The ultimate life hack for travelling on a budget is tacking personal travel onto a work trip. The uni I worked for in Australia called this "dual purpose" travel, which I find a charming and fitting term.
I've done this twice before, to Singapore on my way to India and to Perth and Rottnest Island after a conference in Western Australia. I am just now, seven years later, realizing I didn't blog that trip, which is a damn shame. Google what a quokka is. The cuteness will dazzle you!
When a 24-hour work trip to London popped up, plus the offer to fudge the flight dates for personal use, I added an extra night to live my best big city life. I could've added two (or even three!) but let's not get greedy.
The work thing started at noon, so to make it there on time I had to begin my day at 3:30 a.m. That wasn't particularly fun, but if somebody else is paying for the ticket I'm shutting my corn hole and flying the friendly skies without complaint.
Me and about 25 other student advisors and guidance counselors were gathered to learn about their school so we can advise students and encourage them to go there. This recruitment tactic also comes a dose of wining and dining.
I absolutely love to be wined and dined! Particularly on somebody else's dime. Or in this case, pence.
It was very informative, and I genuinely hope to funnel students there in the future. But before getting back to my day job I had 22.5 hours to cram in as much touristing as I could and do whatever I wanted [and had meticulously planned] in London.
My initial thought was to pick up what I missed on my last trip, a visit to the British Museum, but as my evening plans took shape I realized I wouldn't have enough time to do it justice so it got pushed off yet again.
But I simply cannot go to London without seeing something historical. Typically this means something WWII, which is my great love and obsession. But the best in the vicinity was a former bomb site that has since been turned into a swanky hotel. Hardly a top priority in its modern form, so I had to find something better.
London Palladium
This is where the Beatles began their global domination! A dream tourist destination for me!
I love The Beatles so much. My dad got me onto them at a pretty young age, and is a connection we share today decades later. In 8th grade we had to do a big research project on any topic we wanted. I was fourteen years old in the mid-90s and my topic was The Beatles. Rock on!
In October 1963 they performed on a show called Sunday Night at the London Palladium. While they were not completely new to the scene prior to this appearance, the show catapulted them to national fame and eventually international fame. Voila, Beatlemania was born.
Another building that, while pretty to look at and located on Savile Row where the fancy tailors reside, doesn't seem to be of any particular note to the casual observer. Except!
The Beatles owned this building for several years and performed their last concert on the rooftop, which I'm sure you've seen footage of. If you haven't you are lame and devoid of joy.
Where it all began and where it ended, all within 8 minutes walk of each other. As a lifelong Beatles fan I thought they were absolutely worth the quick visit. The Abbey Road zebra stripe crosswalk is a fair way away from here, but is absolutely on my bucket list. Next time! One of the many things I love about London; there's always a next time.
With my brief historical detour complete, I headed to the activity that beat out the British Museum to fill my afternoon:
Good old fashioned retail therapy, on Oxford Street which is probably one of the busiest shopping streets on the planet.
For that reason alone I really don't recommend it, but based on the location of my evening activities I really didn't have other alternatives for shopping. Plus, I am willing to put up with untold pain and suffering in crowds to access a TK Maxx (TJ Maxx's fab foreign cousin), Primark and Marks & Spencer Food Hall all within walking distance of each other.
I could grocery shop at an M&S Food Hall for a full business day, I swear. Foreign grocery stores are a great love of mine. The pre-made sandwich section at M&S, especially. Cheese & celery? Chicken & stuffing? Wensleydale & carrot chutney? The American mind literally cannot comprehend these sandwich combinations because they are just insane. I love it while simultaneously being scared and confused by it!
Several hours of shopping in crowded conditions left me with a pretty good haul:
Christmas is just around the corner, and I got enough loot to last me into the next cycle of birthdays mid-next year.
After a few hours of intense shopping and bag carrying I headed back to my self-paid hotel, which was a significant downgrade from my previously paid for room, to shower and relax. A budget 3-star place, there was a surprisingly legit view from my window of the iconic BT tower:
My evening plans:
French restaurant Brasserie Zedel
I cannot tell you the last time I ate at a French restaurant! Which is a damn shame because it is (probably? maybe?) my favorite type of food in the world (sorry, Italian, ya basic).
With all the cuisine choices in the world at my fingertips, this is what I went for. I could have salvaged the highly regarded Indian restaurant that was previously ruined for me by thieving assholes, but my longing for French food was too great. Deer stew with a side of buttered green beans cannot be beaten by anything the subcontinent has ever produced.
I was joined at this fine French restaurant by a long time student of French and, like myself, a one time student of the University of Edinburgh, Marie-Claire.
It was her French knowledge that showed me that the pheasant I wanted to order was unfortunately not available on the day of the week that we were there. Apparently my dumb ass didn't pick up on what the "du jour" section of the menu meant.
We had a great time catching up on life and kids (four between us), as we hadn't been together since a wedding in 2018 when we were both young(er), careless and child-free. That was the second-to-last wedding I've been to and let me tell you I am dying to go to another one!
The restaurant was literally a 3 minute walk from our evening plans - the theatre. Let me be clear:
I don't ever want to take a trip to London without seeing a show. Looking into the history books this was my fifth trip to London, and this is the fourth show I've seen (if you count Jeff Goldblum's jazz concert, which you should). I have one show to catch up on!
Hadestown on West End
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West End is the Broadway of London. All I knew about this production is that it is based on Greek mythology - a growing interest of mine - and won multiple Tonys on Broadway.
Unfortunately, the show didn't really do it for me. There were a few standout performances but I found it overall tedious to sit through and really repetitive. Or maybe I was just comparing it too much to the Netflix limited series Kaos, which tells the same broad story amazingly well and stars...wait for it...Jeff Goldblum! That is an impossibly tough act to follow.
But I was glad to have seen any show at all, and there's no way I'd rather end a day in London.
Fun fact: this was my first trip flying into Heathrow airport, after declaring many years ago that I never, ever wanted to fly through that behemoth. But as Confucius once said, she who buys not the ticket shuts the hole in her face. It was totally fine and drama-free, even if decent signage was sorely lacking.
Pret a Manger is a pre-made sandwich shop which, amazingly, had ample seating for singles in Terminal 2 and drinkable coffee. What is it about these Brits and their expertise in pre-made sandwich making?! It's so simple and random, but the quality and vast selection is endlessly entertaining to me. You'll never hear an unkind word about British food from me.
Until we meet again, London! Save an eel & chutney sandwich for me.
