Painted Ceilings and Time Itself

We woke up with nothing booked and ended the day with many, many steps under our belts….or shoes I suppose. We had not been doing much by way of breakfast over the past couple of days, so we decided to make it easy and start our morning at the hotel. Given that our hotel was Indian, I decided to go outside my comfort zone and order the Indian breakfast of the day. It was not a dish that I was familiar with, but I was excited to try something new. After all, how many other Indian restaurants offer breakfast? I was served a cone-shaped piece of thin flatbread with cold green sauce, spiced potatoes, and an aromatic broth. The meal was flavorful, but I wish, especially given all the walking we ended up doing, that it was more filling. While we were at breakfast, we looked into river transportation to get us to Greenwich. There were a few similarly priced and timed options available within steps of each other, and we didn’t finalize our decision until we got to the dock.

We ultimately chose City Cruises, and we couldn’t have been happier with our choice. It was 14 pounds ($19) for our hour and twenty minute cruise from Westminster to Greenwich, and we were laughing and learning the whole time. The constant commentary was genuinely hilarious, and we got to see so many attractions that we would have otherwise missed. We cruised right under Tower Bridge and saw the Tower of London, the London Eye, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Globe, and so many more. The weather was perfect, and we were able to order drinks with a handy QR code from our seats.  If we had taken the Tube, it would have taken us about an hour, and we would have missed so much by being underground. The extra twenty minutes of transit time and the extra money were well worth it, and this is up there in my favorite London moments.

When we disembarked at Greenwich, we purchased our tickets to visit the Royal Naval College. We were a little picky and choosy about the experiences we were paying for given the time that we had available and what we thought was worth it. We did not purchase tickets to Cutty Sark, a historic British clipper that was 22 pounds per person ($30) or the Royal Observatory for 24 pounds per person ($32). We paid for the Painted Hall tickets and were able to explore the Discover Greenwich Museum as well for 17.50 pounds ($23.50) each, and that kept us thoroughly busy. Greenwich is rich in royal history because of its connections to the Tudors (one of my favorite eras in history), so it was interesting to learn more about that time period. As a naval officer, Tom was interested in the maritime and military history, and the Old Royal Naval College is a stunning place to explore.

The Painted Hall recently reopened after an award-winning conservation effort, and the ceilings look just as vivid and stunning as they did in the 1700s. Over 200 figures from history and mythology are depicted in various allegorical and symbolic scenes that show the might and splendor of the British empire, and you will find yourself standing with your head craned back and your jaw dropped in appreciative awe. There are, however, helpfully placed mirrors, so you don’t have to crane your head, and the guides are happy to help you understand the various details in the pieces. As a William & Mary alumna, it was cool to see them represented in this uniquely stunning piece of art. It’s hard to capture the sheer scale and size and just staggering nature of these paintings.

The staff were all excited by a helicopter that was hovering and landing outside, and we saw various trailers and trucks that indicated that filming of some kind was underway. We never learned what the filming project was, but the Old Royal Naval College has been the filming site for over 300 productions and is the top heritage filming location in the UK, so it is one of very many film crews in recent years.

Other historic standouts include the Nelson Room where Lord Nelson’s body laid in state and the Chapel of St. Peter and St. Paul, which boasts one of the finest neo-classical interiors in existence. One of the unique highlights for us was Skittle Alley, an early form of bowling that visitors can try their hand at. We had a great time briefly enjoying this historic pastime that was installed in 1873, and it is included with your admission ticket. If you’re visiting with children, you’ll want to get some energy out here.

It was now 4PM and I was starving, so while we were on a bit of a time crunch to try and squeeze in another attraction before the museums closed, my growling stomach said fish and chips needed to be procured first. Because we were in a rush, we just chose whatever was on our way. We ended up at the Greenwich Tavern and paid 20 pounds ($27) for an order of fish and chips. It was the same price as our spectacularly memorable fish and chips at the Old Bank of England, but these were more much ordinary and, quite frankly, overpriced. The peas were just regular peas instead of mushy peas and lacked flavor and depth to add any kind of interest. The fish was fine, but the chips were entirely too thick (and I like a thick chip!). If it was cheaper, I would have been happier with the quality, but nothing on that plate justified the price tag (aside from the prime location).

