Happy New Year to my fellow travel bunnies! If you’re anything like me you’ll be reluctant to slough off the last tinselly residues of Christmas, so here are my suggestions for a speedy break in the capital – warm glow guaranteed.
A quirky exhibition
My late festive break kicked off with a celebration of Britishness at the Museum of London’s latest exhibition on Sherlock Holmes. That most elusive figure (currently embodied by the cheekbones of Benedict Cumberbatch, obvs) is celebrated in his many forms – from Johnny Lee Miller to Robert Downey Jr, et al – plus there’s lots for London fans to enjoy, including maps and sketches of the capital in Victorian times. There’s even a Monet painting, so you’ll feel like a culture buff – even if you secretly went along just in case Cumbers was there. It’s ok to put the ‘stalker’ in ‘deerstalker’ once in a while.
Sherlock Holmes: The Man Who Never Lived And Will Never Die, is on at the Museum of London until April 12. Tickets cost £12.55. To book visitwww.museumoflondon.org.uk
Channel your inner ballerina
For a late festive fix I headed to the English National Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker. The classic tale of a little girl’s Christmas Eve cheese dreams (complete with evil mice) by Tchaikovsky combines sparkling sugar plum fairies, dashing princes and a score it was impossible not to hum along to (a result of over-watching Fantasia as a kid). You’ve missed your chance with that particular show, but you can now catch Swan Lake instead. If you’re not sure whether ballet is for you, the National is a good litmus test – it really doesn’t get any more polished than this bunch of low BMI-ed beauties.
Swan Lake is on until January 15. To book visit www.eno.org
A night of luxury
Because after a fortnight of being nice to difficult cousins, and faux-delight over soaps-on-ropes from well-meaning aunts, it’s time to treat yourself. Try a night on a yacht, for starters! The Sunborn London super-yacht on the Royal Victoria Dock only opened in October, and is the current hot ticket for a night away. Most rooms come with private balconies (with either dock or Thames views) and ours let us watch the red-lit cable cars, which travel from Greenwich to Waterloo, seemingly suspended in the air like baubles. Sip champagne in the 70s style bar (polished pine and copper galore) and definitely factor in time for a meal in the restaurant – the cauliflower soufflé is to die for – January diets are so 2014. There’s also a spa if sleeping on a super-yacht still isn’t decadent enough for you. We got up early the next day to ride the cable cars over a frosty capital, seeing in 2015 in style.
Prices vary, to book visit www.sunbornhotels.com
