The Weekender: The Perfect Three Days in London
Photo by iStock. Design by Lauren DeLuca for Yahoo Travel.
After dealing with some rough stuff in my life, I needed inspiration and Big Ben-sized distraction.
With a plethora of new museum openings in London, I figured this was a good excuse for an escape in hopes of improving my far-from-sunny attitude. I’m a big believer that beauty—be it fixing a broken window to staring at the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling—can be a powerful game-changer.
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Putting this theory in practice, I OD’ed on the city’s vast spectrum of cool, new exhibits that covered topics from crime to cosmonauts to khadis. Plus, I had some extra pocket change left over as most museums’ permanent collections are free to view.
Need a mood-altering excursion as well or simply a culture vulture? Here’s a sample three-day itinerary of my favorite London museums (and amazing new exhibits) to check out now:
Day One - South Kensington
Exterior of the Science Museum in London (Photo: Science Museum/Flickr)
Don’t miss: Cosmonauts: Birth of the Space Age through March 13, 2016
Growing up there were just two things I wanted to be, a race car driver or an astronaut. The Science Museum’s new exhibition, “Cosmonauts: Birth of the Space Age” showcases Russia’s endeavors with 150 Soviet-era spacecrafts, spacesuits and other artifacts never seen, in Russia or elsewhere, in one collective show.
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Plus, there’s some surprising little-known facts to learn along the way. For example, the first woman in space was not American Sally Ride; it was Valentina Tereshkova, a 26-year-old former textile worker. Let’s just say my inner space camp nerd was thrilled.
The Fabric of India exhibit (Photo: Facebook)
Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A)
Don’t miss: The Fabric of India through January 10, 2016
This exhibit, of over 200 Indian textiles, makes me homesick for the time I traveled through India. Standouts included an ornate sultan’s 18th century tent, a warrior vest with the entire Koran meticulously transcribed on it and designer Manish Arora’s couture dress featuring more than a 1,000 cloth butterflies.
While you’re in South Kensington make sure to stop into the RCM Museum of Music to check out their collection of 1,000+ instruments from 15th century to present day. If you have the kids along you will want to hit the Natural History Museum, home to 70 million specimens, including a T-Rex.
Day Two - Central London & King’s Cross
A pin-cushion from 1879 embroidered with human hair is part of the Crime Museum Uncovered exhibit (Photo: Corbis Images)
Don’t Miss: The Crime Museum Uncovered, October 9, 2015 - April 10, 2016
The exhibit is ideal for thriller and Sherlock fans. The details of the United Kingdom’s most notorious cases, such as the Acid Bath Murderer of 1949, the Great Train Robbery of 1963 and the Millennium Dome Diamond Heist of 2000, are revealed.
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Sourced from the London Metropolitan Police’s Crime Museum, the 600 artifacts on display were formerly only available to lawyers and detectives as research tools. Highlights include handwritten notes by one of the original investigators about nabbing Jack the Ripper, the pistol used in an 1840 assassination attempt on Queen Victoria, and vintage forensic kits.
Had enough law and order? Nip on over to the Tower Bridge to gawk at the glass floor walkways perched 138 feet above ground level and peep the monarchy’s crown jewels over at the Tower of London.
A collection of Audrey Hepburn magazine covers is one display as part of the Portraits of an Icon, Audrey Hepburn exhibit (Photo: Facebook)
Don’t miss: Portraits of an Icon, Audrey Hepburn through October 18, 2015
I happened to be staying at the Radisson Edwardian hotel, located in the heart of London’s theatre district. The National Portrait Gallery was literally behind my hotel. Even if you don’t get there in time to see Hepburn’s most glamorous magazine covers and adorable teenager snapshots (you won’t even recognize her), don’t miss the controversial portrait of the Duchess of Cambridge aka Kate Middleton. Once you see it, you’ll know why it stirred such controversy. Afterwards make sure to head upstairs for a sundowner or a sophisticated nosh at the Portrait Restaurant.
Saddlebag Qur’an from the late 18th or early 19th century. (Photo courtesy of the British Library)
Don’t Miss: West Africa: Word, Symbol, Song, October 16, 2015 – February 16, 2016
The British Library features 400 miles of shelves filled with literature spanning over three millennia from all over the world. Highlights include the Magna Carta and handwritten Beatles lyrics. The upcoming exhibit showcases West Africa’s centuries-old oral traditions, specifically highlighting topics such as music, faith, politics and literature from Nigeria, Ghana and Mali. Items on display span the ages, from ancient instruments and manuscripts to recordings from modern day musician and activist Fela Kuti.
Eccentric personalities tend have fascinating homes that are often, after the owner’s death, open to the public to tour. Take, for instance, the Hearst Castle in central California, Pierre Loti’s residence in Roquefort, France or Houston’s Beer Can house. London’s version belonged to Sir John Soane, an architect in the late 18th-century. Beyond his expansive artwork collection, other curiosities include a model of a monk’s cell and slaves’ chains, over 20,000 architectural drawings and an Egyptian alabaster sarcophagus. Visit in evening on the first Tuesday of each month when the bewitching vibe is amplified by candlelit viewings. Get there early or be prepared to stand in a long line.
Day Three - Bankside
The World Goes Pop exhibit. (Photo: Corbis Images)
Don’t miss: The World Goes Pop through January 24, 2016
The world goes pop, as do bubbles. Have kids in tow or are just a kid at heart? Stop on the promenade directly in front of the Tate museum. Here, a street performer creates gorgeous soap bubble sculptures from giant wands. Inside the museum, another bubble bursts.
Much to my surprise, the pop art movement of the 60s and 70s was just phenomenon spawning from the U.S. or Britain. As the exhibition reveals, pop art ‘popped’ in unexpected places, such as the Middle East and Latin America. Bonus: the gifts shops are full of quirky souvenirs such as sweatshirts emblazoned with pop art-style popcorn graphics; artist Damien Hurst’s best known works as a magnet set, complete with cigarette butts, skulls and stain window magnets; and scarves designed by artists, such as Grayson Perry’s that illustrates the history of modern art as a whimsical maze.
Richard II (Photo: Facebook)
Don’t miss: Richard II through October 18
Built according to the 1599 theater (the actual playhouse burned down—twice), the Globe is quintessential on a cultural-themed jaunt through the city. In the summer and early fall, watch a performance in the open-roof theater, such as Richard II, or take a docent-led tour of its history. At the Sam Wanamaker Theatre, the Globe’s candlelit indoor playhouse, this season’s highly anticipated productions are Pericles, opening November 16, and Tempest in February 2016.
While on the banks of the River Thames, pick up a few take-home goodies at the Borough Market, London’s massive food hall, or peruse British-made textiles and housewares at Contemporary Applied Arts. Ideal for a Halloween-themed outing, the London Tombs, staffed with ghoulish zombie actors, is touted as the city’s scariest attraction.
