Numerous farms across the Cotswolds offer visitors the chance to interact with these gentle and inquisitive South American camelids. The most popular activity is alpaca walking, where guests can lead their own alpaca on a trek through the beautiful countryside and rolling hills. Many of these farms, like Cotswold Alpacas, also provide educational “meet and greet” experiences and workshops focused on alpaca husbandry and spinning their luxurious fleece into yarn. These unique attractions are perfect for families and couples seeking a memorable outdoor experience amongst the charming landscape of the Cotswolds.

→ Alpacas have excellent eyesight and hearing and will let out a sharp, staccato alarm call to warn their herd (and other animals like sheep) of predators like coyotes or foxes.

Big Ben is the universally recognized nickname for the Great Bell housed within the Elizabeth Tower at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London. Completed in 1859, the clock and its tower stand as an iconic symbol of the United Kingdom and parliamentary democracy. The Gothic Revival style tower rises to 316 feet and features the largest and most accurate four-faced chiming clock in the world upon its completion. The massive Great Bell weighs over 13 tons and has been broadcasting its famous chimes—known as the Westminster Quarters—since 1859.

→ Each of the four clock faces has a 14-foot minute hand and an hour hand that is about 9 feet long. The clock faces themselves are about 23 feet in diameter.

Cowley Manor Experimental is a historic hotel in the Cotswolds with a rich heritage dating back to 1695, once owned by English kings, including Edward the Confessor. The current Grade II-listed building was constructed just over a century ago and was pioneering for its time, notably being the first private house in England to use concrete and featuring a major spa complex with Roman, Greek, and Turkish steam rooms. The manor was used as a safe haven during World War II for those escaping German air attacks. Today, the property, set across 55 acres of idyllic grounds, blends its classical elegance with a contemporary flair after being curated by designer Dorothée Meilichzon and managed by the Experimental Group.

→ The manor’s grounds are widely considered to be the inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The author was a frequent visitor in the mid-19th century.

→ The hotel’s modern interior design is described by as a joyeux bordel, a French expression meaning a “happy mess” or “joyful chaos,” which blends the manor’s classical architecture with bold, contemporary style.

Princess Diana’s legacy in London is prominently marked by her enduring impact on public life and several city memorials. The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Walk, a seven-mile-long route, connects sites significant to her life across four Royal Parks, including Kensington Palace where she resided. Her compassionate humanitarian efforts, particularly raising awareness for AIDS and homelessness, reshaped the Royal Family’s engagement with the public. A statue of Diana stands in Kensington Palace’s Sunken Garden, serving as a permanent tribute to her “warmth, elegance, and energy.”

Eero Saarinen’s TWA Terminal (now known as the TWA Flight Center) at JFK Airport in New York is a masterpiece of mid-century modern architecture, completed in 1962. Its most striking feature is the winged, shell-like concrete roof, which was intended to evoke the sensation of flight and movement. This dynamic, sculpted form is a prime example of neo-futurism and pioneered the use of curved, organic shapes in airport design. The building was fully restored and reopened in 2019 as the TWA Hotel, preserving the terminal’s historic and unique character.

→ The interior features almost no right angles, with curving walls, staircases, and check-in counters that merge seamlessly into one another. It includes a famous sunken lounge and two tube-shaped, red-carpeted corridors (Flight Tubes) that originally led passengers to the gates.

→ The iconic vibrant red color of the carpeting and other elements is often referred to as “Chili Pepper Red,” a tone developed by Saarinen himself.

→ The Connie Cocktail Lounge is a fully restored, vintage 1958 Lockheed Constellation “Connie” airliner parked on the TWA Hotel’s tarmac that serves as a unique, retro-glamorous bar.

Fish and chips holds a profound significance in the UK, having emerged as a staple, affordable meal for the working class during the Industrial Revolution. Its importance was greatly magnified during both World Wars, as it was famously one of the few foods not subject to rationing, ensuring a reliable source of hot, nutritious comfort. This humble dish, often eaten from a paper wrapping, became synonymous with a sense of normalcy and resilience during times of national hardship. Today, it remains a national culinary icon and a cherished part of British culture, strongly associated with seaside holidays and Friday night takeaways across the country.

