Since the grandchildren have come along, my visits to London are not at all comparable to previous visits exploring the galleries, gardens, museums and theaters downtown. Lately my focus is on little boys and now an added little girl – and as my daughter is working on her PhD thesis, seeing London is a sideline to enjoying little tykes and with them exploring neighborhoods that I am getting to know and appreciate more with each visit. So here are highlights from each neighborhood – which I look forward to expanding now that the grandsons are getting older. These are a few of the locations along my walking route every morning where I pass through, in twenty five minutes three very distinct neighborhoods.
Camberwell - The Church Street Hotel. www.churchstreethotel.com I found this gem of a hotel on Google search some years ago when I first started making regular visits to see my grandchildren - it lives up to the photos and descriptions on their website so check it out!. Actually, the hotel is one of the key perks for my grandsons of having me come visit. “Let’s go to your hotel!” they insist every late afternoon. We pack a picnic and bring it to my hotel room, spread out towels and if we time it right, turn on the 60’s tv version of batman which they love. The hotel is also my vacation within my vacation. Though I often intend to “get into London – perhaps the theater” in the evenings after the children go to bed, I never do. I hop on the 12 bus from Peckham and head back to the hotel to crawl under the fluffy white sheets and get out my book, arrange my tea cup, open the complimentary dark chocolate bar, and relax. Like being on a stationary cruise.
No. 67 – Camberwell. www.number67.co.uk It wasn’t until I’d been coming to the Church Street for two years that I discovered this cozy café adjoining the Camberwell School of Art, one of London’s renowned schools. Their menu debunks the “all English food is terrible” myth. They are on my list for next London visit. Coming up….. more about Camberwell and walking down Rye Lane
