A Christmas Walking Tour of London

One of the best ways to explore a city is on foot. On foot a person can directly experience how the landmarks and neighborhoods connect. Now I do have some history with London having lived here before and prior to that, engaging in some long term visits to this fabulous city. However, I have never taken the time to walk through the heart of London in order to connect the dots that I view regularly on tube maps. So, with a clear schedule and a well rested mind and body, I started my own series of foot tours this past week. Armed with an iPod for soundtrack and a City Mapper app in case I got way off track, I hopped on the tube and emerged topside at Green Park.

Green Park is very close to Buckingham Palace and is just beautiful with lush stretches of, yes, green grass. I headed through the park toward Winter Wonderland. Winter Wonderland is a merchant market and fun fair that is erected seasonally in Hyde Park. Hyde Park sits caddy corner to Green Park. Green Park is home to many military memorials and the Wellington Arch. The Wellington Arch is one of my favorite landmarks in London. There is a majesty about it and the quadriga on top is the largest bronze statue in Europe. The statue depicts Nike, the Goddess of Victory being drawn in a chariot by four horses.

Once past the Wellington Arch, I arrived at Hyde Park. Winter Wonderland was a huge sprawl of rides, games, food, and vendor booths. And, of course, an ice skating rink. The fair was filled with families and fun finders of all ages. I had a quick poke around but didn't stay too long as I had more to see.

Off I went back through Green Park to exit on the Piccadilly side. As I strolled past the Ritz Hotel, I came upon one of my favorite stores, Fortnum and Mason. F and M feels like a snap shot in time. Their products are the most current available but the atmosphere makes one feel they are shopping in a posh department store at the turn of the last century. It being a couple of days before Christmas, they were swarmed with holiday shoppers.

After a quick detour through F and M, I carried on to Piccadilly Circus and then to Leicester Square. Leicester Square was complete insanity. It is not a place to go during the holiday season if you are in a hurry. As this adventure was my purpose, I wasn't bothered by the time it took to weave through the crowd. Leicester Square is a pedestrian area that is in the heart of the theatre district and is flanked by cinemas, restaurants and amusements. For the Christmas season they even have a mini-fair operating in the center of it all, complete with a ferris wheel and fake snow machines.

After the shuffle through Leicester Square, I was onward to Covent Garden. Covent Garden is always busy but it has a charm like no other place. It is home to a year round market with all kinds of unique treats. Here, I took a tea break at an outdoor cafe and listened to street musicians play holiday music. Then I was off again, working my way down to Strand, past Charing Cross to arrive at Trafalgar Square.

At Trafalgar, I paused and took in the light show that was infused into the fountains. After a song or two on the iPod, I carried on down Whitehall, passing a slew of government buildings and offices including the Prime Minister's 10 Downing Street.  And then, like a beacon in the night, there was one of the most iconic landmarks in the world, Big Ben. I took a moment to take in the glory of the Palace of Westminster and then walked down Bridge Street to the bank side. On the walkway, along the River Thames, I sat on a bench and took in the view of the river, South Bank and the London Eye while Ben chimed the time over my right shoulder.

I sat for a while on the bench and watched the light show on the Eye and surrounding buildings across the river and I thought how wonderful it is to be in this amazing city. I'm looking forward to more adventures on foot in London. In the meantime, I've posted a few photos below. Hope you enjoy!

Happy New Year Everybody!
Take care!
-m

Wellington Arch

Covent Garden Christmas Tree

Big Ben

The London Eye