Friday, 25 May 2012

Some Great London Weekend Ideas

Now that the weather's begun to warm up, and the days are lasting longer, getting through the week with a great weekend ahead is not just a dream but a reality.  With this in mind, I've put together a list of fun things to do in and around the capital; even if you choose just one, you'll feel as though you had a brief break from your regular routine!
  • Visit one of the outlying villages that are actually part of London!
A couple of weekends ago, we visited the village of Blackheath, which is close to Greenwich on the south side of the Thames.  It was a cool, windy and drizzly day, but our enthusiasm wasn't dampened one bit, once we saw the town:  it's small high street area is filled with adorable shops, cafes and plenty of restaurants.  We even found that the lot beside the station has a weekly Farmers' Market, which offers freshly baked goods, plants, produce, juices, fish, meats and poultry, eggs, cheese and other dairy, as well as cooked foods.

Blackheath Village 
Another fun town to visit, is Dulwich (pronounced Dull-itch), which also lies to the south of London, though to the west of Greenwich, and further from the river Thames.  Dulwich, too, is filled with charming restaurants and shops (like Roullier White, which I mentioned in my earlier blog), and has much to offer to someone willing to explore.  I'd suggest spending an afternoon wandering there - or perhaps longer!
Dulwich
Barnes is a third village to the south of the river Thames that is worth a visit, though more for its natural beauty.  The village itself is quite small, but the London Wetland Centre and town green are both areas to explore, as they are quite beautiful year-round, though the town's section of the Thames riverbank is probably most reknowned for being one of the best locations for viewing the annuall Oxford-Cambridge boating race. 
  • Another suggestion:   Go to The Globe!  Now that the rain has stopped for a bit (fingers crossed!) buying one of the standing room tickets ( £ 5 - the best theatre deal in town) under the open roof isn't the risky idea it was earlier this season.  And now that the English language versions of the  plays will be performed (various international theatre groups have been performing this spring), you have no excuses!
The Captain Kidd Pub, Wapping
  • Enjoy a pint with a view.  One of the first pubs we really enjoyed as we explored London neighborhoods while hunting for a place to live, the Captain Kidd pub is a real gem.  It is located right on the Thames and features a bankside garden that is second to none.  Couple this with inexpensive beer, great chips (fries) and its link to the notorious pirate (Captain Kidd was hanged not once, but twice from the Wapping hanging docks after being found guilty of murder, 5 counts of piracy) - the first rope snapped and he was taken down and rehanged. This may not be the area's oldest pub, but it certainly has a colorful namesake.
  • Walk or cycle through some or all the 20+ miles of garden history on the London Gardens Walk/Chelsea Fringe map!   You can cover nearly 700 years of garden design history by following the blue markers on this map of central London, which features gardens from 1500 to the present day.  On a nice weekend, it's a great way to organize your wandering!
So I suggest, try one of these ideas or one of your own - but definitely get out and enjoy the weekend!

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