December 8-9: SFO – London Heathrow
Revenge, gazpacho, and beef tartare are best served cold. A holiday visit to London and Paris should not be, but an Arctic blast has sent

Western Europe temperatures dipping to its lowest temperatures in a decade as we arrived about Noon on December 9.

Thanks to our phones’ weather apps, we came dressed for 30s and 40s, with long coats, wool socks, turtlenecks, sweaters, scarves, ski gloves, and hats.

Photo: The New York Times.

Exhausted from lack of sleep on the plane, we dined early in our historic St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, built in 1873, on fish and chips and a veggie burger, both of which hit the spot. This majestic hotel was restored in 2011 at a cost of £200m or nearly a quarter-billion U.S. dollars.

When we started planning this trip last summer, we knew that due to only a week in each of two cities, this wouldn’t be our usual “slow travel” –– taking our time, exploring local neighborhoods and surrounding towns over a week or so. In past visits to London, we’ve already seen most of the top attractions, so we decided to hit other local cultural venues and catch a few West End plays on this trip.

Total: Miles 3.7; Steps 9,170

December 10: The Tudors, The Brontës, and Monty Python
Despite the chilly reception on our first full day in London, it was somewhat bearable.

We had a hearty breakfast steps away from our base at the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel in the train station of the same name, admired the holiday lights on numerous live and artificial trees, then made our way over to the National Portrait Gallery. When it opened in 1856, it became the first national public gallery in the world dedicated to portraits.

Of particular interest was a hall filled with likenesses of the Tudors, especially Henry VIII and his six wives. Between the many historical dramas and the lighthearted play “Six: The Musical,” which we had recently seen, it was fascinating to see what they really looked like. 

Other fascinating British portraits included Stephen Hawking, many Churchills, Charles Darwin, the Bronte Sisters, Jane Austen, a hologram of Queen Elizabeth 2^nd, and one even titled “Mike’s Brother” of Paul McCartney because the photographer was a mate of Mike’s.

We later walked like locals to Honey & Co. on Lambs Conduit Street in Bloomsbury, which was pedestrian-only for a few blocks, giving us a respite from looking the wrong way for cars that might run us over.

The Middle Eastern food there was a perfect choice for the weather. We shared a huge salad of a Saffron-poached pear, roasted walnuts, and endive, followed by Madfunia, a chicken braised with chestnuts and figs, topped with crisp kadaif pastry. It was slightly sweet, slightly spicy, but all delicious.

Next, we sauntered over to The British Library, the National Library of the U.K.

With over 170 million items, it’s England’s Library of Congress, and next to our hotel. Though it was our third visit to its Treasures Gallery, there’s always something new to discover. In this cavernous room, one can see the original Magna Carte from 1215, all the works of Shakespeare, Chaucer, Dickens, and others from all types of British wit, including Monty Python’s handwritten script for “The Spanish Inquisition” skit.

Recent additions included a copy of the Declaration of Independence, sections on The Art of Books and the British History of Gay Literature. For example, some U.K. bookstores had banned the sale of “The Portrait of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde because of its references to gay life.

After a nap to help us compensate for two days of jet lag, we braved the cold evening winds to find dinner. A Bao restaurant’s menu was too piquant for our delicate systems, a sushi restaurant was only take-out, so we settled on an Italian eatery in the St. Pancras train station, just steps from our hotel. The joint was jumping at Carluccio’s with both locals and travelers awaiting trains home or to the continent. We enjoyed a leisurely dinner of an antipasto platter, a glass of Chianti, and a warm chocolate brownie with pistachio ice cream.

Total: Miles 7.0; Steps 15,500.

December 11: The Play’s The Thing – The Spectacular “The Lehman Trilogy”
Another day, similar weather in the low 40s and windy, but we’re on vacay, so we hopped the Underground Tube to the Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House on the Strand in Central London. Its renowned collection ranges from the Medieval period to the 21^st century, including world-famous post-impressionist masterpieces by Manet, Monet, van Gogh, Cézanne, Renoir, Degas, and Rubens.

After visiting Wagamama for some noodles at lunch to warm us up, we came back to the hotel to rest.  Then a quick dinner at Covent Garden (shown above in all of its holiday glory) before the theater.

Our play was a few blocks away at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, home of the Tony-winning play, “The Lehman Trilogy”, now in London for a limited engagement. Who knew that a drama about three brothers, yes, those Lehman Brothers, who invented investment banking could be so utterly captivating?

Originally directed by Sam Mendes, the story covers the amazing saga of three Jewish immigrants from Bavaria who arrived in America between 1844 and 1850 and continues through to 2008. Three actors each play about ten roles and are the only ones on stage throughout, but it is absolutely spectacular and probably the best drama we’ve ever witnessed. It won five Tony Awards in 2022, including Best Play, Best Actor, and Best Direction.

Total: Miles 6.0; Steps 13,670.

Watch a Fortnum & Mason Holiday Lights Video.
December 12: Upscale Shopping at Mayfair and How to “Love The Bomb”
Another cold one today: 42 F. with gusting winds and some rain.

We took the Tube over to the original Fortnum & Mason in the Mayfair shopping district: a five-story high emporium of all the foods that make Britain great, and then some, including jamon and tapas from Spain, a French champagne bar, pastiche de nada from Portugal, and red dragon fruit from Thailand. Literally a feast for the eyes.

This edifice has been at 181 Picadilly for over 300 years, though the chain was established in 1707. America doesn’t have anything that can compare for history, quality, and reputation. The holiday decorations were tasteful and brilliant as evidenced in Ellen’s video above the lobby of the twinkling descending and ascending ornaments.

