The First Day in London

Actually we only had half a day since we arrived at the Savoy at 2:00 PM, but we squeezed in a whole day or more, covering way too many things in that short a period of time!

The Sisters

As it turned out, two of Melba's friends (the sisters Fiona and Anita) were in London that weekend, so at 3:00 we met them in the Savoy Lobby and headed out to my favorite pub just across, the street, The Lyceum. We spent the next two and a half hours with them, and let's simply say getting the three of them together is not for the faint of heart ("Why buy the pig when you can get the sausage for free" was one of the more memorable quotes, and while I will not put it in context, it is as salty as it sounds!).

The Savoy Grill

I've always wanted to dine in one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants, and as it turns out The Savoy Grill is located in the hotel proper. Melba and I went there for an incredible dinner, with a lobster bisque that is beyond description! My steak was excellent, and Melba had the lobster thermidor. The only downside was that by this time, we were both getting incredibly tired, but we had a dinner that will never be forgotten.

Legally Blonde

As tired as we were, and as tempting as it sounded to nap, we went off to the show in the Savoy Theatre, Legally Blonde, and it was better than I had anticipated. I deliberately chose that show since it was in the building and I did not want us to have to travel far on our first night since I figured we would be tired, though Legally Blonde would not have been my first pick otherwise. In any case, it was hilarious, and even as a heterosexual male I enjoyed every moment of it.

The Sisters Again (along with their cigarettes!)

After the show, we met up with Fiona and Anita again, this time in Covent Garden, where we were rather abruptly asked to leave as the three of them were smoking "inside" the building. (OK, it was deceiving: It was a courtyard, and it felt as if we were outside, but since there was a roof way overhead it was considered inside.) In any case, we were able to avoid any run-in with the London legal system, and took our leave sometime after midnight.

The Beaufort Bar

Not wanting the night to end, Melba and I decided on a nightcap before retiring. The well-known American Bar was actually closed by the time we arrived (odd for a Saturday), so we settled for the Beaufort Bar instead, which as it turned out had a much better feeling to it anyway. After a drink each, we had had enough and (finally!) retired for the evening to our suite.