Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), the man who had single-handedly prepared a English language dictionarywho was capable of writing a hundred verses in a day – like his poem The vanity of man’s desires—, who mastered Latin, French and Italian, who edited all of Shakespeare’s works, this summit of English letters of the 18th century, despite all his occupations, said that he ended up giving in to the sin of laziness, working only a few hours a day. the mornings, because he spent the afternoon walking around London – according to him, the best place in the world – and the night going to a tavern to drink wine.
Needless to say, the capital of the United Kingdom offers countless attractions for all types of visitors, beyond those that may be on everyone’s mind, such as the British Museum, the Tate Britain, the National Gallery or the Natural History Museum. . However, one can end up in other more particular places, some of them also very well known and others, extravagant to the extreme. This being the case, the one proposed below would be, among a thousand, a possible itinerary to check if we are, indeed, stepping on the best place in the world.
English history in wax and comics
Maybe, a priori, Queuing to see wax sculptures of celebrities is not in the plans of the walker eager to become cultural, but as soon as the wonders of the world are known, Madame Tussauds museum (inaugurated in 1884), you will soon change your mind. Always packed with audiences, it might seem, at first, to be a frivolous tour between singers, members of royalty or actors. Of course, made with impressive realism. The idea came from the sculptor Marie Tussaud, who began with an exhibition of wax figures in 1835, and its success was such that it ended up being turned into a museum in the same building that today houses well-known faces. The visitor will smile when he meets Leonardo Dicaprio or Brad Pitt, with Tiger Woods or Mohammed Ali, with Queen Elizabeth II or the already monarch Charles, with Einstein or Darwin, with Obama or Churchill.
But the good part, while this is nice, comes later, with the so-called chamber of horrors, which deals with the most criminal London, and the fabulous Spirit of London. Transported in a taxi, you witness part of the wax history of this great city. To round it off, a Marvel superhero movie is offered in 4D, as well as another phenomenal section dedicated to the universe of Star Wars. Admission is not cheap (£33 per person), but it is definitely worth it.
This immersion in popular culture could continue in the delicious Cartoon Museum, whose aim is to preserve British animation, cartoons and comics. They carry out a great informative function that is reflected in the affection with which they preserve and display thousands of artistic works, comic strips and original comics, all of which constitutes a document of the first magnitude to understand English society from the 18th century to the present. . Their idea is that comics are part of the cultural heritage, and they really manage to transmit such a legacy. The charming gallery, with very cheap access (£9.50), has had temporary exhibitions as formidable as the one dedicated very recently to the film Wallace & Gromit: The wrong pants!on the occasion of his 30 years.
To be or not to be in front of a plate of ham
To recharge your batteries on this joyful itinerary, one could head down the central Upper Street, where Dr. Johnson would have walked in his time, and let oneself be seduced by the various charms of the Llerena Iberian Tapas Bar, one of the favorite places of Spanish visitors who travel to London and come to enjoy its wines or meats. Upon entering it, the most curious statue of a huge pig stands out in the background and, above all, an exquisite menu, with assortments of cured cheeses, spinach croquettes, carpaccio tuna, “morcilla patatera” tapas or churros with cholocate. The owner, Alberto Torres, offers the customer a simply spectacular Iberian acorn-fed ham, the result of bringing top quality products from Extremadura, in collusion with Jamón & Salud, Iberian sausages company. A superlative pleasure in each dish, which can be seasoned with music and dancing on the days when Llerena organizes flamenco and Spanish guitar concerts.
With a well-satisfied stomach, one would rather pick up a skull and wonder about the dilemma of being or not being if one decides to pay a visit to the Shakespeare’s Globe, something highly recommended. There is a daily tour (only in English, although they have information on paper in other languages) which tells how this beautiful replica of the theater that once saw the performances of the works of the author of Hamlet, about 400 years ago. It is an open-air theater, handcrafted with noble woods and a fascinating story behind it—of plagues, fires and political oppression—and where works by the Bard but also other contemporary ones are performed. The tours They often coincide with rehearsals in which young actors are seen doing vocal exercises or warming up by running or doing yoga.
