Extraordinary Women Blog #1 –
EW Women Travel to London – Celebrate the Platinum Jubilee
This is the first of my Extraordinary Women Blog.
We’ll be traveling, reading, trying on makeup, talking about fashion, entertaining friends, and family, and even discussing a bit of business. All the things that women of a certain age love to do and share.
The Extraordinary Women Blog each week will have themes and this week; I’ll share the details of my recent trip to London and diving into the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee!
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Yes, this American woman was glued to YouTube, where I found the live footage of the celebrations.
The Brits know how to pull off beautiful large-scale celebrations like no other country. Give me a procession of horses, men (and women) in beautiful uniforms, and inspiring marching music and I’m mesmerized. Then add a gorgeous church, more music, and finally people of all ages, religions and colors joining together to sing God Save The Queen and I’m in tears. Add in the Paddington Bear and I’ve got my weekend date.
But seriously, why does this Queen, a Queen of a country that is not my homeland, touch my heart and cause me to spend a weekend watching a celebration of her 70-year reign and cry every time anyone sings God Save The Queen?
#1 Queen Elizabeth was a working woman at the top of an ancient hierarchy, long before anyone had uttered the phrase “feminism.” Some of you may say, but she inherited the role, which is true. And yet, all of us can agree, she embraced the seriousness of a role she inherited at age 25, and 70 years later is still opening those dang red boxes every day.
#2 The Queen tried hard to balance her work and family life. Did she make mistakes? For sure and we all got to watch the resulting messes. But I feel compassion, huge compassion and even gratitude because not one of my mistakes and struggles have ever showed up in the news for the world to comment on.
#3 The Queen has on-going messy family relations. Marriages have ended, an ungrateful grandson is writing a memoir, and entitled relatives seem to constantly be asking for handouts, regardless of their own choices and behaviors. We’ve all got some configuration of these same issues, and I don’t know about you, but that gives me comfort.
Gads if the Queen of England has crazy, ungrateful relatives, I can’t feel like my own failures are so unique that they must be hidden or not shared. When I look at this very old woman who happens to be the Queen of England, I realize we have things in common. And that reassures me that there are no fairy tale families.
Just a few weeks ago, I was in London. I took the Eurostar from Paris, and still find trains my favorite way to travel. When I read that trains are the greenest way to travel, I felt happy I was doing my small bit but honestly, I just like trains. All kinds of trains. If I win the lottery, I’m going to book a suite on the Orient Express.
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rriving in London’s Saint Pancreas train station, I jumped in the taxi line. It was effortless. After two months in Paris, and stumbling through my horrible French, I was sort of out of sorts requesting the hotel destination in English to the driver. I said the hotel, Number Sixteen, and started saying the address. He stopped me and said, “Yes, it’s on Sumner Place. Oh my, London taxi drivers are THE best in the world. I got into my taxi and relaxed into the big, high seat.
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Number Sixteen
Number Sixteen is my favorite hotel in London. I’ve been going there for years, actually my former husband and I stayed there numerous times before Kit Kemp and her husband started their hotel group. Kit Kemp took what felt like an old British club into the quirky, colorful, and luxurious place to stay…and it’s so comfortable, you’ll hardly want to leave. Firmdale hotel group in London and NYC are my favorite places to stay.
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Dining room at Number Sixteen
As a solo woman traveler, we have to be careful. It’s different for us. Long hallways far from elevators, and impersonal staff doesn’t make us feel safe or even relaxed. Privacy is valued, but isolation is scary.
Number Sixteen is in South Kensington – a quick walk away from the south Kensington tube station- is basically a trio of townhouses turned into a hotel. Small halls, several staircases, rooms tucked here and there just like the private townhouse they once were, several reception rooms, one with an honor bar and a conservatory and garden in the back of the hotel. Perfect whether you are a couple, a family, or a solo women traveler. Plus, the staff is consistent and because of the size of the hotel, they’ll know you after you check in.