Next, we strolled over for lunch at Mercado Mayfair. It was originally St. Mark’s Church that’s been converted to a three-story-high food court with sustainable offerings, from steak and burgers to oysters, lobster, paninis, sushi, tacos, beer, and sweets.

We then meandered down Oxford Street through light rain to see “Dr. Strangelove”, the first-ever stage adaptation of Stanley Kubrick’s classic black comedy about the Cold War. British actor and comedian Steve Coogan played the same three roles as Peter Sellers did in the 1964 film. But he also had fun with as the Slim Pickens’ gung-ho B-52 pilot who did a “Yahoo” yell while descending on the bomb. Some local reviewers preferred Coogan’s portrayal of the crazed doctor character to the original and the audience loved it. The staging of the War Room was excellent, but the B-52 cockpit was ingenious.

Tired, wet, and hungry, we ate salad and pizza next to the hotel at Carluccio’s in the St. Pancras train station again.

Total: Miles 7.0; Steps 15,650.

December 13: The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park –– The Nerds Who Brought The Nazis to Their Knees
On yet another inclement day, we walked over to the Euston Rail Station and grabbed a train to Bletchley Park, about 35 minutes to the northwest.

On this 600-acre estate from the late 1930s through WWII and into the Cold War, we joined a tour that told us about how the British Armed Forces and Intelligence hired approximately 9,000 people to work at Bletchley Park. Their sole, secretive mission was to break hundreds of Nazi coded dispatches and cyphers during World War II about troop and ship movements. To make this task even more challenging, the codes changed daily. Once decoded and by sharing that information, the Allies gained a critical advantage over the Nazis. General Eisenhower said after the war was over, that the Codebreakers contribution helped end the war three years earlier and saved tens of thousands of lives.

If you’ve seen “The Imitation Game” film with Benedict Cumberbatch, you know some of the story, but the human ingenuity to break the codes by building the first non-digital computer was equally fascinating.

We returned to London, rested for a while and tried a local fish restaurant. We walked a few minutes to North Sea Fish near our hotel. It was like dining in a neighborhood joint with friendly service and outstanding food. The portions were huge: Ellen ordered a half- order of grilled halibut which covered her plate, while I had the Scottish Salmon.
Total:  Miles 5.0; Steps 11,300

Watch a Naomi Campbell Video from the V&A.
December 14: The V&A Museum, Naomi, and a Pub
London is one populous and increasingly popular city. With about 10 million people, it’s the largest city in the U.K. and Europe. Add to that more than 32 million visitors a year, and many natives say they’ve never seen crowds like this, especially during the holidays. And it seems like most of them cramming onto our London Underground trains. We even had to let a few trains go to be able to squeeze in for a ride.

Today, we took the Tube over to South Kensington, home of the world-famed Victoria & Albert Museum (AKA the “V & A”). This place is huge – five stories of antiquities, art, architecture, stunning evening dresses, and more. In fact, it’s “a family of art, digital, and performance museums, where everyone is invited to enjoy the power of creativity” and admire more than 1.25 million objects. We spent about three hours at this campus, but there are four more spread across England and Scotland.

In particular, we enjoyed seeing what shaped the unparalleled career of Naomi Campbell, the iconic British fashion model who was discovered when she was just 15 by an agent in a restaurant in London’s Covent Garden. Within a year, she was the first Black female model on the cover of Paris Vogue. There was even a runway with a video loop that captured anyone brave enough to strut their stuff, which of course I did.

We then walked by Harrods, the British luxury store that’s home to over 3,000 brands, shop designer fashions and accessories, upscale beauty, fine jewelry and watches, food, furniture and more – in-store and online. Thousands of people were crowded on both sides of the street, gawking and photographing the holiday light displays that covered the entire front of the store in the Knightsbridge area. Quite entertaining.

For our last night in London, we chose a nearby traditional British pub, The Betjeman Arms, which was also in the St. Pancras International Train Station. The waitress recommended a pint of Guinness and a burger for me, so I complied. But this wasn’t just a hamburger. It was “dairy cattle beef burger, Cornish cheddar, watercress mayo, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and Young’s ale chutney, bun and fries”. Ellen chose the heritage squash gnocchi in a gremolata sauce.

Both were very comforting against the continued cold weather. We then were persuaded to try the sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce, and custard for a dessert for a truly traditional sweet. That really hit the spot.

Total: Miles 5.0; Steps 11,500.

December 15: The Eurostar Train from London to Paris
We chose our hotel for its proximity. It’s adjacent to the St. Pancras International Train Station and the London Underground (AKA “The Tube” with 272 stations and a daily ridership of nearly 3.25 million passengers).

The Eurostar Train boards here hourly about 15 times a day to Paris Gare du Nord, so it couldn’t have been more convenient to travel about 305 miles (492 km) at speeds up to 186 mph from the heart of one of the world’s greatest cities to another, all in only about 2 hours and 15 minutes. We considered flying, but that would have chewed up over four hours with a three-hour check-in protocol for an international flight.

The Chunnel Ride is an engineering marvel. While the BART Transbay Tube in the S.F. Bay Area is 3.6-miles long, the tube that supports the train from London to Paris is 31.5 miles (50.45 km) long, and 333 feet (100 meters) below sea level in the English Channel. That qualifies it as the longest undersea tunnel in the world.

Total: 3.6 miles; 8,400 steps.