It’s that time of year when I get to regale you with tales from my trip home. I do still think of London as home, as I also think of Virginia as my home. I have two homes, yet London is the home where I can be my whole self again; where 70s, 80s and 90s Chitra meet up with current Chitra and hold hands and skip around town together. It is lovely.
Unfortunately this year was a bit of a whirlwind trip, just two weeks long, so we didn’t venture far (we mostly stuck to South London). I had my 13 year old son with me, and was helping my mum settle back into her house and life in London. Our days out needed to be shorter in order to accommodate appointments and chores, but we still managed to see and do a lot.
This is most definitely a very different must-do list about London, it is mostly driven by nostalgia, comfort and the proximity of family and friends. The 13 year old loves all things London Transport, and playgrounds; I’m interested in history, art, and being in green spaces – we planned these mini days with both of our interests in mind. You could probably combine a few of these trips into one day, but we had shorter blocks of time and wanted to linger more at places. One little tip, if you want to save money don’t always eat at restaurants. London supermarkets have decent lunch/picnic sections. We often pack a picnic lunch and eat outdoors. Maybe one of these mini trips will appeal to you? I have included transport info just in case.
Trip 1:
Picnic and playground at Morden Hall Park, walk the beautiful Wandle River Trail, tram spotting at various points along the way. Ride the tram from Phipps bridge to Wimbledon and back again.
If you like Indian snacks and street food, Tooting Broadway is a short ride from Morden on the Northern Line. We like the samosas from Pooja Sweets and eat them on the spot from paper bags.
Tube: Northern Line to Morden (stop at Tooting Broadway for Indian snacks), walk through Morden Hall Park, Tram: Phipps Bridge towards Wimbledon .
Trip 2:
Trainspotting on Putney Bridge. Walk across the bridge and back alongside the trains and discover beautiful old buildings near the station. Play a game of “which house would I live in”, walk through the tunnel to Fulham Palace and it’s gardens . Definitely check out the Palace if you have time, it is small, beautiful, and has interactive activities for kids. Get back on the tube at Fulham Broadway or Putney Bridge and enjoy the views (especially going southbound) from the aboveground District line train.
Tube: District Line Putney Bridge Station, Fulham Broadway Station
Trip 3:
In Bethnal Green, visit the Young V&A for fun and games, and decent tea and cake. Walk down to Brick Lane in Shoreditch to check out vintage clothing shops, and ancient streets with new street art, ride the Overground line from Shoreditch and change to the Dockland Light Railway, where the views of East London from above are beautiful. Get off at London City Airport to plane-watch.
Tube: Central Line: Bethnal Green, Overground line: Shoreditch, and all the DLR stations
Trip 4:
Visit the Transport Museum in the late morning when it is quieter, eat lunch at Covent Garden Falafels (street vendor right outside the museum), explore the alleyways around Covent Garden, check out specialty shops: Stanfords for maps, The London Graphic Center for art supplies, Neals Yard for the vibes.
Tube: Piccadilly Line, Covent Garden
Trip 5:
Visit the Tate Britain for it’s amazing collection and free kids’ activities, walk along the Thames Embankment, then down to the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey, or just take a boat to Greenwich? The Maritime Museum is amazing, as is the hill near the observatory for it’s view. Pack a picnic for it. If you have extra time ride the Emirates Line cable car – great views, and much cheaper than the London Eye.
Tube: Victoria Line: Pimlico and Westminster, DLR: Greenwich
Trip 6:
Go to Wimbledon Park for it’s Playgrounds, splash pad, and riverside walk. Feed ducks, walk up to beautiful Southfields Station, take the tube to Wimbledon, walk up the hill to picturesque Wimbledon Village, eat/drink in one of many pub gardens, walk around the Wimbledon Common, catch the bus back down to Wimbledon Station.
Tube: District Line: Wimbledon Park, Southfields, Wimbledon. Bus to Wimbledon Village:93
Trip 7:
The Southbank – Pretty much walk around soaking up the atmosphere. Check out the art installations, used books market, and the skaters showing off, climb up to the roof gardens, eat from food trucks. If you want a good cafe, walk down to the Lower Marsh area. Trainspotting and art spotting at Waterloo Station afterwards.
Tube: Northern Line: Waterloo
[…] a cat that can read. Sunny spots, sofas, books, naps. Don’t judge me. Secondly, my old home. I traveled back to a few childhood haunts this summer and Wimbledon Common and Wimbledon Park were places that filled me with joy and contentment this […]