2 Days in the City of London

The past week has been a pretty hectic one, and I'll admit--I haven't had much time to go out adventuring in London. Not that I really wanted to--the after Boxing Day sales made Central London a madhouse. Previous to the holidays, I got a bit stuck in a rut. Kensington, Green Park, Picadilly, Oxford St, Covent Garden. I went to these places so often that I felt I needed a change.

So I decided yesterday that I would venture off the beaten path--well, off my regular pattern. Both days I ended up spending a lot of time in the City. For those of you who don't know, the City of London is only one square mile. The rest is actually a part of Greater London. Westminster, Spitafields, etc. Yesterday I had aspirations to go to Sir John Soane's Museum near Holborn. I got off the Tube and ended up very close it it--at Lincoln's Inn Fields--the largest public square in London (layout designed by Inigo Jones). Now I'm sure on a beautiful summer day it is green and lovely, but in the dead of winter it looked a lot more eerie. It seemed the perfect place to begin a mystery novel.

From there I'll admit I got lost. I couldn't find the museum, and as was my luck, I forgot to bring my favorite London map with me. So I decided to wander--the eastern part of the city was much less familiar to me. Perhaps I would stumble upon something new and interesting. I ended up wandering down Chancery Lane and ended up on Fleet Street. I even past by Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, a famous pub. And I found views of the city and street I used in my Sweeney Todd research.

I ended up passing over Millennium Bridge and taking the long way back to the tube on the South Bank. I always love the walk along there.

Today it rained. It felt like true London weather. I took the Tube to St. Paul's Cathedral, and from there I walked to the Museum of London. Now of all the museums I have visited thus far, Museum of London is the most modern in look and feel. It only covers the history of London, from pre-modern to modern times. It is actually quite interesting; the place is very interactive. There are walkthroughs of city streets from the 1800s, clever video projections next to ancient artifacts. They even have some historical costume pieces. The place was much better at creating ambiance.

I wandered down the streets in the City, past Mansion House, and all the way up to Spitafields Market to take a trip to Absolute Vintage. It was still raining. Let me tell you--if you want a taste of old London, spend some time wandering around the City. The streets are smaller, the buildings older and dirtier. The place has the feeling of Sweeney Todd, or Oliver. Something from the pages of Sherlock Holmes or a Dicken's Novel. Of course, it is also a business center--so between the old buildings you get Pret and Nero, suits and black cabs. Easier to remember now that this is  a working city.

I won't be abandoning my favorite places, however. I have another date with the V&A (and their scones) next week.

xoxo,
Antonia