How We Planned Our New Year’s Eve Getaway II
London Parks and Open Spaces
Free entrance (yey!)
You will be happy to find out that there is plenty more you can see in London during the winter holidays without paying a fortune for admissions. Here is a list of London’s parks and open spaces (which I made!) where you can go for a walk (if the weather allows it).
In the first part of my London adventure research, I discussed some paid attractions. Now it is the better part – all the free ones!
1. Hyde Park. Here we can see the Serpentine’s Gallery and Diana Memorial Fountain.
2. The Regent’s Park. Another park worth seeing, it is very convenient because it is located next to the London Zoo. We already bought our tickets for the Zoo and we only it is not going to rain on that day. Otherwise we are screwed!
3. Greenwich Park. The meridian – yey! I want to take a picture with Stephen standing on the two sides of the meridian and the line between us, but he is not fond of the idea.
4. St. James’ park. I heard this park is gorgeous and squirrels come and eat off your hands. Birmingham Palace is located close to it, but we won’t be able to visit it as is only opens for tourists in summer. Well, we can still try and get some good shots on the outside and see the change of the guard and the balcony on which royal couples kiss after their weddings in Westminster Abbey.
5. Canary Wharf. Canary Wharf is, as they say, the London “Wall Street”, you will see busy-looking men and women in suits and tall corporate buildings.
6. The 4th Plinth. It is all about street art, amazing graffiti and sculptures. I don’t know if we will find something of our taste, but hopefully it will be worth the visit.
7. The Olympic Village. I am planning to unveil the mystery why the 2012 logo looked so Zionist (after all I am a criminologist!)
Malls And Shopping
Besides everything else, London is great for shopping too. It has been a shopping destination for decades.The period around Christmas and New Year’s eve is famous for the good discounts and special offers. Here is a list of all the places you can visit for the purpose.
1. Harrods. This huge mall is known not only for the many stores and the variety of goods, but for the two memorials erected inside the mall in honour of the late Princess Diana and Dodi Al-Fayed. I remember I watched a documentary on the TV and I saw this fountain.
2. Oxford Street. I read somewhere the following line: “You haven’t been in London, if you haven’t visited this famous street”. I am planning to find out what makes it so special. Kate warned me to hold tight to Stephen as it is very crowded.
3. Selfridges. One of the biggest malls in London. I heard it is a bit expensive too. Well I am not the type of girl, who would like to go out of it with a Gucci bag, but it is worth the visit.
4.Old Bond Street. We are no looking to spend big, but I heard it is worth going for a walk on this street as there we can find Prada, Gucci, Fendi, Luis Vuitton, DKNY and many others.
5. Abercrombie & Fitch. One of my favourite brands! Not sure whether I will have the money left though
Evening Program
Cinema, musicals, comedy shows, etc.
Since all the attractions and parks close at around 4:30 pm we needed to have something planned for the evening rather than watching TV in the hotel room. After all we could do that at home too. We sat down and tried to figure out things we could do in London based on our hobbies and interests.
1. Disney or Holiday on Ice. I love figure skating and I know this ice skating show may sound childish to you, but Disney on Ice or Holiday on Ice is incredibly amusing for people of all ages.
2. Watch a football game. In London alone there are more than 10 stadiums including Emirates Stadium, Stanford Bridge, Wembley, White Hart lane, Craven Cottage, Boleyn Ground and others. Unfortunately we won’t be able to attend a live game, but we might go to one of the stadiums and have a tour.
3. Musicals. London is famous for its theatres and there are plenty of musicals for all ages and tastes such as “Wicked”, “The Lion King”, “We will rock you”, “The Phantom of the Opera”, etc. These world-known musicals are quite expensive and I am not sure if we will be able to afford them, after all the other attractions and shopping, but if we manage to go, it will be amazing.
4. Cinema. We can go and catch a movie (but only as a last resort if we are very, very bored). Still this is a valid option.
5. Stand-up and Comedy Shows. British people are famous for their accent and their humour. We will check whether a famous comedian is going to be in town and go laugh out loud. Even if there is no one we know, there are local pubs and bars who often invite comedians, we will hope for the best.
6. Clubbing. If we are not too tired from all the walking during the day, London has some great clubs too – Pacha, Ministry of Sound, Fabric, etc.
7. Winter Wonderland. I almost forgot about all the fun we can have, despite the fact that it is winter time, or actually, because of it! Winter Wonderland will be open – so we can enjoy ice skating, ice sculptures, circus, etc. If only I can make Stephen ice skate!
Well, that’s it with our trip to London. The program is ready. Now we wait for another 12 days. I am getting extremely excited. We have never been abroad before!
Picture Credits: Pinterest Travel Groups
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New Year's Eve in London, plan New Year's Eve, travel
