Easter Weekend London Getaway

 What is  your plan for the Easter weekend? Two or three of Dearest Husband's work colleagues  and even his mother  had all asked him.   He's got no answer.  We have not even thought about it much remembered that it was Holy Week after all.   With the overwhelming series of events that happened the weeks before             ( hospital visits, bed rests, miscarriage)  planning for Easter would be last on the list (if there is one anyway).  Add to that, I was still physically unwell but came Good Friday when most of our friends were at some place,  Dearest Husband and I decided perhaps  the long Easter Weekend would be a good avenue  for us in our first stage in getting past this miscarriage incident.  With all the physical and emotional turmoil we just went through, we both agreed we deserve a break.  But  WHERE was the very big question. We've searched the internet for any available hotels in the UK but most,  if not all, were fully booked, however we narrowed our list of destinations (Edinburgh topping the list of course).  We just  settled  for London in the end  (although we could have just gone for a day as it is just an hour and 40 minutes drive) and was grateful  we still found a hotel of  preference within our financial means.

We stayed at  the Ramada Hotels and Suites  in the London Docklands.  It is an  area where it used to be one of the world's  largest  and busiest port  but when the  industry began to decline  in the 1950's (due to the advent of containers,  Dearest Husband says)  it  eventually  directed to the docks closure and leaving plenty of derelict buildings. From then on,  it  has been redeveloped substantially  for residential and commercial use (just like Albert Dock in Liverpool but in a much bigger scope). Good Fortune must be on our side as we were given a free suite room upgrade, much to little Girls' delight.  She has plenty of space to explore and run around.  And we got 2 televisions so I don't have to quarrel with Dearest Husband  over the remote control.  Getting a free suite room upgrade is like flying economy and you are ask to sit in the business class instead. It was just fantastic.

We have no itinerary really for this Easter break. We just wanted to go somewhere and relax and let somebody do the cleaning and cooking for us. Isn't it just wonderful to have a  break over domestic chores?

On our first day, we went to the nearby Canary Wharf.  It is part of the Docklands area and is considered today as one of two of London's financial centres (  the other one is Central London) .  I would say it is a shopping and business district.  I would have been happier if the shops were open but unfortunately most of them, if not all, were closed.  We dined that evening at Plateau.  They served very heavenly food.

On our way out, Dearest Husband said he just thought he saw Mohamed Al - Fayed.  That's it,  I feel  very posh dining with the mega rich!


Easter Sunday was still a bitterly cold, wash out day. Rain just seemed  happy to keep on falling.  I just wanted to stay in the hotel and I believe Little Girl would love to agree.  She just  could not keep her eyes away from her Favourite CBeebies show.

We went to Covent Garden for the rest of the day.   London streets were just empty and shops were closed.  It didn't feel like London at all.  But I wasn't troubled with the fact that the shops were closed.  The Jubilee Market of Covent Garden was a teriffic experience for me. I went gaga over scarves shopping .  I had 6 scarves (mostly pashmina's) that just costed me £20, what a bargain!

I went back for some more the following day and had wanted to go to Old Spitalfields Market after. They were closed unfortunately because of the Bank Holiday.


In celebrating Easter, there was a display of artistic Easter Eggs at Covent Garden.

Little Girl with a Central London Easter Egg

Louis Vuitton Easter egg anyone?

 


I started feeling chilly and  ill towards the later part of the afternoon on Easter Sunday. I feared I had miscarriage infection (thankfully a doctor's visit yesterday confirmed otherwise, just viral infection really and will go as the week progresses).  A quick evening meal in an Italian restaurant concluded our Easter Sunday and went back to the hotel afterwards.  The weather was still horrible.


Easter Monday and it was time to go back home. Weather was still as dull as it was the start of the weekend.  Dearest Husband wanted to see the Thames Barrier so off we went.

While Dearest Husband was having a look outside, Mummy and Little Girl stayed inside the River View cafe for our afternoon cup of tea.

In the end we still have had a very good, relaxing Easter Weekend despite the last minute decision and the very wash out weather. So what was your Easter Weekend like?