→ Fish and chips were considered so vital for British morale that they were one of the few foods not rationed during both World Wars. Prime Minister Winston Churchill even called them “the good companions.”

Gin became important in London during the 18th century “Gin Craze” when it was cheap, potent, and easily accessible to the city’s burgeoning poor population. This led to widespread addiction and social problems, earning it the nickname “Mother’s Ruin.” The resulting societal chaos and legislative response, including the 1751 Gin Act, inextricably linked the spirit to London's history of class struggle and social reform. Later, London became the namesake and center for the globally recognized “London Dry” gin style. Today, London’s distilleries and cocktail culture maintain gin’s enduring legacy in the city.

Here are the top three gin experiences of our London trip:

Martini and Bump
Seventy One gin, Pineau des Charentes sherry blend, served with a bump of Sturia caviar

From Beaufort Bar, The Savoy

Dukes Martini
Frozen No.3 gin, a splash of Sacred Dry vermouth, zest of Amalfi lemon

From Dukes Hotel

Related media: Learn to make a Dukes Gin Martini.

This Andrew Lloyd Webber revival transforms the Troubadour Theatre into the “Starlight Auditorium” for a fully immersive experience. The classic musical tells the story of Rusty the steam train, who competes against modern engines in a magical race to be the fastest in the world. Its defining feature is a large cast of 40 performers who zoom around and above the audience entirely on roller skates. The production is a spectacle of speed, song, and thrilling new choreography.

“Sublime or ridiculous?”
—The Guardian

“An audio-visual blitzkrieg, the like of which I’ve never seen before”
—Daily Mail

“That this musical ever became such a huge hit is one of the great mysteries of modern showbiz.”
—The New York Times

Jonathan Watkins’ contemporary ballet A Single Man is a poignant adaptation of Christopher Isherwood’s novel, chronicling a single day in the life of George, a grieving gay professor in 1960s California. The work uniquely splits the protagonist, with a dancer embodying the physicality of George’s exterior life and singer-songwriter John Grant performing his internal monologue live on stage. It explores George’s profound isolation and inability to openly mourn his recently deceased partner, Jim, a struggle complicated by the era’s hostile social climate. Ultimately, the piece is a meditation on loss, identity, and the flicker of hope found in human connection that may pull George back to life.

→ Published in 1964, five years before Stonewall, the novel is widely regarded as one of the first works of modern literature to feature an openly gay protagonist.

→ Jonathan Watkins is the founder of Ballet Queer, a company established in 2023, reflecting his commitment to creating and promoting LGBTQ+ stories in dance.

The Jet2 Holiday meme is a viral trend where the relentlessly upbeat audio from a British travel commercial is sarcastically paired with clips of vacation disasters or travel chaos. The audio features a cheerful voiceover declaring, “Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday!” set to the tune of Jess Glynne’s “Hold My Hand.” The comedy comes from the stark, ironic contrast between the ad’s polished promise of a perfect, affordable getaway and the unfiltered, messy reality of holiday mishaps shown in the videos. This juxtaposition—from missing luggage and rowdy tourists to small hotel rooms—has made the catchy jingle a humorous soundtrack for any “less-than-glamorous” travel experience across social media.

→ Our saving grace, Lemsip Max, is a brand of over-the-counter cold and flu remedies designed for the relief of symptoms such as aches and pains, sore throat, headache, nasal congestion, fever, and in some formulations, chesty cough.

Ave Mario is a maximalist Italian trattoria located in London’s vibrant Covent Garden, inspired by a Florentine palazzo with a bold 80s twist. It is part of the Big Mamma Group, known for their visually stunning and highly popular restaurants. The menu features decadent Italian classics such as Neapolitan pizzas, truffle pasta, and the dramatic, table-served Carbonara from a giant pecorino wheel. With its lively atmosphere, striking decor like zebra-striped walls and a towering bar, Ave Mario is celebrated as an “Insta-tastico” dining experience.