I’ve also stayed at Kit’s Covent Garden hotel and though it is bigger than Number Sixteen, it is just as lovely.
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Covent Garden hotel in the theatre district
Things you must do in London…
Take a long walk in Kensington Garden.
Kensington Garden is the stereo-typical British garden. Paths, messy flowers, hedges, gorgeous trees, grassy fields, benches, and birds.
This was a short trip, so as much as I wanted to go visit Sissinghurst Gardens, there wasn’t time. One thing I’ve learned is that I’m a whole lot braver when I’m not alone but when I am, I need to be confident of every step in my journey. So, when I have a few more days, I’ll plan the train to the nearest town to Sissinghurst and the perfect inn.
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Kensington Gardens
But Kensington gardens is a beautiful, inspiring, and reflective place to spend several hours. Having come from Paris, where the gardens are organized with symmetry and structure, the messiness and randomness of the British garden was a mind-stretching shift.
I walked for about three hours- hopped over to the edge of Hyde Park to see the Princess Diana fountain (left), which was a disappointment, but mostly I walked and talked to myself and a few pigeons.
I finally stopped and sat on a bench that memorialized Henry Valentine, who was described as a lover of gardens, art, and travel. He sounded like a man I wish I had known. Taking a walk in nature, all by yourself, opens up your creative channels and that will help you to create whatever it is you want in your life…a new business, a more fit you, a more elegant you, whatever it is that you want, spending time alone and in nature can help you to see direction.
I sat on that bench and realized I wanted to start this blog! How crazy is that?? I also realized I needed to find and embrace a hobby. Talking to the pigeons made me think of birding and drawing birds and maybe even try out the pool in my Boston building. Now I don’t know if either are going to stick but I got my messages.
Plays and musicals are good for your soul. As the saying goes, travel expands the mind and so does live theatre. We’ve been without live performances for so long that I promise you, going to your first couple of performances after covid will have you smiling from ear to ear.
I saw the revival of My Fair Lady, and it did not disappoint me. When the orchestra conductor raised his baton and the live music began, I had tears in my eyes. Then combination of the London Coliseum theatre, the incredible Amara Okereke as Eliza Doolittle and beautiful sets and costumes, kept me mesmerized the entire performance.
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If you visit London, you must go to the theatre. It is such a huge ingredient to the London cultural scene. No worries about getting back to your hotel. If you have your Uber app running, and you’ll then be sure to have a ride back to your hotel even if you can’t find an available taxi.
The architecture in London is quite different than Paris, and actually Boston reminds me of a small version of London. What is clear though, is the Brits are gardeners. They love their flowers and when you live in a home with a yard as we would say in the states, in London it would be called a garden. Because of there are often rows of homes that all look the same, what differentiates a home could be the color of the front door and/or the window boxes.
I like to imagine myself living in those homes. Which would you pick? What would the story of your life be if you lived in one of those London homes? Pretending is good for the soul.
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In this Extraordinary Women travel blog, we’ve started with London. More to come along with tips and suggestions for women traveling solo or not! Activities, hotels, restaurants, and shops will be part of the upcoming travel blogs.
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A delicious English tea in the conservatory of Number Sixteen
I hope you enjoyed this very first blog. If you did, please subscribe and you’ll then enjoy receiving a new blog every Thursday!
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Hi Sharri, it’s Cathy from the Christmas Markets trip. It is a toss-up for me, which city I prefer, London or Paris. Reading your account here has me thinking I need to get back to London soon. Thanks for the inspiration.
Hi Cathy,
I’m with you…it is a toss up and actually we probably enjoy them both for their own unique energy, culture and architecture. Thanks for weighing in!
Lovely, Sharrie! Congratulations on this new undertaking; it looks like it will be fun.
Thanks Maria. I hope you like it!! Always love hearing your thoughts. Bon week-end!
Hi Sharri,
So happy you had such a great visit to my home city!
It’s a wonderful place!
I’ll be back in Paris the very end of August- looking forward to a good chat!