Where the Grass is Greener: A Trip to London for Wimbledon
Jul 18, 2023, 3:40 am
#17
Join Date: Aug 2010
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Great report.
It is actually not that unusual for department stores to have food markets. In the old days (I know, I am dating myself) most US department stores had food courts that had absolutely nothing in common with todays mall food courts. Dayton's and Donaldson's in Minneapolis, Carson Pirie Scott in Chicago, Macy's in NY all had elaborate food operations.
Today you can still find fancy food courts at Printemps and Galeries Lafayette in Paris, KaDeWe in Berlin, a lot of the Ginza district department stores in Tokyo, and probably many more that I have yet to explore.
It is actually not that unusual for department stores to have food markets. In the old days (I know, I am dating myself) most US department stores had food courts that had absolutely nothing in common with todays mall food courts. Dayton's and Donaldson's in Minneapolis, Carson Pirie Scott in Chicago, Macy's in NY all had elaborate food operations.
Today you can still find fancy food courts at Printemps and Galeries Lafayette in Paris, KaDeWe in Berlin, a lot of the Ginza district department stores in Tokyo, and probably many more that I have yet to explore.
Jul 22, 2023, 10:00 pm
#18
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA EXP >3 Million miles,HH Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 2,890
Great report.
It is actually not that unusual for department stores to have food markets. In the old days (I know, I am dating myself) most US department stores had food courts that had absolutely nothing in common with todays mall food courts. Dayton's and Donaldson's in Minneapolis, Carson Pirie Scott in Chicago, Macy's in NY all had elaborate food operations.
Today you can still find fancy food courts at Printemps and Galeries Lafayette in Paris, KaDeWe in Berlin, a lot of the Ginza district department stores in Tokyo, and probably many more that I have yet to explore.
It is actually not that unusual for department stores to have food markets. In the old days (I know, I am dating myself) most US department stores had food courts that had absolutely nothing in common with todays mall food courts. Dayton's and Donaldson's in Minneapolis, Carson Pirie Scott in Chicago, Macy's in NY all had elaborate food operations.
Today you can still find fancy food courts at Printemps and Galeries Lafayette in Paris, KaDeWe in Berlin, a lot of the Ginza district department stores in Tokyo, and probably many more that I have yet to explore.
Jul 23, 2023, 9:27 am
#20
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No kidding!
Interesting, thank you both for pointing that out. I suppose that as someone who has predominantly traveled within North America, I have had limited experience with food halls within department stores. I will definitely seek them out in the future, though, based on your reports.
Thank you for the kind words and for following along. Yes, the room was brutal, but it was only for a single night so it wasnt the biggest deal.
I have some time on the amtrak later today so I can focus on writing the next iteration of this report. Thanks to everyone for following along!
Great report.
It is actually not that unusual for department stores to have food markets. In the old days (I know, I am dating myself) most US department stores had food courts that had absolutely nothing in common with todays mall food courts. Dayton's and Donaldson's in Minneapolis, Carson Pirie Scott in Chicago, Macy's in NY all had elaborate food operations.
Today you can still find fancy food courts at Printemps and Galeries Lafayette in Paris, KaDeWe in Berlin, a lot of the Ginza district department stores in Tokyo, and probably many more that I have yet to explore.
It is actually not that unusual for department stores to have food markets. In the old days (I know, I am dating myself) most US department stores had food courts that had absolutely nothing in common with todays mall food courts. Dayton's and Donaldson's in Minneapolis, Carson Pirie Scott in Chicago, Macy's in NY all had elaborate food operations.
Today you can still find fancy food courts at Printemps and Galeries Lafayette in Paris, KaDeWe in Berlin, a lot of the Ginza district department stores in Tokyo, and probably many more that I have yet to explore.
I was thinking the same thing when I read the initial post. The food halls have been one of the great adventures in a new city, to find comfort favorites and interesting local options in many cities we have traveled to across Europe and Asia. Fortnum and Mason has a smaller but wonderful food hall downstairs. We've been to London many times and enjoyed every time, and I love to read and hear the excitement of travelers discovering it for the first time. There is so much history culture and the food has improved so much since our first visit decades ago, mainly due to the increasing diversity of the city and the attendant cuisine,
I have some time on the amtrak later today so I can focus on writing the next iteration of this report. Thanks to everyone for following along!
Jul 23, 2023, 8:21 pm
#21
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Join Date: Oct 2021
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Despite setting an alarm for 8am, I ended up waking up at 5am and spent the next two hours sitting on my phone cursing my body clock for setting me up for an inevitable wave of fatigue later in the day. My girlfriend and I rolled out of bed at 7:30am, and a few minutes later, we were walking over to the Millenium for breakfast. Once again, breakfast was very good. I particularly enjoyed the congee, a dish I had never actually had before.
