“And Now for Something Completely Different!”

So far, my blogs have been about important but not very “fun” things, and perhaps have even sounded cautionary and dissuading. That is NOT my intent. So, now I want to talk about how you can make your trip both something unique and different from anyone else’s trip, and perhaps make it sort of a once in a lifetime event for you. Your trip, especially your first trip, to any of the world’s major cities, which have so many highlights, can very easily become a process of checking things off a “list.” There is a reason why every guidebook in the world lists pretty much the same highlights on their “Top 10” list. The icons and hallmarks of every great city are what millions of people feel best represent that city and seeing them shows you the most "popular" & "famous" sites they have to offer. Don't let anyone talk you out of them and don't let anyone talk you into them either. I don't know how you "do" Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower & I would argue that London has a few of these "musts" as well. On the otherhand, if you really have NO interest in something that the majority feels essential, you should not waste time just so you can say you did it.

What I try to do, if I have any flexibility at all as to when I might visit, is to research lots of venues, especially in London itself, and potentially in any of the outskirt cities I might visit. I check what the travelling exhibits are at the major museums. I check what plays will be running in the theatres and who will be in them, assuming I'm not too researching too far in advance. I check what is already scheduled for concerts. What makes a trip really special is if you can find a way to personalize it with not just the same highlights that everyone else gets to experience but something that makes that trip at that time special. This really was brought to my attention on my second trip. I got to London and found out that the British Museum's special exhibit was all about Agatha Christie, her time and life in Egypt on the archelogical digs of her second husband, and the influence of that phase of her life on her books. As a HUGE fan of mysteries, of which Agatha Christie is a Grand Dame, this was an extemely fortuitous find for me. It was one of the two biggest highlights of that trip. The second was that I had choose between seeing Dame Judy Dench or Dame Diana Rigg in theatre productions. I really wanted to see them both but it couldn't be. I chose Judy Dench at the Haymarket in Royal Family. After that I was little more careful and tried to plan my visits better if I could. The next time, I saw Dame Maggie Smith and Dame Judy Dench in a two-woman play. I also had sort of a "stars aligned" experience when I actually saw Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles as their car was sped past my tour bus. Queen Elizabeth and I made momentary eye contact, and the rest of that trip had a bit of of a glow that hasn't since been duplicated. Those moments can't be planned, but with some pre-planning and just a little effort, you might still get to realize a dream for yourself.

On another visit I took a package tour to Oxford, and there was a Robert Hooke exhibit. He's a fascinating historical figure and I would have LOVED to have seen the exhibit but the tour didn't allow enough time. On my most recent trip, I didn't have any flexibility to my dates, and I missed the Chinese terracotta soldiers at the British Museum by about a week and seeing "Speed the Plow" with both Kevin Spacey and Jeff Goldbloom at the Old Vic by about 2 weeks. A co-worker took her family to London this spring (08) & was able to see a James Bond exhibit that was a highlight for their trip. If you are a music fan, make sure you check out who will be in concert while you will be or could be there. Some of the legends of rock who rarely come to the US play London once in a while. Wouldn't it be phenonmenal to not only visit this great city but to get to see Clapton or Bowie, or some other rock legend or just one of your faves while you are there?!

So, think about what your interests and hobbies are. London has such a broad selection of things to do and see and a rich and multi-layered history. There truely is something for everyone and with a little luck and some good planning, you should be able to coincide your trip with something a little special. Explore those interests and how something to see or do in London might tie into those interests. Check the temporary exhibits at the major museums for limited timeframe opportunities. Take a walking tour of which there are hundreds, some of which have very narrow but popular focuses. See if one of your favorite actors or actresses of the large screen is "treading the boards" in the theatres while you are there.

Taking advantage of one of these special and temporary opportunities while you are there can make one of these trips not just memorable but unrepeatable!

Here are some websites that will help you explore. Most of the major museums have their own sites and show the current and upcoming exhibits.

http://www.visitlondon.com/
http://www.artfund.org/whatson/
http://www.londononline.co.uk/
http://www.timeout.com/london/