The visit, which, it must be said, is not cheap (27 pounds; but nothing is usually cheap in London), can be concluded in the store, full of marketing shakespearianand next to which a bibliographical gem is displayed: a grandiose old edition of Shakespeare’s works, as well as an impressive dress, based on portraits of Elizabeth I, covered in 1,400 pearls and used for the inaugural play of the new Globe in 1997.
Afternoon tea or a glass of absinthe
It wouldn’t feel like we were in London if we didn’t attend their famous tea and pastries. And none better than the one offered by the London Marriott Hotel County Hall, a five-star accommodation located on the South Bank and which has, among its thousand attractions, the award-winning afternoon tea at The Library, formerly the library of London City Council. Between twelve and five in the afternoon, you can enjoy a beautiful space between oak shelves full of literary classics and with a delicious offering consisting of homemade scones, strawberry and basil tarts or cakes such as the Queen Elizabeth Tower, made of chocolate. with caramel and hazelnuts.
Another fantastic evening option is to go to The Absinthe Parlor at The Last Tuesday Societyan absinthe lounge/cocktail bar Amazing. The dim atmosphere and decoration transport you to a world of magic and fantasy where the protagonist is this cursed spirit of nineteenth-century arts and literature, the “liquid alchemy that numbs the tongue, warms the brain and changes ideas.” as Hemingway described it. The place opened in 2016 (three years later it was chosen as the best bar in London) and is an invitation to explore the macabre and the erotic, the astrological and esoteric through endless images and amazing objects.
The absinthe menu could not be more unique, and drinking one of them, following the instructions of the waiters, is a ritual that can be carried out before or after visiting the cellar. There is the museum of Viktor Wynd, writer, collector and founder of the relational aesthetic experiment The Last Tuesday Society, with the most eccentric performative initiatives. His cabinet of extravagances will leave the visitor with the feeling of not being able to believe what he is seeing: animal bones, toys, engravings, occult paintings, two-headed kittens, marine animals, mouse skulls, mummified pets, a mermaid skeleton and a thousand more curiosities that pay tribute to the most disconcerting imagination.
Royalist paintings and luxurious night at Westminster
This is a world of subversion and fun, which we can contrast with other refined visits, such as that of The Kings’s Gallery —until Elizabeth II died, it was The Queen’s Gallery—belonging to the Royal Collection Trust of Buckingham Palace. Paying the 19 pounds to enter it means admiring collections of maximum artistic interest; For example, the recent Holbein at the Tudor courtwhich reflected the work of this 16th century artist who was chosen to portray figures of the importance of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and Thomas More.
This whole journey could have a superb culmination that would imply, of course, giving yourself a gift as ostentatious as it is unforgettable: returning to the County Hall for dinner and lodging. And it is a unique experience, one of those very few occasions when the establishment in question is something much more than a hotel. Thus, from its luxury rooms, you can see, on the other side of the Thames, the Westminster Bridge, the Victoria Tower or Big Ben, and be just a few meters from the London Eye ferris wheel. The immense construction, which served as the administrative body of the city (Greater London Council), was inaugurated by George V in 1922, and its marvelous architecture extends to all kinds of rooms of superior elegance.
You feel in the heart of London, historically, culturally and geographically, when staying at this Marriott that offers, for those who want and can afford it, exclusive access to the so-called M Club Lounge, a lounge located on the upper part with incredible views and where it is possible to have refreshments at any time. Likewise, at Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar you can taste craft cocktails and a hundred different gins, and also taste meats that are left to mature for 40 days, to which are added deli as chicken fritters, roast lobsters or scotch eggs with chickpeas. Popularly associated with fish and chips and the hearty breakfasts of sausages and bacon, This is a delicious way to rediscover English gastronomy.
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