A city that shatters expectations

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/09/2016 (3297 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LONDON — The ticket was originally purchased on a bit of a whim. And then the idea was to use it as a way to get back to Ireland. In fact, I had never really had much of a desire to visit the place.

After considerable deliberation, I decide I might as well visit a few days before I make my way to Dublin and then spend a couple more nights there at the end of the trip before catching my flight home. Everyone says I will love it.

After landing at Gatwick airport on a Sunday morning — on WestJet’s new Saturday overnight direct flight from Winnipeg to London — I catch an express train into the city and arrive at Victoria Station. It is there I experience my first impression of the British capital — oh my goodness, there’s a lot of people and they all look determined to get somewhere fast. It’s a somewhat unnerving pace that will take a little time to adjust to.

Gerry Rafferty sings in Baker Street “This city desert makes you feel so cold. It’s got so many people, but it’s got no soul.” My first few hours in London gave me a similar feeling.

There is, however, a quote I know by English philosopher William Paley that says, “There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments, and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance — that principle is contempt prior to investigation.”

Thankfully, I took the time to look further than the end of my nose.

Lay of the land

I’ve read and been told that one of the best ways to first explore a big city, and to get an idea of what you might like to see and do, is to take a bus tour. Since London is famous for it’s open-air double-deckers, I figure this is the perfect time to take that advice.

I have obtained a London Pass, which will allow me to hop on and hop off the iconic red buses and provides free admission to numerous sites and attractions.

Beginning at the start of the Golden Tours’ Classic Route, over the next three hours I am introduced to London’s famous landmarks, its history, its variety of cultures and its many sights and sounds.

Over the course of the tour, I pass by Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, Harrod’s department store, Marble Arch etc., etc., etc.

Having seen London in films, television shows and news clips, you’re aware of the many famous landmarks, but to be staring down the Thames or looking up at the clock on Big Ben as you cross the Westminster Bridge is somewhat surreal (an iconic landmark seen so many times on the television can create an impression it isn’t actually real).

I don’t bother hopping off during the three-hour tour, electing to sit back, chill out and take it all in — still adjusting to the pace.

And now, I must decide what sites to make a return trip to and explore more extensively. Frankly, there’s a lot to digest — so many options can feel a little overwhelming.

Best not to decide on an empty stomach

I’ve been invited to The Roof Gardens (virginlimitededition.com/en/the-roof-gardens) for lunch — an oasis from the hustle and bustle of London that is hidden away on the seventh floor of a building on Kensington High Street.

A Spanish garden, a Tudor-style garden, and an English woodland garden are the themes covering the 1.5 acres that are a sanctuary for pintail ducks, four flamingos — Bill, Ben, Splosh and Pecks — and weary locals and visitors.

The Roof Gardens were originally installed atop the Derry and Toms department store in the 1930s. Visitors were charged one shilling to enter and the money was donated to local hospitals.

In 1964, the original music video for Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman” was filmed in the gardens.

Today, they are open to the general public and are rented from their owners by Sir Richard Branson as part of Virgin Limited Edition. They are also home to Babylon, a modern-English restaurant built in 2001 that boasts amazing views of the London skyline.

An extensive menu of sustainablity-inspired dishes included a pan-fried cod — Hey, when in Rome. Served with a Vermouth foam sauce and a lemon and mascarpone ragout, it drove a dagger into any pre-conceived notions I may have had about British cuisine. This is not your forefathers’ fish and chips.

I sampled ‘chips’ at a number of places in London, but none compared to the thrice-fried ones presented in the mini-basket at Babylon.

My first square meal on the trip, Babylon was a harbinger of what was to be one of the lasting impressions left on me by London.

Hunting and gathering

I wouldn’t consider myself a foodie, but I do spend a portion of my day each Saturday searching for good food in Winnipeg — Vic’s on Pembina; Andrews on Academy and The Store Next Door on Corydon are a few of my faves. In the summer months, St. Leon’s Market on St. Mary’s and the St. Norbert Farmer’s Market are must-visits.

I didn’t come to London expecting to be dazzled by its cuisine. My only expectation was I hoped to have a real good curry.

What I did not know is that London is truly one of the food capitals of the world. I can’t tell you tales of the latest trends in haute cuisine — I hear they are cutting edge in the London — but what I can share is London’s food was fresh, healthy and inspiring.

Highlights included the Borough Market, the Camden Market, Selfridges food hall and yes, a wicked curry joint.

Located in Southwark — on the south side of the River Thames close to London Bridge — Borough Market has been catering to locals and visitors for over 1,000 years. For the majority of its history, it was essentially a wholesale market, but over the last couple of decades it has morphed into mainly selling specialty foods to the general public.

Fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese, meat and freshly baked bread and pastries are plentiful, and there is a wide variety of street food vendors offering cuisine from the various ethnic communities of London.

Word of advice: Don’t arrive so hungry that you eat the first thing you see. Take a tour around and peruse the wares before beginning to sample. There are so many tasty and unique foods to enjoy.

A couple of samplings that lodged themselves in my memory bank were: Seitan strips Zurich-style (high in protein seitan is made from wheat, but has little in common with flour or bread. Also called wheat meat, wheat protein, wheat gluten or simply gluten, seitan becomes surprisingly similar to the look and texture of meat when cooked, making it a popular meat substitute) and pineberries from Holland (an very tasty albino strawberry cultivar with a pineapple-like flavour).