Here's where the steps really came in. The Royal Observatory is where you can find the famous Prime Meridian of the World and straddle the east and west. Here’s where we can save you significant money. First of all, you can see the Prime Meridian line through the fence and can take a perfectly adequate picture through the bars of the fence. The view outside of the museum is stunning because you have climbed up and up a rather steep hill (don’t skip leg day!) to get a bird’s eye view of Greenwich and the iconic skyline of London. While your legs may be burning, the view is well worth it. You can also see the famed Shepherd Gate clock outside of the museum. While it does sound like there are cool exhibits and artifacts inside, for the price and considering how much else there is to see in Greenwich, we felt fine about skipping it. Here’s the really valuable hack you’ll want to remember. If you really, really care about standing on the Prime Meridian of the World, you can walk down that hill and into town and find a plaque and another line that you can stand on for free. It’s much quieter too, so you’ll get a better picture if that’s what you’re after.

It was past 5PM and the museums were closing, so we started to walk towards the docks for our return trip. However, our attention was quickly caught by a colorful display of hanging flags outside a rather impressive looking historic pub that just so happened to be on Tom’s brother’s recommended list. Of course, we had to pop in for a quick drink and to explore. We were lucky enough to snag a table with great views of the water, and like the Old Bank of London, Trafalgar Tavern has lots of points of visual interest. The room we were in had lots of maritime inspired paintings, and the signs over the bar proudly proclaimed the establishment was the “Jewel of the Thames.” The tavern first opened in 1837 and lived many lives until 1965, when it was gutted, remodeled, and became a public house again. Each section of the pub is filled with paintings and pictures that depict and honor England’s maritime history, and it feels like an extension of the museums that surround it. We enjoyed the peaceful views and rich history, and there was plenty of energy in the early evening crowd.

Of course, by this point, we were running late for the next departing boat and were rushing to purchase our tickets and board. We luckily made it on, but we didn’t get the commentary and comedy from our original boat; this one was more focused on getting us from point A to point B during the evening rush back to homes, hotels, and dinner reservations. We didn’t have firm dinner plans and decided to book something once we got back to the hotel.

When we got back to our room, we were surprised with a delicious dessert plate from the hotel’s staff that featured macarons and a blackberry tart. I’m never going to say no to a macaron when I’m in Europe (or anywhere really), and it was a perfect way to start our evening meal. After some deliberation, we walked to nearby Mayfair to eat at Bentley’s Oyster Bar and Grill. Tom’s dad highly recommended the restaurant, and we are never going to turn down a chance to indulge in fresh seafood. Oysters are hard to come by in Guam, and while we can pretty easily find salmon and tuna, we had been missing white fish and varied fresh shellfish.

We started with two varieties of oysters to split for our appetizer as well as the native lobster bisque. Both appetizers were bursting with flavor and were refreshingly fresh and local. There was also freshly baked bread with a seaweed-flavored butter that had the perfect salty and umami notes to get our palates ready for the entrees. I ordered the classic fish pie with cod, smoked haddock, prawn, salmon, and dill. The portion was more than generous, and the filling was rich and indulgent without being sickening or overwhelming. It was homey and warming in the way a potpie is, but it was also elevated with the fish and fresh dill. It was an absolute delight that I would happily order again. For dessert, we had to make the most of the summer specials and ordered the fresh strawberries and cream. We spent over 2 hours on the outdoor patio and made our way home very full and very happy. This was a solid recommendation for anyone who loves classically prepared fish and cares about quality and local ingredients.

The following day would find us pub crawling through London’s posh neighborhoods before enjoying a memorable and delicious Indian dinner at our hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Quilon.