A digital travel diary. · WP v1.08 · Updated
After our amazing dinner at Tattu, we rode the elevator downstairs and walked across the street to the Dominion Theater, where our musical, The Devil Wears Prada, was playing. I had purchased tickets for the 19:30 showing. . . . . . . . Outside, there were lots of girls all dressed up in expensive outfits, queuing up to enter the theater. . . .…
Read More: The Devil Wears Prada at Dominion Theater
Monday, March 23, 2026 . At 07:45, from our Eggerton House Hotel in Knightsbridge, we walked for 28 minutes to the Golden Tours, Bulleid Way Departure Point (at Victoria Station), to board our tour bus bound for Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio tour. The bus departed on schedule at 08:30. . . . . The bus ride to Warner Bros. Studio took just over an…
Read More: Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter.jpg)
One of the main reasons that I like seeing musicals in London is that they can be quite unique (with British sensibilities) and often do not travel across the pond to New York (and are therefore never seen in the United States). . When selecting My Neighbour Totoro, I found a unique, charming musical that would be unlikely to be staged in the United States.…
Read More: My Neighbour Totoro at Gillian Lynne Theatre
Based on Charles Dickens ' famous novel, Oliver Twist, Oliver! is a musical that was highly regarded (and I wanted to see it when visiting London). I purchased the best seats I could find (O16, O17) for Saturday evening's (March 21, 2026) performance at the Gielgud Theater. . . Oliver! was very well staged and acted, with excellent special effects and choreography. However, sometimes it…
Read More: Oliver! at Gielgud Theatre
Friday, March 20, 2026 . Our British Airways BA597 flight landed in London's Heathrow Airport at 19:15 GMT (from Venice, Italy). The flight was delayed about 15 minutes (with the original arrival time of 19:00 GMT). . . After landing at Heathrow, we had to board buses (as our plane didn't have its own terminal). Inna and I almost got separated on different buses. Upon…
Read More: London (March 20 – 24)
On Friday, September 03, 2021, we woke up at 4:00 am to prepare for our 45-minute drive to San Francisco Airport (SFO) for Alex's one-stop flight to London's Heathrow Airport via New York (JFK). . . . . . Alex was excited to begin his college education, starting his first semester at Northeastern University in London through the N.U. London program. . When we arrived…
Read More: London CallingFor the first semester at Northeastern University, Alex decided to enroll in the N.U. in the London program. He will spend his first semester in London, England, and then resume his education in Boston, MA. . . . . . To travel to London, Alex needed to renew his U.S. Passport and order airline tickets. . . AIR . . American Airlines . Flight Number.…
Read More: N.U.in London Pre-Arrival
. . In the morning, we decided to have another breakfast at the Premier Inn to save money and time. I didn't like the breakfast there - with mobs of guests and low-quality fare - but it was convenient and inexpensive. I selected a “Continental Breakfast,” while Inna and Alex chose the full hot breakfast. Since Alex was still a teenager, his breakfast was complimentary.…
Read More: Visiting Hampton Court and London
. . . . . The West End transfer of this farce is a play within a play and a study in chaos. . . The show is a farcical play-within-a-play. Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society is producing a hoary old sub-‘Mousetrap’ mystery called ‘The Murder at Haversham Manor.’ From the first moment, in which a hapless stage manager attempts to secure a collapsing mantelpiece, we…
Read More: Review: “The Play that Goes Wrong” at West End (Duchess Theatre)
. . After getting up at around 7:30 a.m., I showered and dressed while Alex and Inna rested. They were exhausted from the month-long vacation in Austria and Germany.. . . . We decided to have breakfast at the Premier Inn to save money and time. I selected a "Continental Breakfast," while Inna and Alex chose the full hot breakfast. Since Alex was still a…
Read More: Visiting the British Museum
. . First, the red curtain rises just a foot off the stage. And it artfully reveals the star attraction of this mind-blowingly lavish revival of a classic Broadway musical: 40-odd pairs of tap-dancing feet, hammering the boards in perfect unison.. . . . Helmed by Broadway director Mark Bramble, 42nd Street is as American as a McDonald's apple pie, a steaming, golden spectacle of…
Read More: Review: “42nd Street” at West End (Theatre Royal Drury Lane)
. . . After getting up around 7:00 a.m., I showered, shaved, and dressed. We decided to have breakfast at the Premier Inn (to avoid wasting a lot of time). I selected a "Continental Breakfast," while Inna and Alex chose the full hot breakfast. . . . . . . I mainly ate cold cereal and a few pastries with coffee, while Alex and Inna…
Read More: Exploring London and the Tower of London
Friday, June 4, 2010 . Our early morning drive from Bath to Portsmouth went reasonably smoothly. We needed to drop off our rented Mercedes at National Car Rental and catch the LD Ferry for Le Havre. . . On arrival at Portsmouth, I found the National Car Rental offices closed, so I left the car key and paperwork in the Dropbox. . We then proceeded…
Read More: Portsmouth, England
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 . . . After touring Stourhead Gardens, we continued our drive toward Bath, where we had a two-day reservation at the Badminton Villa (managed by Heather and Steve Clewley): . . Badminton Villa. 10 Upper Oldfield Park . Bath. BA2 3JZ. We checked in and went to bed as we were tired from our drive.. Thursday, June 3, 2010 . Heather…
Read More: Bath, England
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 . On the way from the Cotswolds to Bath, we decided to stop by for a few hours in the beautiful Stourhead Gardens in Stourton. . . . Inna and I were looking forward to visiting these authentic English gardens, known for their beauty. . . . . . . . . . . We enjoyed our time walking around, breathing…
Read More: Serene Stourhead Gardens
Tuesday, June 1, 2010 . While Alex was recovering from his cold in the Cotswolds, I decided to take a short drive to Woodstock to see Blenheim Palace, the famous residence of Winston Churchill and his famous ancestors (the seat for the Dukes of Marlborough) . . I spent many hours strolling through ornately decorated rooms.. . . . . . . . . .…
Read More: Blenheim Palace
Monday, May 31, 2010 . According to Wikipedia: . Sudeley Castle is located in the Cotswolds, near to the medieval market town of Winchcombe, Gloucestershire. The castle has 10 notable gardens covering some 15 acres within a 1,200-acre estate nestled within the Cotswold hills. . . King Henry VIII and his then-wife Anne Boleyn visited the castle in 1535, and it later became the home…
Read More: Sudeley Castle
My wife, Inna, wrote the following impressions of our trip to the Cotswolds in England:. May 30, 2010 . I’m writing this in Staddlestones B&B in Chipping Campden, Cotswolds. I can hardly put my thoughts, impressions and feelings into words as I write this as I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this place so much. The Cotswolds is a quintessential English country side with beautiful rolling hills,…
Read More: Charming Cotswolds
Saturday, May 29, 2010 . . . We boarded a train from London to Cambridge, where I planned to pick up my Saab 9-5 Estate car from National Car Rental. . . . . . . . . Unfortunately, the weather was quite rainy, and I was apprehensive about driving on the left side of the road in England for the first time. When we…
Read More: Rainy Cambridge
Wednesday, May 26, 2010. . Today, we decided to visit Leeds Castle - one of England's most original and beautiful castles.. . . . . . . Since the castle is far from London, we used a combination of trains to get there (as we have not rented a car yet). . . . . . . After arriving, we toured the beautiful grounds surrounding…
Read More: Leeds Castle, England