Greetings from sweltering London!

[3kids4me Super Moderator and Super Mom Find all posts View Profile Close 3kids4me]

I don't know if it has made the kind of news there as it has here, but there were record temperatures in Britain today; London was the hottest ever recorded at close to 100 degrees.

Unfortunately, we don't have air conditioning at Allen House.

Also, the tubes and buses are not air-conditioned, so my son and I went to the movies today to see Pirates of the Carribean.

It is really really really hot here! We did a few things earlier in the week, but as my son had really bad jet lag and was having a lot of trouble staying awake, we put off most things until later. However, the intense heat has made it hard to sleep and harder to get anywhere during the day, so we're not doing much. (Yesterday, we went to Madame Tussaud's, and waited on line for an hour and half to get in. I guess everyone had the same idea as far as doing something indoors....)

It's okay though, as the neighborhood around Allen House is absolutely wonderful. We discovered an Indian place that we love, an internet cafe across the road (where I am right now) and a Starbucks on the corner that has air-conditioning. (We spent two hours in there reading books today...lol! There's a bookstore on the other corner!)

I'm looking forward to Scotland next week where it's bound to be cooler, and in the meantime, we are going to try to do the Tower of London tomorrow if the tube is not too oppressive. (Taking a cab there would cost a small fortune, I think!)

If anyone has any suggestions for escaping the heat, please let me know!

Sharon

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

Sharon,
Go have dinner at the Kensington Arms. Ask Julie or Annie.
Let me try to direct you: walk out of Allen House and turn right. Cross Allen St. Take a left onto High St. Kensington. Take your next left (forgot the name) and walk down about halfway on the left. Good food, nice folks. Try the clotted cream creme brulee or clotted cream rice pudding. Fish & Chips are huge & good.
Say hello to Julie & Annie from Jeanne I.
Cheerio,
PS Go to the London Eye. Your son should like that !

[Keitht Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Keitht]

Good news and bad news. The temperature is supposed to drop by several degrees tomorrow, but humidity is going up!

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Go to the theatre!

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

Sharon,

Sorry to hear that it is so hot there, and no AC is available....that doesn't sound good.

Maybe you can do more things in the evening when it is cooler, and take it a little easier during the day.

Enjoy the rest of your stay, and keep us posted.

[IreneLF Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close IreneLF]

Think London River Transport

I've been thinking of you; you caught an unlucky break with the weather but I can see you're trying to make the best of it. I'm hoping Scotland provides some relief from the heat.
NYTimes reported the tube was record breaking 117 degrees the other day

London River Services has boats that make stops along the Thames, several in London along both side of the river, with one near the Tower at St. Katherines Dock. Don't know if you are near Westminster Embankment, but that's a stop I remember. - (I also took a boat from St. K. to Greenwich ( Greenwich mean time/observatory, you can stand with a foot in each hemisphere, there are exhibits, maritime museum etc.)
the boat would be a good alternative, not only a novel way to travel but cooler too.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

I haven't been to London in years, but the National Theatre, on the South Bank of the Thames, had/has a cafe and a large seating area where you can drink coffee and eat snacks and people-watch. There was a film museum there where they showed great old movies, too. And of course you can go to the theatre, too. All blissfully air-conditioned!

We also used to hang out in Harrod's food halls, just looking at the food and the people. That can get pretty packed, though.

Have fun!

[katiemack Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close katiemack]

Sharon, Glad to hear from you! Sounds like the trip has had a lot of story to it, already....we hope to hear about it on Shaggy's tales forums! Wishing you the best.

[helenbarnett1963 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close helenbarnett1963]

Hi Sharon,
glad you are enjoying London.
We were there in early June - weather was almost as hot as now - far too hot for the kids to be out sightseing.
If you've not already been to the Science Museum then its well worth a trip - its all air-conditioned so is really cool inside. Get off the tube at South Kensington and follow the signs along the tunnel to walk there - you don't even have to go outside into the heat.
I spent two full days of our trip in there with my 6 year-old-son, but I'm sure there will be plenty to keep a teenager amused for several hours - there's even an I-max cinema there.
Best bit for me was in the basement - The Secret Life of The Home contains lots of household items and gadgets from the past 50 years - was great to reminisce about things from my childhood.....they even had a 1970 Sony colour TV exactly the same as the one we still have in our kitchen at home!

