“Do you hear the people sing?” I woke up this morning with absolutely no plans for the day and ended up taking a walk through Hampstead this morning before seeing Les Misérables this afternoon… it was a good day in London!
I had thought about doing a London Walks tour of Hampstead this afternoon, but once I decided to stop by the TKTS booth for a ticket to the Les Mis matinee my plans quickly changed. I decided to do my own walk around Hampstead instead. I found a bus headed to Hampstead Heath and decided that would let me see some of the city on the way. I took a seat upstairs and spent 30 minutes watching London go by. I got off at Hampstead Heath and started walking. I had heard of Hampstead Heath before, but had never been there. Hampstead heath is a 790 acre park overlooking the center of London. It was a quiet oasis and it is hard to believe it is so close to central London. I walked to the top of Parliament Hill and then meandered my way back to another entrance.
After leaving the heath, I ended up stumbling upon the Buttery Cafe at the Burgh House where I enjoyed another outdoor scone and hot chocolate before wandering around the village. I found myself exploring some of the back alleys and streets of Hampstead for the better part of an hour. Hampstead Village is London’s version of Boston’s Beacon Hill. I could have easily spent more time there, but Jean Valjean was calling!
I took the tube back to Leicester Square and made my way to the Queen’s Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue. Les Misérables is easily and by far my favorite musical. I don’t think I can say I’ve seen it a dozen times (yet), but I’m easily closing in on ten. I saw it in London three years ago and it was just as good today as it was then.
After the show was over, it was time to eat a proper dinner. I was looking forward to dinner at Da Corradi in Shepherd Market tonight. Unfortunately, the bolognese was underwhelming. Only one way to make up for that… cider! I set out for Covent Garden to find a cider bar I had read about. But, try as I might, I couldn’t find the place. A nice security guard offered to Google it for me (I had an Amazing Race moment there) and managed to find the address. I still couldn’t find it. So I gave up and settled into The Globe pub for a sticky toffee pudding and cider. If you’ve never tried sticky toffee pudding, do it! Mine was served with the traditional toffee sauce and custard. A great end to the night… yum!
Traveling with Laura 