One of London’s more popular visitor attractions — drawing approximately 100,000 people each weekend — Camden Town was a tad kitschy for my taste, mostly comprised of stalls and stores selling crafts, bric-a-brac and fast food. Worth mentioning is that Israeli billionaire Teddy Sagi, who made most of his dough in the online gambling industry, has been buying up property in the area and plans to invest £300 million (the equivalent of about C$512 million) developing the market area by 2018.

The street-food section near the lock on Regent’s Canal, however, made the visit worthwhile. Camden Lock’s Global Kitchen offers everything from kangaroo burgers to Ethiopian curries, stacks of vegetarian goodies to hearty beef treats. My lunch was a South American dish comprised of a quinoa pancake, kale salad, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, potatoes and seeds — washed down with water from a freshly cracked-open coconut.

I’ve always enjoyed visiting grocery stores when traveling — it helps cut costs and saves time when you can grab a ready-made lunch or snack. It’s also interesting to stroll a few aisles and explore the local fare.

A visit to Selfridges food hall will likely actually result in a bit of a hit to the food budget but the edible treats at this feast fest are an adventure in the cuisines of the world — what’s new, what’s trendy, what’s worth trying back home.

There are numerous eating spots inside the six floors of Selfridges, including a champagne and oyster bar; a soup and salad stop with luxury pies and patisseries; a rooftop cafe celebrating the finest in British produce; a gelato bar or a cupcakes-and-coffee stop.

I stuck to the food hall, sampling a number of deli salads (going back for a shoots, roots and fruits combo that was so fresh it was exhilirating); a delicious little dish of chicken masala; and I washed it down with a bottle of cold-pressed green juice. The visit set me back about C$30 — worth every penny.

Hey, perhaps I’m babbling on about the food in London, but for context — I was bored in less than an hour at the Tower of London, but could have spent the whole day at either of the aforementioned markets or the food hall at Selfridges. Just sayin’.

And, I’m leaving London for the Emerald Isle with a good taste in my mouth.

Room with a view

After nine days touring Ireland (more on that another time if you’re interested), I return to London for the final two nights of my trip before my return flight to Winnipeg.

And the conclusion was in stark contrast to the beginning, thanks to a delightful little hotel tucked into a charming historic neighbourhood and a chat over coffee with a cool cat from Toronto.

I’ve always been in disagreement with those who suggest all you really need is a bed when travelling — that you spend so little time in the room, that its amenities are inconsequential.

Perhaps I have been spoiled — blessed with the opportunity to stay at some great hotels over the years — but spending a few extra bucks on a great room in a great location has always seemed worth the price.

My final days in London are spent at the family-owned Arch London, a five-star boutique hotel in the tony neighbourhood of Marylebone.

Spread across seven Grade 2 Georgian townhouses and two mews homes, builders had to be sensitive to the architecture during the renovations creating some quirky spaces throughout the hotel — the yoga alcoves in the gym were originally wine cellars. Great little gym by the way.

The rooms are superbly appointed with a great bed, soaker tub with television and a complimentary Nespresso machine.

The hotel is brilliantly located in a tranquil setting — except perhaps when the paparazzi invade the street in an effort to snap a photograph of Madonna, whose London residence is right across the street from the hotel.

If you need the inside scoop on all that is London, the hotel’s head concierge Theo Dubroy — a native of Toronto — has the keys to the city.

Dubroy, who came to the UK nearly two decades ago to attend school and then started working in the hospitality industry, is a member of The Society of the Golden Keys of Great Britain and the Commonwealth, a group of concierges around the globe whose motto is ‘Solutions in the palm of our hand.’

A few tips for London visitors from Dubroy: explore the green spaces — the Arch London provides specially-designed jogging maps of Hyde Park, if you are so inclined; make sure to bring a good pair of walking shoes; indulge in afternoon tea; and take a walking tour instead of a bus tour. Now he tells me.

And yeah, Dubroy can get you tickets to shows and reservations at top restaurants just like those fancy concierges we see in the movies. He chuckles at that stereotype, but through a sly grin.

It was Dubroy who found me that great curry I had hoped for, recommending a nearby spot called Zayna where I enjoyed an incredible meal that included a delicious paneer makhani and a even better than I could have anticipated beef curry dish. Sitting beside a gentleman originally from Pakistan, who now lives in Atlanta and has travelled and lived around the world due to his business, he advised me that it is quite difficult to find authentic North Indian and Pakistani dishes. It was also his first visit to Zayna and he was very impressed.

Famous faces — fact and fiction

Marylebone (pronounced mar-le-bone) is perhaps London’s nattiest neighbourhood, a strollable district of Georgian and Edwardian townhouses that has been home to a who’s who of celebrity residents — three Beatles (John, Paul and Ringo), Jimi Hendrix, Charles Dickens, T.S. Eliot, Benedict Arnold, H.G. Wells, Cat Stevens, and the previously-mentioned Madonna included on that list.

It is also the location for the most famous fictional detective in the world — Sherlock Holmes’ bachelor flat at 221B Baker Street.

Marylebone is within walking distance of world-famous shopping on Oxford Street, Bond Street or Saville Row, but it is Marylebone High Street that captures the allure of the neighbourhood with delightful shops, galleries, pubs and restaurants. A farmers market is held every Saturday.

There’s a vibe in Marylebone that was distinct from other areas of London I passed through — best described in a quote I read on one of the storefronts I passed by: So confident of its charms that it doesn’t need to broadcast them.

And the verdict is…

It was not love-at-first-sight. It took some pleasurable experiences, some tasty treats, a great bed and a few pleasant people before I came to an unexpected conclusion — London’s diversity and tucked away charm left me longing for a return visit.

Maybe I’ll get to a few of those well-known attractions then, or find a few others through a little investigation.

steve.lyons@freepress.mb.ca