Helen

[Keitht Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Keitht]

Sharon,

I forgot to say earlier, but I'm glad to see you are doing your best to fit in by joining in the national pastime of all Brits.
We complain about the weather all the time. It's either too hot, too humid, too wet, too dry, too cold (delete as applicable). It does mean we always have something to talk about

[3kids4me Super Moderator and Super Mom Find all posts View Profile Close 3kids4me]

Hello all and thank you for the suggestions!

We did the Tower of London today before it got too hot. They have these little tape recorders with headphones you can listen to, which guide you through the whole compound. I highly recommend them! (We had met some fellow Americans on the Eye that had recommended them to us, which was good because they aren't advertised very well when you get there.)

Now, as you can see, we are back at the internet cafe...a teen's favorite location around the world. It is 2:00 p.m. here.

Beags, thank you for the restaurant suggestion and we will plan on going there today! There is also a casual cream tea place called The Muffin Man that another man we met yesterday recommeded...so that is on our list as well.

Helen, thank you for the Science Museum suggestion. I think we will perhaps try that tomorrow. I would do it this afternoon, but I think my son is ready for a book and the air-conditioned Starbucks...lol!! Also, there are serious delays on the tube today, and coupled with the heat, it makes it hard to get around. (Irene, same for boarding the boat...one has to take the Circle Line tube from here to Embankment, and right now there are severe delays on the Circle Line and it was not running at all earlier. However, they do seem like a nice and cool activity!)

One thing we haven't gotten to is the Churchill war bunker. So many people have recommended it but I can't get my son interested.

Please let me know if you think we've missed anything crucial. So far we have:

--Gone on the Eye
--Had fish and chips
--Had tea at Fortnum and Mason (and almost turned away because we were wearing shorts!)
--Seen a show (Guys and Dolls...supposed to be starring Patrick Swayze but he is sick...just my luck!)
--Gone to the Tower of London
--Went to the National Gallery (but the impressionist exhibit is closed for now)
--Saw Pirates of the Carribean!

Things we have not seen that my son is lukewarm about:

--Westminster Abby
--St. Paul's
--Churchill Museum and Bunker
--Science (and other) Museums

Thanks again!!

Sharon

[helenbarnett1963 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close helenbarnett1963]

my kids weren't interested in the Churchill bunker either - I don't think
they've done WW2 at school yet, so it didn't mean anything to them.

Have you been to Covent Garden yet? some lovely eating places around there, and its great to just sit with an ice cream or cold drink and watch the free entertainment in the market courtyard - its partly covered so shoudl be shaded from the sun.

As to other 'must see' things - I guess that all depends on what you are interested in - and as my kids are not yet teenagers i probably woudln't make any 'useful' suggestions anyway (my son liked the science museum, open top bus tour and just riding on the tube, but big sister just wanted to go shopping!)

If he's not into 'museums' then I guess Buckingham Palace and the Royal Mews are out of the question.
The London Aquarium may pass a couple of hours, or go to Hamley's and let him loose on all the gadgets and big kids toys.

Hope you have a great time in Scotland next week.

Helen

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

Sharon,
If you go to St. Paul's, you'll enjoy it. Very moving section of the cathedral is for US military who gave their lives during WWII.
Suggestion: try walking up (not to the very top of St. Paul's like I did 530 steps both ways), but up to the next tier.
After St. Paul's, walk to the Millenium Bridge, cross the Thames, turn right and have lunch or a drink at the Founders Arms. A good pub-restaurant right on the Thames. Has indoor and outdoor seating. The Tate Modern is right there (if you like modern art) and right close to it is the Globe (Shakespeare's) Theatre.
Beags

[senorak Member Find all posts View Profile Close senorak]

Sharon- I traveled to London with each of my 3 children (one at a time). While each had different interests, here are some suggestions:

1. British Museum...especially the "mummy area" (this was one of the rare museums that my kids enjoyed)

2. Bowling ....yes, my youngest is a huge bowling fanatic, and we found a bowling alley complex near Piccadilly Circus. I think it was near the "Trocadero" (entertainment complex).

3. All 3 enjoyed the Covent Garden area...watching the street performers and wandering around the shops.

4. WE did the Churchill Bunker (not a lot of interest from my kids)...but also a War Museum (can't think of the name) that had an exhibit on the holocaust. It was very emotional.....artifacts, pictures, letters, etc.

5. HAMLEYS was also a big hit w/ all 3 of my kids. Just like going to "Toys R Us" or "FAO Schwartz" in NYC.

Enjoy!

DEB