I've been often told that Christmas in London is magical. But mainly because of my fear of flying, I've never felt brave enough to fly for more than 4 hours. The last time I visited London was for a very sad reason, soon after my graduation from the University of Geneva 30 years ago. I had severe health problems with my gallbladder then - originally diagnosed as cancer. Fortunately enough, the surgery proved something really incredible for Dr Glazer - the surgeon who had operated on my gallbladder back in June 1982. Thousands of tiny bladder stones looked like a tumor. That was because I had been drinking too much cola for years - about 6-7 litres daily. I still remember my last day at Saint Mary's Hospital. My last meal at the hospital was a juicy steak with chips and vegetables and a pint of cola. Dr Glazer was there when the nurse brought the meal. I was delighted to see the cola and grabbed the glass to drink it all in one go. Dr Glazer stopped me and said: " Anastasia, drink it very slowly, enjoy it, because it's your last one!" Well, I burst into tears not believing that I'd never drink coke again.
This Christmas, Alkis surprised me with a trip to London and ...how could I say no to such a wonderful gift? I was determined to make an effort to control my fear of flying and forget all about my first visit , which was mostly spent in hospital. This time, I had a great Christmas holiday in London. Indeed, London is truly magical at Christmas!
Where do I start to tell the story of so much charm? Westminster Abbey, the British Museum, Covent Garden, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, Hyde Park, London Eye, Oxford Street, Regent Street, Waterloo, Trafalgar Square and Piccadily Circus, shopping at Harrod's and Selfridge's, lunch at those good old traditional London pubs, the Chancery Court Hotel at Holborn, the double-deck red buses, Tate Modern, the South Bank, and that amazing fun day at Madame Tussaud's....and that endless rainy London weather! London is truly magical at Christmas and at all times.
Absolutely! London looks great at Christmas. I've often spent the holiday season at my in-laws there and always had a wonderful time. Great photos! My best wishes to you and your family for a very happy and prosperous New Year.
Posted by: Lakis Ioannou | December 31, 2012 at 09:01 AM
Happy New Year ! May 2013 be a year filled with love and happiness.
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Posted by: Anastasia | December 31, 2012 at 12:10 PM
Your post brought back many happy memories from my college years in Oxford and the Royal School of Economics in London. Brilliant photos!!! May the New Year make all your dreams come true. Kali Xronia!
Posted by: Constantinos T | December 31, 2012 at 12:31 PM
I'm very glad to see that you and Alkis enjoyed your Christmas holiday in London. I've been living in London for the last two years and, believe it or not, I haven't visited Madame Tussaud's yet! I'll put that down on my top ten places to visit in the new year. I'm so sorry I missed your visit as hubby and I spent Christmas with the family in Yorkshire. Happy New Year!
Posted by: Laura | December 31, 2012 at 12:47 PM
Well, I have spended a great Christmas in London before 6 years and really loved this awesome city. Thanks for sharing all the wonderfull pics. Buon anno!
Posted by: Lisa A | December 31, 2012 at 01:09 PM
Living and working so far away from home has made me homesick and I often dream of spending Christmas in England. I am glad you and Alkis really enjoyed your Christmas holiday in my hometown. In less than 90 minutes, Sidney, Australia will be welcoming the New Year. Anastasia, I may not comment often but I always read your wonderful blogs. Happy New Year!
Posted by: Andy | December 31, 2012 at 01:40 PM
What a great christmas present :-) I love London and your photos are so great. Happy 2013 to you and Alkis.
Posted by: Agnes | January 01, 2013 at 03:51 AM
Wow! What a beautiful holiday and awesome pics! I love London very much because of its unique character and all the great things you can do there - i.e. going to the theater, visiting galleries and museums, shopping, sightseeing and, generally, feeling the pulse of probably the most amazing city in Europe.
Posted by: Christina | January 01, 2013 at 07:48 PM
Καλή Χρονιά!!!
Posted by: Christina | January 01, 2013 at 07:48 PM
Je suis bien content de voir que tu as passé de trés bonnes vacances à Londres. Merci d'avoir partagé ces belles photos de to séjour dans la capitale anglaise. Je te souhaite une trés bonne année pleine de bonheur et d'amour.
Posted by: Jean-Paul Bouvier | January 01, 2013 at 08:10 PM
Happy New Year, Anastasia. Sounds like you had a great time in London. I'll be looking forward to reading more about your exciting trip.
Posted by: Stefania | January 02, 2013 at 11:45 AM
Αναστασία μου, σου εύχομαι από καρδιάς υγεία πάνω απ'ολα και ακόμα πιο όμορφα ταξίδια το 2013 γεμάτα με αξέχαστες στιγμές και μοναδικές εμπειρίες. Καλή Χρονιά!
Posted by: Olga P | January 02, 2013 at 01:10 PM
London is easy to navigate. Each district has its own character and an Underground subway making it easy to get anywhere in the city. Red double-decker buses. Red phone booths. Pubs, such as the Fox and Hounds, with their colorful signs are some of the things I most love in London. Glad you and Alkis enjoyed your trip there. I love your pics! Alkis looks part of the wax figures!!! Great pose!! :-)
Posted by: Jeff | January 02, 2013 at 07:59 PM
I am a Londoner living in California. I love London, I love the hustle and bustle in Oxford Street, Regent Street or Knightsbridge, the things to see and do - 24 hours anytime, the action, the people, the way of life - I love it all. In the USA, things are different, anonymous in a way. Thanks for taking me back home for a while. I wish you happiness and success in 2013 and may all your dreams come true.
Posted by: Jim | January 02, 2013 at 08:33 PM
Actually, I'm planning a long post on My Travels blog about my trip to London and hope to be able to publish it by the end of the week.
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Posted by: Anastasia | January 03, 2013 at 10:31 AM
Well, it looks like you had a great vacation in London. I love the museums, Thames in the summer, the concerts in Albert Hall, Hyde Park, the markets where you can strike great bargains and shopping , of course! And yess!!! I love your pics too!
Posted by: Alexia M | January 07, 2013 at 09:11 PM