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Fun Activities to do in London in Summer

June 28, 2012 By glampacker Leave a Comment

Westminster and Big Ben, London Landmarks

There’s no denying that London is a fantastic city with so much to offer. As a temporary Londoner, summer is my favourite time of year to finally get outside and discover old and new activities to do in London on a budget.

5 activities to do in London in summer

Deck chairs in Hyde Park, London

1. Visit the Royal Parks

London has no shortage of parks – in fact its one of the greenest cities in the world. There are many parks in Central London but if you’re looking for outdoor activities to do in London, Hyde Park has it all. You can hire row boats and paddle boats on the Serpentine, pack a picnic and relax in the meadows, ride a ‘Boris’ bicycle or simply stroll around Hyde Park.

2. Go on a walking tour of London

London is a city full of history and each street has its own story. London walking tours are a great budget activity – whether you choose to do-it-yourself or go on a guided tour. The best thing about the big sights in London is how close in proximity they are – you can walk from Big Ben across Westminster Bridge to the London Eye and then along the River Thames to Southbank. Or book a guided tour using a discount voucher from Smartsave – discover the darker side of London on a Jack the Ripper tour or channel your inner wizard on a Harry Potter tour of London.

3. Discover London’s unique museums of all types

Most of London’s big museums are free like the British Museum and Victoria & Albert museum. However there are also many other unique and interesting museums around London like the Design Museum, Cartoon Museum or the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum. Visiting museums are fantastic group activities to do in London since there’s definitely a museum for everyone!

Greenwich Royal Observatory Clock

4. Visit Greenwich on a day trip from London

Visiting Greenwich is a fun activity to do in London and is an easy day trip outside of the city. You can hop on a leisurely city cruise down the River Thames to get to the heart of Greenwich. Fun activities to do in Greenwich include checking out the weekend markets, seeing the Royal Observatory where Greenwich Mean Time was established and seeing some spectacular views of London from Greenwich Hill.

5. Head to the West End of London and see an award-winning musical

London’s summer can be unpredictable – so when the rain appears the best activities to do in London are indoors. On a rainy day, head to London’s infamous West End to see the world’s best musicals. You can often find discount vouchers from sites like Smartsave to have a pre-theatre dinner and night out on the town whilst on a budget.

This is a sponsored post by Smartsave – the home of great discounts for activities to do in London, the UK and abroad. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Filed Under: england, london Tagged With: budget activities, Greenwich, hyde park, museums, parks, River Thames, Smartsave, summer, things to do, walking tours

Tips for visiting the Guggenheim Bilbao

September 11, 2011 By glampacker 1 Comment

The architectural splendour of the Guggenheim Museum is unlike any other museum in the world. Created by Frank Gehry 1987, the museum is a majestic ‘mess’ of steel. By mess, I mean that it appears to have no particular order, the building has parts the stick out and appears to have layer upon layer of titanium, aluminium and limestone.

We were so captivated by the building that we wandered around the entire museum site, before finding the entrance. It perches on the edge of Bilbao’s estuary, adjacent to a bridge. The arc of the bridge is a work by Daniel Buren, named Arcos Rojos.

We climbed up the stairs to peer down over the museum, spotting a café on a balcony and still unable to see the main entrance! You do get a great view of Bilbao though!

Outdoor sculptures surround the exterior including Tall Tree and the Eye by Anish Kapoor, who earlier in the year had an exhibition in Kensington Gardens, and Jeff Koons’ Tulips which reminded me of metallic balloons.

The main entrance is at the bottom of the stairs behind Jeff Koon’s Puppy, aka the massive floral dog!

My highlights included:

The Matter of Time by Richard Serra – this installation needs to seen at all different angles, from the ground, from the second level and from the ground up
The Luminous Interval D.Daskalopoulos Collection – including a work called Palms by John Bock that has to be seen…its like an explosion of an imagination
Jenny Hozer’s Installation for Bilbao – a LED light show of words on sign columns, feels like its written in stream of consciousness, the poetry of the display moves so quickly it makes you feel nauseous!

Since we only had an afternoon in Bilbao, the Guggenheim was the one and only thing at the top our list. To cap off our trip in Northern Spain, we sat down on the terrace to enjoy one final round of tapas and, although this looks like sangria, it’s actually Tinto de Verano – known as the ‘red wine of summer’. It has less alcohol than sangria but is very refreshing!

I’ve officially visited two Guggenheim museums, having also been to the New York City and I’m now making it my mission to visit all of them! Next…Berlin? Venice? Or perhaps Abu Dhabi?

