flickr

         
Matt’s Tour @Changing of the Guards                                      Battalion @Changing of the Guards                                          Band @Changing of the Guards                                               Carriage @Changing of the Guards  by davidmal, on Flickr

   
Buckingham Palace Gates                                                                                     Horse Guards by davidmal, on Flickr


We then headed around the corner to The Royal Mews which is a museum for all of the royal carriages. There’s a recorded tour which was cool but very short at only 40 minutes. Then we headed to Selfridges for lunch and some shopping. In the Food Hall of Selfridges, across from the bakery, you can enjoy a large selection of kosher foods, pareve and meat, from 1701. Seating was annoying, take what you can get. The basement has some unique shops worth taking a look at such as cigars, liquor, gadgets etc. After Selfridges, we headed down Oxford St. and down Bond St. The attraction -  more shopping, shopping and shopping at all the shops. If you are forced to shop, as I was, note that the fancier shops will serve you drinks or coffee and have nicer bathrooms.
   
Carriage @ Royal Mews                                                                                        Golden Carriage @Royal Mews by davidmal, on Flickr

We stopped at the hotel unloaded the bags and headed on the tube for Dinner at Isola Bella. London isn't famous for their cuisine outside of  tea, fish & chips, we ordered the fish and chips and the pizza, they were nice enough to do half vegetable and half plain. The fish and chips were perfect and their tartar sauce was exactly what you would expect from a London restaurant.
   
Fish & Chips @Isola Bella                                                                                                                      Pizza @Isola Bella by davidmal, on Flickr

[davidmal]

-Friday-
The next morning after synagogue we headed to Paddington Station, bought a ticket to Windsor, round trip was 14 pounds I believe, and headed to our train. We boarded there was one stop to Slough. We got off and took the next train to Windsor. It was quite fast; 1 stop, wait 10 mins, switch, and If I recall correctly 1 more stop. We arrived at Windsor Town an instantly you feel like your in a story book town. Cobblestone roads, Little shops and a neighboring castle. You feel like you’re in a Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” only it's been commercialized into stores and restaurants. We walked to the castle and after buying our tickets, we received our audio guide. The queue (line) was relatively short- 3 mins. We walked the path and did the full tour except the chapel.
Outer Wall @Windsor Castle by davidmal, on Flickr Inner Garden @Windsor Castle by davidmal, on Flickr

Queen Mary's doll house was really cool and I would suggest it as its just under 5 mins time and right next to the state rooms. What was amazing about the doll house was that it has a fully functional everything, built to scale, and the materials are all authentic, from marble to silver to silk. It even has electricity and plumbing! The whole house closes up and folds in. Very impressive. The state rooms are cool but there are over 20 so we spent time on some and some we passed through quickly. We browsed the Staterooms and Shakespere room with old books which was surprisingly cool, like an atlas from 1700.
Old Atlas @Windsor Castle by davidmal, on Flickr Guard @Windsor Castle by davidmal, on Flickr

After 2 hours we were ready to leave Windsor town and their castle. Mind the train times as they have a 30 minute gap so if you miss it, you'll be waiting. We headed back to Paddington and ubered to our hotel. Uber X was quite enjoyable and I don't think I was charged more than $9 for any ride.


We arrived at our hotel and prepared for Shabbat. The hotels fridge was unhackable as it had a magnetic latch system I couldn't seem to keep on, so in the morning we simply asked housekeeping to open it and come back in 2 hours and check on us to open it again. The closets turned on when you open them so we simply left them open. After synagogue we ate at Rabbi Taylor's house and it was warm and delightful. We skipped walking thru Hyde park on the way back to our hotel even though they had Winter Wonderland which is a carnival that could have been fun to walk by.

[davidmal]

-Shabbat-
The next morning I attended Marble Arch again followed by a kiddush with chulent scones and several other dishes. Services finished around 12 and on the way home there were mobs of people protesting which seems to be a weekly event. We relaxed at the hotel and after Shabbat we walked to Piccadilly Circus, which is like time square in a 1:24 scale version,(Screens are set to be under construction from Jan-Nov  ‘17) then we walked to Regent St. which has fancy shops like Burberry's Flagship store.
Burberry Flagship Store Burberry Flagship Store by davidmal, on Flickr

We hopped on the tube, north to Golders Green, and after a short ride, we arrived at Pizaza. I can't recommend enough sticking with the basics here, the simple fries and pizza were so good. Just be warned, fries are eaten with a fork. The fries came with ketchup, pesto, garlic, spicy mayo & sweet chili dipping sauces. For the pizza, we should have opted for the cheese crust.

Pizza, Fries and Shake @Pizaza by davidmal, on Flickr

[davidmal]

-Sunday-
To note, breakfast this morning had one of the best cooked mushrooms I’ve ever had in my life. On Sunday, we went to Fortum & Mason, an elegant shop that sells fancy tea sets etc., worth stopping in while your passing by for a minute. We then continued walking to Trafalgar Square. In retrospect, I wonder if there was a coffee shop nearby as this would have been a great place for breakfast or lunch, or just to relax for afternoon tea.

      
Eggs, Mushrooms, Lox & Tomato @SGPL                                  Fortum & Mason                                                                     Trafalgar Square by davidmal, on Flickr

The National Gallery is directly behind Trafalgar Square. We entered the portrait museum and opted for the audio guides. This was a mistake at 4euro each if you only plan on staying 30-60 mins. Also each painting has a short desc. Plaque. (But I recouped 6 euro at the coat check line from someone who was going to go in). There’s some nice Van Gogh paintings from his days when he was in the loony bin. Rembrandt and some fantastic Monet's but all the religious paintings from Leonardo Divinci or Renoir and Michelangelo etc. I can't handle. I would have been happier opting for the British library.
    Monet @National Gallery by davidmal, on Flickr

We walked around the area and headed north  &  ended up at Leicester Square. Not that much was happening when we went, but it clearly is a Venue for outdoor entertainment. We finally gave up and took an Uber to the British Museum.

