Trip 49

January 16, 2025

We had a leisurely breakfast, believing that our room at the next hotel would not be ready early. We took a Bolt rather than navigating the Tube or bus. For not being particularly far, it took almost 30 minutes as it gets congested in the central city. We’ve stayed at this hotel at least half a dozen times, so it almost feels like home.

Upon arriving, we found our room was indeed available (think we’ve stayed in this very room several times) and it had a small balcony that looks out over a park. It’s a lot prettier in the spring with cherry trees, but it’s also not in the midst of a lot of high rise buildings.

Venturing out to Marylebone High Street, we stopped for a bite to eat at Prêt a Manger, then down to one of our favorite stores on the High Street – Daunt Books. But before getting there, we just enjoyed the flavor of a village-like high street- many small local and boutique shops, pubs.

Daunt is a treat for us, with most book stores in our home city disappearing (having been “Amazoned“). As it has been every time we’ve visited, and this was mid afternoon/ mid-week, it was busy, but not over crowded.

After our purchases, we left to find a pub (there were three between Daunt and where we turned onto the High Street). Often, we’ll see people standing outside at tables alongside the pub, chatting, drinking and smoking. But today , seems like it’s too cold (at least it was for us. Some of the tables have reserved signs on them for a bit later, but we’ll be gone before then. It’s a Guinness for me (I know, it’s Irish) and an inside table.

There’s so much new going on in London.