→ The video was shot on an Ikegami 79D three-tube portable news camera.

→ The colorful cast of is from the Theo Adams Company, including London nightlife icon Princess Julia.

The tourist trap shops around Piccadilly Circus, like the massive Lego Store and nearby M&Ms World, are essentially destination flagships designed more for spectacle and spending than for unique local culture. These stores occupy prime real estate, luring millions of visitors with vibrant displays and exclusive merchandise that appeal primarily to families and international tourists. While they offer dazzling photo opportunities and a memorable experience, many locals consider them to be an overpriced indulgence and a symbol of the area’s commercial, non-authentic feel. Ultimately, these brightly-lit retail behemoths capitalize on the high foot traffic of the iconic London intersection.

→ The store features a life-sized London Underground train carriage made from over 637,903 Lego bricks. You can climb inside and take a photo with a brick-built Grenadier Guard and William Shakespeare.

The British Museum is a world-renowned institution dedicated to preserving and showcasing two million years of human history, art, and culture through its vast collection of around eight million objects from across the globe.

Related media: Stolen stuff at the British Museum on Bluesky.

The British Museum is full of stolen artifacts from Vox Media.

The Charles Dickens Museum is the only surviving London home of the Victorian author, located at 48 Doughty Street, where he wrote Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby, and houses the world's most comprehensive collection of artifacts relating to his life and work.

Related media: Patrick gets into character on Bluesky.

The Courtauld Gallery, located at Somerset House, is renowned for its exceptional collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, as well as works spanning from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.

Related media: Memorable sights at the Courtauld Gallery on Bluesky.

The National Gallery, located in Trafalgar Square, houses the UK’s free-to-access national collection of over 2,300 Western European paintings, spanning from the mid-13th century to 1900.

Related media: Tiny babies of the National Gallery on Bluesky.

The National Portrait Gallery is an art museum housing the world's most extensive collection of portraits of historically significant and famous British individuals, from Tudor times to the present day.

Related media: Notable faces of the National Portrait Gallery on Bluesky.

Housed in a converted power station on the Thames, the Tate Modern is a world-renowned museum for modern and contemporary art from 1900 to the present day, featuring a vast collection and large-scale installations in its iconic Turbine Hall.

Related media: Modern stuff we saw at the Tate Modern on Bluesky.

Somehow, we are never able to travel abroad without encountering strife. Whether it be the gilets jaunes protests in Paris (2018), Patrick getting Covid in Venice (2022), everyone in our 10-person travel party getting Covid in Berlin (2023), and learning about a family death at the top of the Eiffel Tower (2024).

Let’s take a walk through the headlines we lived through in London in 2025:

September 13
Day 4 of vacation

Far-right London rally sees record crowds and violent clashes with police
More than 110,000 people join Tommy Robinson-organised protest featuring racist conspiracy theories and hate speech

September 17
Day 8 of vacation

Thousands of demonstrators protest against Trump state visit
An estimated 5,000 members of the Stop Trump Coalition gathered in London to protest against the US president’s unprecedented second state visit

September 20
Final day of vacation

Heathrow flights delayed and cancelled as cyber-attack hits European airports
Attack raises questions over security as Brussels and Berlin airports’ check-in and boarding systems also affected

The Oxo Tower is a distinctive landmark situated on the South Bank of the River Thames in London. Originally a power station, the Art Deco building was later acquired by the makers of Oxo beef stock cubes in the 1920s. Its prominent tower features windows in the shape of a circle, a cross, and a circle, cleverly spelling out “OXO” to bypass a ban on skyline advertising. Today, the complex known as Oxo Tower Wharf is home to designer shops, galleries, and a popular eighth-floor restaurant and bar offering panoramic city views.