First off, the British were pirates over the years and in the British museum nothing truly speaks British history, rather, everything is what they plundered from other countries heritage. The Egyptian section, while being extremely cool, had bones and skulls on display which is a problem for my lineage. After browsing some other rooms with more caution, we decided that DW and I are not cut out for museums.
    Egyptian Gallery @ British Museum by davidmal, on Flickr

We came up with this brilliant, I mean genius idea; let's bike there!!! There are Citi style bikes (Santadar) that you can rent for 2 euro, so instead of uberring, we said, hey this could be fun. We learnt something valuable that day, it wasn't. To make the story better, the location we biked to to return the bikes, was a bank, not a bank cycle return station. No worries, next return station 8 min ride away, and we finally found the return station. Now we (DW) decided to do something we (DW) could appreciate; shopping. Back to Oxford St and Bond St.
London Street by davidmal, on Flickr

That evening our plans were ruined as Zest wasn't open for Dinner, so we decided to go to Keifeng all the way in Hendon. Keifeng is a nice authentic feeling Chinese restaurant, the portions are small and I found the food to be heavy and awkwardly too sweet. We ordered the lettuce chickens wrap which was good but had mushrooms. Mushrooms are not a Chinese Vegetable in my book. The capital spare ribs were not your typical spare ribs, smaller pieces and bones and super sweet sauce. I should have opted for salt and pepper. I also ordered the sweet chili chicken which was delicious but I felt for 21 euro it should be more than 1 schnitzel cutlet sized chicken. They generously took 10% off our bill.
      
Fried Noodles with Duck Sauce @Keifeng                                 Sweet Chilli Chicken @Keifeng                                                                               Capital Spare Ribs @Keifeng by davidmal, on Flickr

Headed back to my hotel where the chef prepared a feast for us to take on our travels. Hard boiled eggs, lox, yogurt with granola, an assortment of baked goods and fruit salads.

[davidmal]

-Monday-
We left to the airport the next morning at 4am to catch a 6am flight to Portugal.
Problem is the VAT tax refund doesn't open till 5am before and after security and if you decide to do it after security you have to have all articles with you. So, we devised a full plan. We loaded our backpack with everything that had to carried, got past security and immigration, and headed to the VAT office only to be surprised to see a sign “open from 6”!!! Even though their website says 5am. Luckily there was a pay phone you pick up that transfers you to the office phone in another location for VAT. They instructed me to fill out the form and drop it at the mailbox by the office without the stamp and without verifying if have all the claimed products.

The lounge was closed or was too far to walk or it was too close to boarding to go to. I don’t recall but we headed to our Gate and boarded our Plane to Portugal.
Note: No Pounds or Euro were used the full trip, CC was used everywhere. Hotels offer umbrellas, more ideal is a better rain coat for hands free but we had 2 mini umbrellas we usually had with us. Tip in USD



————————————————

-DD's Kosher Sandwiches can be bought in most major airports/stations.
There is an app that can help you find something close to you called Kosher Near Me
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kosher-near-me/id479840927?mt=8
List of outlets that stock DDs: http://www.hermolis.com/sandwiches.php




Other Ideas of things we didn't get to.
The Jewish Museum
New West End Synagogue
Bevis Marks Synagogue
Jewish Tour of London
Wellington Arch- great view from top (While we passed by it daily, we never went up) Hyde London’s Winter Wonderland - carnival with ice skating, bumper cars, carousels, arcade games.
Emirates Air Line Cable Car
Churchill War Rooms
British Library
Dinner at Zest
London Theater
Ice bar - heard very cool everything made out of ice they have fur chairs


Top 5 viewing spots to view the London skyline & sights:
   1   Sommerset House Bar + Terrace: view of Houses of Parliament, London Eye, River Thames
   2   Primrose Hill: view from Canary Wharf to Battersea power station.
   3   Shard restaurant & Bar
   4   National Portrait Gallery Cafe and Restaurant:  Bird’s eye view of cheering crowds at Trafalgar Square
   5   Roof bar of Hilton Park Lane: Depending on access for the Olympics, you may need a reservation as security is tight, but a great view of Hyde Park and 360 view from Park Lane

[shulem92]

Wow! That was quick! I see u really want to add TR's next to HT's on ur profile. Lol. Now I gotta read the whole thing
Also I believe you're in the wrong thread

[davidmal]

Wow! That was quick! I see u really want to add TR's next to HT's on ur profile. Lol. Now I gotta read the whole thing

quick!!
been working on it for a while!! haha

Thanks &
enjoy!

[shulem92]

quick!!
been working on it for a while!! haha

Thanks &
enjoy!

Quick is within the month...

[tageed-lee]

Nice TR! Nice pics! Thanks for sharing!

[Dawie]

Lovely
ps it's spelled queue

[davidmal]

Lovely
ps it's spelled queue

thanks! & Updated! thanks!

Nice TR! Nice pics! Thanks for sharing!

thanks!

[Yitz]

Great report love the detail and all the tips.

[davidmal]

Great report love the detail and all the tips.

Thanks I'm glad you liked it

[BarryLincoln]

Great pictures, smartphone or DSLR camera?

[shulem92]

Very detailed. Nice pics! Thanx for sharing

[mochjas]

Nice!

[Dan]

Great TR!