November News from Rick: I'll Take Fun Over Sun
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| A winter break in a great city...go ahead and jump. |
Dear Traveler,
Every year about this time, I daydream about where to go for my winter break. And for me, one getaway that tends to push palm trees off to the side is chilly London. Beaches are relaxing, but if I'm in the mood for people and action in the off-season, I find it in the great cities.
If I flew to London tomorrow, I'd eat dinner with a man in a fisherman's apron who knows as many words for white fish as Eskimos have for snow. Then, surrounded by the polished mahogany and elegant chandeliers of a plush Edwardian bank, I'd learn of the wonders of scotch from local experts (because that elegant old bank is now a pub).
The next morning, I'd hop on a ramshackle tube line and join the crush of commuters, absorbed in their trashy daily newspapers. Then I'd walk the Jubilee Promenade along the Thames, beneath the towering icons of a new skyline and past quirky bits of Dickens' London (Houndsditch... Threadneedle Street... Horsemonger Lane).
I'd while away my afternoons in Europe's greatest museums, free and always tickling my sightseeing fancy with new exhibits. Between each stroll and museum visit, I'd join chatty locals again to feel the pulse of today's London, from spicy curry shops to sleek sushi bars, and behind the etched windows of venerable watering holes where candles have spilled and beers have sloshed on the same tables for literally centuries.
In this month's Travel News we'll help set the stage for your next European getaway, with articles on the ins and outs of walking tours, the twists and turns of a week in London, the tears and fears of losing your valuables, and the piety and passion of Andalucían festivals. You can also join me on a video café crawl through Soho, and wade through a flood of advice from our readers to a mom who wonders how to travel (happily) with her 15-year-old daughter.
To top it all off, we've redesigned our Travel News page to include our daily updates of European headlines for travelers, so you can come back for fresh information as often as you like.
Writing this makes me want to grab my coat and fling-around my winter scarf. London's calling.
Happy travels,
Rick