This is not the year 2000, so try to keep the “your mum” jokes to a minimum. Having lived in the UK for some years now, my family has visited me a few times. My mum had been to London before, both with my dad, with extended family, and just her visiting me. I love spending a few days with my mum alone, as we are close and we have similar interests. So if you are planning to spend a couple of days on a mother-daughter/mother-son getaway in London, here are my favourite things to do without tiring yourself or your mum out – remember, mum’s not 20 anymore (and neither am I…).
1. Cruising the Thames to Greenwich
Now whether your mum knows London or not, cruising the Thames is a great chilled activity that incorporates a lot of sight-seeing, but without long walks or getting pushed out of the way by city dwellers. There are several providers leaving in front of the House of Parliament dock, going to Greenwich via the Tower of London. You can either just go to the Tower (about 30 min cruise), or all the way to Greenwich. I recommend cruising all the way, which is a lovely 1.5 hour tour down the river, passing by Southbank, under London Bridge, by the Tower and under Tower Bridge, along East London’s old docks and by Canary Wharf; all the while a guide on board is explaining the sights. You can have a cup of tea or a glass of fizz on board and chat away with mum while taking in the sights in a stress-free way. Once in Greenwich, you can head to the little market to grab some lunch or a baked treat, picnic in the nearby park and work off the calories by strolling up the hill to enjoy a lovely view over London. Then take either the fast boat or the DLR back into the city.
2. Parks
Most mums love parks and gardens, and London has a lot of the former that you can visit for free. I recently took mine to Regent’s Park and she loved the flower beds and displays. St James’s Park is also lovingly planted and adorned with flowers each spring and summer – plus they have some bad-ass albatrosses living there (you might even catch a feeding while you’re there). Less flowers and less gardened is one of my favourite parks – Hampstead Heath. Just miles of walkways, forests and lovely views of the city. Pack a picnic!
3. Afternoon Tea
The quintessential English thing to do – a relaxed afternoon tea in beautiful surroundings, time to chat and giggle into cakes and sandwiches. There are of course many of the classic and modern hotels offering afternoon teas, a lot of them also vegan afternoon teas if you pre-book such as The Connaught, La Suite West or the Egerton House. Or you can take your mum sky-high, and enjoy an afternoon tea and a glass of bubbly at the Sky Garden, overlooking the river Thames (pre-booking essential). Or you do like I do and take your mum to Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium for a lovely vegan afternoon tea (pre-booking necessary) and to cuddle cats. We both loved the experience, and the food was delicious and very generous – we took a doggy (catty?!) bag home with us.
4. Events
Go take mum out! London is the big city, and whether you live here (you probably do not go to as many events as you think you would) or you’re visiting, there is something for everyone, be it gigs, theatre, comedy, musicals or sports events. My mum doesn’t speak English, so theatre is a no, but I have taken her to see “Chicago” when it was still running, and since we both did athletics when growing up, we went to see the Paralympics and Athletics World Championships at Queen Elizabeth Park. Events make great bonding experiences and also fantastic presents for birthdays and/or Christmas (let’s be honest – how many scarfs can you gift her?!). So many things going on London – make sure to check Londonist or TimeOut to see what’s on while you’re visiting. You could even check the Applause Store to see if you can attend a recording of one of their TV shows! I have been with friends and it is great fun!
5. Food Adventures
Now my mum lives in the countryside in Eastern Germany where I grew up. Our most adventurous food options there are Döner Kebab or Chinese (mostly run by Vietnamese families). However, my family loves to travel, so my mum is also open to try new cuisines or eat what she has had during her travels elsewhere. And where better to find food from around the globe than in London?! Great places to try dishes from exotic locations are the numerous markets such as Camden, Bricklane (Sundays only), Greenwich or Borough. This is where my mum tried her first jerk chicken (we don’t have many Caribbean restaurants in Germany), Ethiopian food, and a Burmese curry. Plus, the markets always have lots of vegan options for me, so they are a great compromise.
However, mum is not shy to try out vegan restaurants with me. Last year, we went to Club Mexicana‘s pop-up restaurant at Pamela’s in Shoreditch, and had some amazing vegan Mexican tacos, quesadillas and cocktails. Also in Shoreditch there are amazing Vietnamese restaurants (especially along Kingsland Road), and we went to BúnBúnBún and had a delicious dinner there. A lot of the restaurants also do lunch deals, so you can get your vegan pho fix there (just mention that you’re vegan to not get broth with fish sauce in it). So take your mum around the world, but all in London!
6. Museums
Rainy day (as if that would ever happen in London…)?! No problem! London has so many amazing museums, and a lot of them are free! No matter if you and your mum are into art, history, science or fashion, there is a museum and exhibitions for everyone. Tate Modern is a great stop for an art fix (the exhibitions in the boiler house are usually really interesting and immersive) and also for great views with a cup of tea on the top floor of the building. Another museum mum thoroughly enjoyed was the Geffrye Museum of the Home in Shoreditch. I needed to translate some of the explanations for her, but we had a really good time exploring how people lived in the last centuries and how it has changed. Bonus: They also have a lovely garden that is made up like it would have been in different eras. Other rain-friendly options are then excellent exhibitions at the V&A museum, or you can marvel at the stuffed Dodo at the Natural History Museum or catch some groundbreaking snaps at the Photographer’s Gallery – the possibilities are endless.
Happy Mother’s Day! (Spoil her rotten!!!)
Veggiephile 