London, December 2019

I had never felt compelled to visit England and was not even tempted to develop an affection for the place.  I like to think that my antipathy was rooted in the graphic stories of the decapitated wives of Henry VIII, the tepid description of English cuisine in the many historical romance books read during my teen years, or the foggy damp weather often used to characterize England. For my limited knowledge and perception, I sure had an opinion:  London was a cold place with a typical Anglo-Saxon stiff upper lip.

During the fall of 2019, as I was planning my holiday trip it seemed, however, like an easy destination on my way to the continent.  Plus, it seemed like, for someone who loves to travel, that it sure was time to check that box. And so, I made the decision to head over and spend New Year’s Eve in London.  I made my reservation and purchased an airline ticket.  I followed with a reservation to the Tina Turner musical on the West End and a plan to hit all the world-renowned British museums, determined to enjoy it all.

The horrendous time spent in long lines at customs at Heathrow did not help. Once finally out of Immigration and Customs, I hopped on the Piccadilly line of the London Underground and headed to my hotel in the Kensington /Chelsea neighborhood near Kensington Palace, luggage in hand.  Once I resurfaced at Earl’s Court’s station and took a peek at the neighborhood surrounding me, right there and then, without fuss or fireworks, I allowed myself to change my opinion and just fell in love with London.

It was early Sunday morning and the city was slowly waking up to the scent of warm baked bread and still sleepy from the weekend’s festivities.  The promise of a mostly sunny day was in the air and the temperature was in the 50s on this late December early morning.  Flexibility was called for, especially while on vacation: I changed my plans and instead of the many museums’ visit, decided on the spot that my 3-day stay would resume itself to an exploration of the City’s different neighborhoods and architectural landscape.

I love old cities and I love history.  London was both and there was much to love.  I wanted to discover the City’s soul, which could only be done strolling leisurely along streets and alleys, nooks and corners where every stone speaks of history.  For the three days I was in London I walked around the city stopping to sightsee wherever the mood and curiosity took me: St. Paul Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Hyde Park, Trafalgar Square, Regent’s Street, Churchills’ war room, Downing Street, Oxford Street, the promenade and restaurants along the river Thames, Kensington Gardens and Palace.  I attended Sunday service at St Mary Abbots, located at the corner of Kensington High St and Kensington Church St, the local church of Princess Diana during the time she lived at Kensington Palace.

I visited every place and did everything I possibly I could during those three days knowing that I would have to return to London for a more thorough exploration of all the city has to offer.  Every day, from 10 am to 11:00pm, I walked nonstop, which, of course, gave me the perfect excuse to indulge and sample the food and deserts from the many restaurants I visited.  Staying in the Kensington borough provided easy access to quite a few places with great cuisine.   I would often arrive with a book, ready to treat myself to a dinner, European style, meaning that I would spend the next two to three hours savoring my food in no hurry.

New Year’s Eve found me in a French restaurant where I enjoyed tons of seafood, wine, and a chocolate mousse to top it off.  I had avoided the large festivities and fireworks at Trafalgar Square not really wanting to be in a large crowd and finding my way back to my hotel late at night.  I had done this the night before and even London goes quiet and scary past a certain time.  I do not recommend it.

My trip to London was successful in so many ways:  I arrived there ready to check a box.  I left pleased with what I had experienced and learned during my stay and knew that I would be back.  It is what traveling does:  It challenges you to rethink and discard your pre-conceived ideas when not useful and when proven wrong. Traveling gently stretches you to learn about other cultures, people and communities.  With it comes the discovery that cultivating an open mind goes a long way in bringing in joy from the unexpected and unknown.

The morning of January 1, 2020, would find me waking up early to catch a flight to Toulouse where I would drive to Lourdes in the Pyrenees mountains in the Basque region near the Spanish border.  The sacred place where I wanted to start the new decade.