As the Oxo Tower is a design destination, let’s discuss the typefaces at work on this wrap up:

Johnston is a sans-serif typeface designed by and named after Edward Johnston. The typeface was commissioned in 1913 by Frank Pick, commercial manager of the Underground Electric Railways Company of London (also known as “The Underground Group”), as part of his plan to strengthen the company’s corporate identity.

It has been the corporate font of public transport in London since the foundation of the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933, and of predecessor companies since its introduction in 1916, making its use one of the world's longest-lasting examples of corporate branding.

Johnston’s work originated the genre of the humanist sans-serif typeface, typefaces that are sans-serif but take inspiration from traditional serif fonts and Roman inscriptions. His student Eric Gill, who worked on the development of the typeface, later used it as a model for his own Gill Sans, released from 1928.

The difference in pillow quality across London hotels is starkly correlated with the establishment’s star rating. Five-star and boutique luxury hotels routinely offer plush goose down or high-end feather blends, often featuring a bespoke “pillow menu” for guests to choose their preferred support and filling. Mid-range and budget chains typically opt for hypoallergenic synthetic options, such as microgel or hollowfibre, which are both cost-effective and easier to maintain. This spectrum results in a massive disparity, ranging from the indulgent, cloud-like experience of a high-thread-count down pillow to the functional, standardized firmness of a common polyester fill. Therefore, the simple act of resting one’ head can serve as a quick gauge of a London hotel’s commitment to luxury versus its practical focus on economy.

“Pillows were not quite up to standard”
—Bowfin1958 on Tripadvisor

“Only issue was thickness of pillows”
—drl90 on Tripadvisor

“I found the pillows to be too soft”
—Adi B on Tripadvisor

London’s queer culture is a deeply rooted, dynamic, and ever-evolving tapestry of history, art, and vibrant nightlife. Historically centered in Soho, which remains the commercial hub, the community has expanded with thriving, diverse scenes in areas like Vauxhall and East London. Cultural institutions like Queer Britain and legendary venues such as the Royal Vauxhall Tavern celebrate a past marked by both oppression and fierce resilience.

In the churches

In Westminster Abbey, we found memorials to Oscar Wilde, Lord Byron, W.H. Auden, Benjamin Britten, and King James I, among others. In St. Paul’s Covent Garden, Noël Coward and Paul Huntley.

In the bars

Retro Bar, directly around the corner from our hotel, hosted a couple of meetups with dear friend Joel from New York, coincidentally visiting London for work.

London’s church architecture presents a fascinating timeline, primarily defined by the Gothic style of its medieval foundations and the English Baroque period following the Great Fire of 1666. Early masterpieces, such as Westminster Abbey and Southwark Cathedral, exemplify the soaring arches, stained glass, and detailed stonework of various Gothic phases. Following the 1666 disaster, Sir Christopher Wren masterminded the rebuilding of 52 City churches, culminating in the iconic dome of St Paul’s Cathedral (pictured above), which established a dominant, classical style of controlled Baroque. This architectural story of destruction and rebirth is still evident in the city’s skyline, showcasing the radical shift from the heaven-pointing medieval spire to the balanced, rational dome and classical columns of the post-fire era.

→ The soaring dome you see from the cathedral floor is the Inner Dome, painted by Sir James Thornhill, but it's not the main structural support; that's handled by a massive, hidden brick cone between the inner and outer domes.

Shakespeare’s Globe is a faithful, modern reconstruction of the original Elizabethan playhouse where William Shakespeare’s company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, performed their greatest works. Located on the bank of the River Thames in London, it operates as an open-air “wooden O” amphitheater, giving audiences an authentic experience similar to what spectators enjoyed in 1599. The theater, rebuilt through the efforts of American actor Sam Wanamaker and opened in 1997, stages a diverse program focused on Shakespeare’s plays and other Renaissance-era works. This unique venue allows modern visitors to connect intimately with the historical conditions and communal energy of Shakespearean drama.

→ The modern Globe holds the special distinction of being the first and only thatched-roof building permitted in London since the Great Fire of 1666, requiring special safety permission.