Glampacker’s Tips for visiting the Guggenheim Bilbao:

Catch the tram to Bilbao – just remember to validate your ticket before getting on board
Get an audio guide – they’re essential to finding out more about the artworks
Take your time – we were a bit rushed to get off to the airport – but sit down, stare at the building, wander through the exhibits and just pause for a moment

Filed Under: europe, Spain Tagged With: Bilbao, culture, Food, museums, things to do

Things to do in Madrid, Spain in One Day

September 8, 2011 By glampacker 1 Comment

In the city rivalry between Madrid and Barcelona, Madrid is the Melbourne and Barcelona is the Sydney. By that I meant that Madrid may not have the instant allure of beaches, major architectural sights like the La Sagrada Familia or epitomize the stereotypes of Spain…Madrid will instead blow you over with it’s culture – on the streets, in the city squares, the food and its people. There’s a lot of things to do in Madrid, Spain in one day even on a tight glampacker’s budget. I barely spent 50 euro in a space of 12 hours in Madrid!

My first impression of Madrid’s urban dwellers? Chic.

The ladies know how to dress in Madrid and are always stylish and glamorous. They made wearing heels in 35 degree heat look comfortable! For me travelling in style in hot weather means wearing practical day time shoes like thongs/flip flops or sandals!

It’s definitely sizzling hot in Madrid on a summer’s day. Temperatures reach over 35 degrees so it’s best to find things to do in Madrid that keep you relatively cool until happy hour!

Things to do in Madrid, Spain in One Day:

Stroll around in Parque el Retiro

The city’s biggest park stretches over 130 hectares. It was originally built in the 15^th century by King Phillips IV as a retreat for the royal family and was home to the Real Sitio del Buen Retiro palace. Most of the palace was destroyed in the Napoleonic wars and now only parts remain, including what is now the army museum.Visitors can hire row boats and cruise along in the lake in the shadow of the King Alfonso II monument. Street musicians perform along the main paths. There’s many smaller gardens and nooks and crannies where many locals were asleep, finding respite from the heat!

Explore Madrid’s streets

I was pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of the city. The little things surprised me, like the handpainted street signs, narrow laneways and laid back vibe. I was expecting more bustling, non-stop city traffic. There was a protest in Puerto del Sol – the ‘heart of the city’ so it was blocked off but nonetheless the city felt safe with policemen happy to help us with directions to the metro.

Gawk at Spanish architecture

The historic city has many buildings from the Spanish Empire including the Royal Palace and Town Hall. Walking along the busiest street, Gran Via, is a great way to see the mix of old and new Madrid.

Visit the El Prado Museum

It’s free after 6pm! Madrid’s most well-known museum has thousands of artworks. The European collection ranges from 12^th to 19^th Century artworks and classic contemporary Spanish artworks. My Prado museum highlights included The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymous Bosch and The Third of May: the Executions on Príncipe Pío by Goya.

Eat and drink outside in a plaza

Plaza Major is a bit touristy but it’s a great place for people-watching! There are many other smaller city squares with outdoor seating, including some which have cooling mist water spraying over you as you sip on sangria.

Eating tapas outside and watching the glow of sunset is a great way to end an evening in Madrid.

Filed Under: europe, Spain Tagged With: Day Trip, drinking, eating, Madrid, museums, things to do

Sensational Butterflies at the Natural History Museum

July 18, 2011 By glampacker 5 Comments

Butterflies are captivating creatures. During summer hundreds of butterflies are ‘hatched’ in the outdoor house at the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, London.

Once you step inside you’re transported into a rainforest far from Central London. It’s humid, butterflies are zipping all around you and you can hear birds chirping. It’s far from the rainy, cloudy weather outside!

The butterfly house is an exhibition for all ages with ‘butterfly experts’ on hand to answer questions and lots of sensory areas to get close up and personal with the butterflies. I even learnt a thing or two about butterflies and their ultraviolet sight!

Looking closer at the plants, you can spot cocoons which are characteristic of each specific butterfly breed.

Feeding areas with pineapples and apples attract the butterflies sucking on the fruits with their long tongues. You can inspect this with the handheld magnifying glasses, although it’s a little bit creepy!

Before you exit you’re warned to check your clothes in case one of the butterflies escapes into London. The exhibit is only £3.50 to enter and is on until 11 September 2011.

Filed Under: london Tagged With: butterflies, museums, nature, things to do

Free London Museums – The British Museum, London

February 14, 2011 By glampacker 1 Comment

Cupid in the King’s Library

The British Museum is one of the world’s most famous and controversial museums. It houses over seven million artefacts from all over the world. The building itself is pretty spectacular with Romanesque columns outside and a huge glass domed Great Hall inside. Best of all, like many museums in London, it has free admission to its main exhibits. Even if you’re not a history buff, this museum makes history lots of fun!

