Fun * Shopping * Afternoon Tea * Theatre – We did it all!!!!
We have just come home from our Annual Women’s Trip. This year we went to London from Nov. 12-16 with 29 ladies including Suzi and myself. I can’t begin to express what a great time Suzi and I have on these trips. We always have a wonderful group of ladies to travel with and really look forward to this weekend every year.
Our trip started with area bus pickups in Franconia, Pennsburg and Plymouth Meeting to take us to the Philadelphia Airport. The airport was very quiet and we quickly passed through security. At 10:00 PM, we boarded our nonstop British Airways flight to London. This was one of the best flights I have recently taken. They had the individual TV consoles at each seat and the British Airways crew were very friendly and made sure that everyone had everything they needed throughout the entire night when other airlines flight crews usually disappear. We landed at London Heathrow at approximately 10:00 AM on Friday, November 13 (Yes, Friday the 13th!). After quickly passing through customs and collecting our luggage, we met our guide for the weekend, Jon, who escorted us to the bus for the ride to our hotel, the Hilton London Metropole. Jon was amazing. He could not have been friendlier, more informative or more accommodating during his weekend with us.
Once we were checked into the hotel, the weekend “officially” started. A little rain was not going to hold us back. A couple of ladies went to the British Museum, a couple did a double decker bus sightseeing tour and 18 of us booked a private Travel Haus trip to go to Windsor Castle. The town of Windsor is charming and I would have enjoyed just strolling and shopping but I had come to see the castle so past the shops I went. You can choose to have an audio guide of the Castle or you can just explore on your own. There are guides in every room if you have any questions. I saw Queen Mary’s dolls’ house which is definitely the biggest and most detailed dollhouse I have ever seen. (The only disappointment was that we were unable to see St. George’s Chapel where Henry VIII is buried as they were holding a funeral there when we arrived.) Once we left the castle we headed back to London to get ready for dinner at a local restaurant, Chez Gerard, followed by some much needed sleep.
Saturday started with breakfast at our hotel and then we headed off for a 1/2 day sightseeing tour of London. The history of London came alive as we went by such sites as Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St Pauls Cathedral and Trafalgar Square on our way to the Tower of London. At the Tower of London we explored and learned the history of the different buildings and were able to see the Crown Jewels. After our sightseeing tour, the afternoon and evening were free for each person to enjoy London their own way. Some were going to the Theatre that night to see such plays as Billy Elliot, Mousetrip and Les Miserables. 13 of us took a private Travel Haus tour to the London Eye followed by High Tea at Harrods. The view from the London Eye over the city of London was beautiful. It is a great way to get a panoramic view of the city. After the Eye, we headed to Harrod’s for much needed sustenance. They sat us in the verandah area of the Georgian Restaurant and brought tea, pastries and finger sandwiches to our table. What a great way to spend an afternoon. After tea, everyone explored the department store and some bought souvenirs to bring home. I went down to the basement floor to see the memorial to Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed where the engagement ring he had purchased for her was on display. Once we were “shopped out” at Harrod’s, we took the Tube back to our hotel (what an experience!) and then went to a local pub for dinner (sadly they did not have fish and chips on the menu that night).
Sunday was beautiful. The temperature was perfect and the sun made her first appearance of our stay. 20 of the ladies took full day tours out of London to such places as Stonehenge, Salisbury, Bath, Stratford Upon Avon and the Cotswolds. The remaining ladies chose to explore and enjoy the city of London. A couple of ladies went to church service at Westminster Abbey and then on to the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Others had a leisurely pub lunch of fish and chips. It was a wonderful way to end our stay in London. After our farewell dinner at Christophers near the theatre district, it was time to say our final goodbye’s to Jon and pack so we would be ready to for our flight at 11 AM the next morning.
We are now home and I find myself looking forward to spending time with these wonderful ladies again next November in Barcelona. Suzi and I are finalizing the trip details now and hope to be able to release the pricing in late December once we have the flights confirmed. These trips are always such a great mix of repeat woman’s weekend travelers and new ladies choosing to join us for a fun filled and memorable weekend.
Welcome home London Ladies. Thank you for making the trip so enjoyable and we hope to see everyone in Barcelona!
Written by Liza Leister