TRAVEL THE FREQUENT FLIER SILVERSEA
TRAVELIFE MAGAZINE
Down MEMORY LANE CHRISTINE CUNANAN recalls summers spent in London
As we were always in London for several weeks in June, we would take an apartment at the Milestone, which is a jewel of a hotel a hop and a skip away from Kensington Palace and the High Street. This was before it was chosen as the most beautiful hotel in the world by a prominent design magazine, but I already liked it because it was intimate but decorated with impeccable taste in a very British way, and the service was wonderful.
DINNERS AT HOME At that time, London was not quite the gastronomic capital it is today, and our choices were limited to proper restaurants with stodgy food in Mayfair or St. James, neighborhood mom-and-pop shops with excellent fish and chips, and the ubiquitous Chinese restaurants. So instead, as our apartment had a small and perfect gleaming kitchen, I would shop at Fresh Foods nearby and make dinner every night. Then we would either have friends over for a party or do a simple late lunch that went on to early dinner while watching Wimbledon in real-time on television.
HABITS THAT ARE HARD TO BREAK There were several rituals I loved observing on these trips to London in June. One was Sunday lunch at the Savoy – before its major facelift – for a carving of roast beef and real Yorkshire pudding. This was always followed by a visit to the National Portrait Gallery not too far away. Being a voracious reader of European history, this killed two birds with one stone – pardon the cliché.
HISTORY AT THE SAVOY The Savoy was once the de rigeur hotel for the who’s who of Europe, and almost everyone who figured prominently in the goings on in this continent, whether political or cultural, stayed here. In particular, I always remember the prima ballerina Mathilde Kschessinska, considered one of the greatest dancers of Imperial Russia, who gained fame not just for her talent but for the fact that she became mistress to Czar Nicholas II and two Grand Dukes of Russia. She stayed here at the height of her fame and then also at one of the lowest points in her life, having managed to escape the turmoil of Russia but ending up in proud poverty like so many other prominent Russians after 1918. This story always made me think of the unexpected twists and turns of life.
PICTURES TO ENJOY Meanwhile, the National Portrait Gallery is one of my favorite museums because it contains so many revealing portraits of the historical figures I’ve studied. My favorite portraits are of the enigmatic Queen Elizabeth I, who craved devotion but never allowed herself personal happiness, even with the love of her life; and the wives of King Henry VIII, simply because their stories come alive when I gaze at the unmistakable reality etched on their faces, still evident centuries later. Then there’s a beautiful portrait of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother surrounded by her family and her favorite pets and things. This informal painting alone, full of joy, is worth a visit to this gallery.
MY FAVORITE RITUAL This time in London, I’m planning to drop by my favorite bookshops and enjoy a proper British afternoon tea whenever possible. Claridge’s does a very fancy one while Fortnum and Mason offers a simpler option. But my preference is tea at the Ritz, which is another hotel that I hold nice memories of. And then I’m going to sit on a striped lounge chair in adjacent Green Park, which is one of my favorite parks in London, and simply take the time to to smell the roses and remember how lucky I am to be back in London, living a #Travelife. n
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PHOTO BY CHRISTINE CUNANAN.
B
y the time this issue hits the news stands, I’ll be in London for summer holidays, after a hiatus of about seven years. There was a time when England always featured prominently in my travel plans, especially in June, when the countryside and even usually damp and grey London, is at its loveliest.