→ The original theatre’s motto was allegedly Totus mundus agit histrionem, which is Latin for “The whole world is a playhouse.” This is famously echoed in Jaques’s “All the world’s a stage” monologue in As You Like It.

The Tower of London is a historic fortress founded by William the Conqueror in 1078 to secure his power over the city. Over its nearly thousand-year history, it has served variously as a royal palace, arsenal, treasury, royal mint, and infamous prison. Today, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is most famous as the secure home of the Crown Jewels and for its legendary resident ravens. It is still guarded by the ceremonial Yeoman Warders, or “Beefeaters,” who share the macabre tales of its many executed prisoners and royal drama with millions of visitors.

→ Legend states that if the six resident ravens ever leave the Tower, the kingdom and the Tower itself will fall. To protect the monarchy, there must always be at least six ravens present (they keep a couple of spares), and a dedicated Ravenmaster cares for them.

→ While infamous as a site of execution, only seven people (mostly high-ranking nobles, including three Queens) were privately executed on the internal Tower Green. The vast majority of executions took place publicly on nearby Tower Hill.

London’s comprehensive transit network offers a vast array of ways to get around the city and its wider metropolitan area. The famous London Underground, known as the Tube, provides the fastest way to cover long distances and navigate the city center, while the extensive red bus network is often more scenic and operates on a flat fare. For travel in East London, the automated Docklands Light Railway (DLR) connects with both the Tube and the suburban London Overground rail lines. For a unique and scenic commuting option, Uber Boat by Thames Clippers operates fast and frequent river bus services along the Thames, providing a great alternative for commuters and tourists alike.

→ Many of the vessels are catamarans equipped with powerful waterjets, allowing them to travel at impressive speeds of up to 30 knots (about 35 mph), making them one of the fastest ways to cross central London.

The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical brings the beloved fashion-world story to the stage with a new score by pop icon Elton John, lyrics by Shaina Taub and Mark Sonnenblick, and a book by Kate Wetherhead. Directed and choreographed by three-time Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell and starring Vanessa Williams as Miranda Priestly, the production strives to be a high-energy spectacle designed to capture the glamour of the fashion world.

“A prosecco o’clock musical”
—The Guardian

“A lousy musical”
—Time Out London

“Promising couture but offering something off-the-rack”
—WhatsOnStage

“Shiny but skimpy”
—The Telegraph

Westminster Abbey, formally the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is one of the most significant Gothic religious buildings in the United Kingdom. It has served as the coronation church for British monarchs since 1066 and has hosted numerous royal weddings and state funerals. The Abbey is a vast resting place for over 3,300 notable figures, including kings, queens, poets, and scientists, most famously in its Poets’ Corner. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it remains a working church and a vital symbol of British history and national identity.

→ The intricate medieval mosaic floor in front of the High Altar, known as the Cosmati pavement, has a Latin inscription that, when translated, is believed to contain a formula for calculating the end of the world.

→ Despite its name, it hasn’t been a monastery since the 16th century and is now a “Royal Peculiar”—a church responsible directly to the Sovereign.

→ The Abbey is home to the oldest surviving door in Britain. Dating to the 1050s, the oak door was made from a tree that began growing in the 10th century.

The Experimental Cocktail Club Cotswolds is a sultry and sophisticated bar within Cowley Manor, blending the grandeur of the 17th-century manor with the Experimental Group’s signature contemporary chic. Expert mixologists serve a curated menu of signature apéritifs and inventive cocktails, many crafted with ingredients from the hotel’s own garden. Complete with a fireplace and DJ sets on weekends, the bar transforms the countryside retreat into a vibrant destination for an elegant night out.

Other Experimental Group properties we love:

Experimental Cocktail Club Paris
37 Rue Saint-Sauveur, 75002 Paris, France

Prescription Cocktail Club
23 Rue Mazarine, 75006 Paris, France

Experimental Cocktail Club Venice
Fondamenta Zattere Al Ponte Lungo, 1410, 30123 Venezia VE, Italy