London tourism

London’s Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities

Museums, Uncategorized, , , , ,

If you’ve been to London more than once, you’ll want to start exploring the neighborhoods and attractions beyond the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the like.

I suggest venturing out to the Bethnal Green neighborhood, which is home to the Museum of Childhood (and is part of the V&A) and the far more unusual Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities.

Upstairs is a cocktail bar with an emphasis on absinthe.

Downstairs, entered via a narrow winding staircase, is a highly entertaining cabinet of curiosities filled with natural history specimens, assorted taxidermy, skulls, marine creatures and a collection of books with titles ranging from ‘A Guide to Faking Exhibition Poultry’ to ‘A Sex Guide for Irish Farmers,’ and “Shopping Center Sex.”

Here are some snaps a two-headed lamb and other snaps from a recent visit:

Love the layover: cycling in London

ground transporation, Layover, , ,

Fat Tire Bike Tour London

Although I’m experienced getting around London on foot and on the Tube, yesterday was the first time since high school that I traveled around the city by bicycle.

I still have a hard time with the “Look Left” part of crossing the street here. So I was glad to follow a guide during a Fat Tire Bike Tour through the city. Especially when I was issued a baby blue bike named Luscious for my journey.

Fat Tire bike Tour London

All went well and, even though it was blustery and rainy, we encountered plenty of other city cyclists along the way.  A lot of those folks were using one of the 6,000 public bikes stationed around the city as part of the bike-sharing program London launched this past July.

London bike-sharing station

Dave Phillips, our Austin, Texas-born guide for the Fat Tire Bike Tour, is a big fan of this city-sponsored bike-sharing program. From his street-eye view, he says the program seems to be working out just fine. Especially since anyone with an annual membership gets to use the bikes for free if the check-out time is less than a half hour.

Brilliant!