It’s practically impossible to see everything in the museum one day, but my favourite items included:

Rosetta Stone – it cracked the code of Egyptian hieroglyphics and features three different languages
Egyptian mummies on the Upper Floor – these mummies had all been x-rayed and some even given CAT scans to determine the cause of death
Ramesses II – lots of artefacts from the Egyptian Pharaoh’s reign, he also fathered 85 children!
Nereid Monument – a monumental tomb reconstructed with three headless statues of sea nymphs to honour Erbinna, ruler of Lycian Xanthos in south-west Turkey 380-390 BC

The British Museum is controversial as it houses artefacts that some believe should have remained in their country of origin. To a certain extent, I think the museum is representative of its colonial history and of the British Empire in its hey day. It’s great that many exhibitions do travel the world so everyone can experience a slice of history.

Filed Under: england, london Tagged With: british museum, culture, history, museums

Vintage Barbie Exhibition, Art Gallery of WA

September 27, 2009 By glampacker Leave a Comment

Every girl remembers their first Barbie doll. Mine had lovely blonde tresses and a swimsuit that changed colour when it got wet. The early nineties Barbie doll had very important accessories, like a hairbrush and mirror.

Last week I attended the opening of the Vintage Barbie exhibition at the Art Gallery of WA in celebration of Barbie’s 50th birthday. She looks pretty good for 50!

The vintage collection is owned by Neil Taylor and spans from 1952 to 1973. The immaculate dolls feature Barbie as a doctor, glammed up in ballgowns or casually dressed to go shopping. Her best accessory though is of course Ken! Keep an eye out for army Ken in his camouflage gear, he’s a charmer!

Neil is even giving free appraisals of Barbies at selected times. If only I knew where my Barbie doll now lives, and if her swimsuit still changes colour!

Filed Under: australia, perth Tagged With: art, culture, exhibitions, museums

Liquid Desires at NGV, Melbourne

August 16, 2009 By glampacker 1 Comment

“One day it will have to be officially admitted that what we have christened reality is an even greater illusion than the world of dreams.” – Salvador Dali

I have a penchant for Surrealist art and particularly the way in which the definite line between dreams and reality is blurred.

I remember studying Surrealism at school and deconstructing Salvador Dali’s melting clocks. In 2006 I visited the Tate Modern in London and viewed Surrealism: Desire Unbound. My favourite exhibit was the Lobster Telephone – it’s bizarre, it has sexual connotations and…it’s a lobster!

The Lobster Telephone is one of the surrealist artworks in Liquid Desires at NGV.

Liquid Desires looks at Dali’s body of work spanning his entire career. I was amazed by his artistic diversity – film, television, advertising, fashion design, theory, photography, publishing and his exploration of new ideas and mediums.

I would’ve loved to have seen more “clocks” in Liquid Desires, but perhaps I’ll come across them in another Dali exhibition somewhere else in the world. Adding to the list of things that I must do in my lifetime – see The Royal Heart at the Salvador Dali Museum in Figueras, Spain.

Filed Under: melbourne Tagged With: art, museums, reviews

Picasso Exhibition at the National Art Centre, Tokyo

November 16, 2008 By glampacker Leave a Comment

The National Art Centre, Tokyo is the newest addition to Tokyo’s art scene, so much so that some guidebooks fail to give it a mention. The postmodern building opened in Jan ’07. Its futuristic-looking with glass paneled walls snaking around the building in a continuous wave. The UFO like main entrance welcomes you inside.

PICASSO: From the Collection of the Musee National Picasso, Paris is being exhibited until Dec 14th. I spotted adverts for the exhibition whilst on the JR Yamanote Line and tracked down the museum in Roppongi.

The exhibition showcases 200 Picasso works from his early works to his career-defining pieces. It contains charcoal drawings of Greek mythology, abstract sculptures, mixed media and of course classic Picasso Cubist oil on canvas work with their heavy lines and stilted shapes.

I have seen my share of Picasso’s having visited the Guggenheim Museum’s Spanish Paintings from El Greco to Picasso exhibition in Dec ’06. But never this many in one exhibition!

It was fascinating to see the development of his style and the variety of mediums that he worked with. I loved Picasso’s portraits and landscapes. Some of the artworks though were fairly hard hitting. In particular, Massacre in Korea, 1951, and Reading a letter, 1921.

A nice little Picasso quotation:

“Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth.”

— Pablo Picasso

If you’re in Tokyo before Dec 14th, go see the exhibition!

One thing that we noticed though is that a lot of retirees visit museums. I think its great that art is appreciated by young and old. At the National Art Center there was a group of 3 adults resting on the awesome chairs they have. They offered to move over so I could sit down and thought we were hilarious (’cause we’re Asian and speak English). Anyway one of the ladies found an air vent on the floor and pretended she was Marilyn Monroe. So kawaii! Only in Tokyo.

Murals in the Roppongi Tunnel enroute to the Art Center

Relaxing on the chairs

To get there on the Metro: Get on the Chiyoda Line to Noga-zaki station – its just outside!

Filed Under: Asia, japan Tagged With: art, museums, Tokyo