After finishing breakfast, we went over to the Milleniums Concierge and asked him to make us a reservation for the Hop-on, Hop-off bus. I figured this would be a great way to see much of the city without spending the time walking place to place.
We were on the bus for about an hour and a half, which allowed us to see the area from Kensington to Westminster Abbey. Perhaps we should have stayed on longer, but I was beginning to get a little bored of the (overly) enthusiastic and (overly) cheesy narration, and otherwise wanted to stretch my legs.
We took a few pictures around Westminster Abbey before deciding to cross the Westminster Bridge and head over to the Tate Modern museum. On the way there, we stopped at a small farmers market and grabbed a carrot cake and cronut to share.
Packed brige
BA A380 landing in the background
With the sudden influx of calories, we felt prepared to finish out the 45-minute trek over to the museum. En route, we ended up passing Shakespeare's Globe Theater, which was super cool to see, even if it isn't the original.
My girlfriend and I had both heard great things about the Tate Modern, so naturally, there were lofty expectations. Unfortunately, there was some confusion about what was actually on display and where certain exhibits were, so we spent two hours wondering where the more renowned artists were located. By the time we realized what we actually missed, we were on the way out and by that point it was already 2pm, so we cut our losses and moved on.
After a short walk, we found ourselves at the famous Borough Market. Admittedly, I hadnt heard of this place until that morning, so I didnt know what to expect, but wow. Borough Market is an absolutely electric place to spend an afternoon eating, drinking, and socializing. There were vendors selling every kind of food, drinks, and crafts.
We did a few laps of the area to find a place to eat and ended up settling on a restaurant called Elliots, primarily because it offered a respite from the chaos of the market.
I ordered the honeymoon melon gazpacho and the lamb sweetbreads, while my girlfriend ordered the pepperoni, nuja, and gorgonzola pizza. The food came out quickly and hit the spot, the star being my girlfriends pizza.
We did a bit more walking around and ended up running into my mom and sister, who, coincidentally, were in the area getting lunch. The four of us ended up splitting an order of fish and chips from Fish!. You could tell the fish was high quality. Flaking, flavorful on its own, and well-cooked: hallmarks of a good fried fish.Stuffed, we bid farewell to my mom and sister and headed towards the Tower Millenium Pier.
Included in the Hop-on, Hop-off ticket is a ferry pass. The ferry runs between Tower Millenium Pier and Westminster Abbey and being on the water is a really cool way to see London. I thoroughly enjoyed both the views and the fantastic narration provided by the boats crew.
Time flew by, and before I knew it, we were docking. With two hours to kill before our dinner rendezvous with my family, we decided to head over to Covent Garden and have a drink. While there are tons of different options in the immediate area, we chose a wine bar called Davys Wine Merchants. We really liked the cave-like decor of this spot, and thought it was a comfortable place to have a drink. We ordered a 375ml of Beaujolais, which we both agreed was tasty.
We chatted over the wine for about an hour before making the 20-minute walk up to Bloomsbury, right around the corner from The British Museum. My parents chose a Chinese place called Master Wei Xian Cuisine. The restaurant gets great reviews, but I found it to be disappointing. The fried squid and spring rolls were very good, but I found the other dishes lacking in flavor.
Following dinner, we walked over to Piccadilly Circus to enjoy the sunset and take some pictures. The evening light made for some fantastic photos, but the photos still dont fully capture how gorgeous the scene was.
We ended up Ubering back to the Millenium to make it easier for my family, and upon arrival, my girlfriend and I walked over to the Park Grand. At the hotel, I made sure to check in with the receptionist to inquire about our new room. Immediately, he handed me two new keys and said we had a room on the fourth floor. So far, so good.
The new room was the complete opposite of the old room. Im guessing this is because of the presence of natural lighting, but the new room was an infinitely more inviting space.
The room had a massive window overlooking the street, which also afforded us views of the planes landing into Heathrow.
The bathroom was much bigger in the new room, too, which I appreciated. Additionally, There was a large TV mounted on the wall, much larger than the one in our old room.
Even the bed, which was the same size, seemed comfier, but I wouldnt be surprised if that was due to confirmation bias.
Perhaps most impressive was the note that awaited us on the dresser. The hotel staff wrote us an apology letter for the previous room, although they addressed me as "Mrs." That's a first.
Given that 2 out of the 6 floors are below ground, I do wonder how often the staff ends up writing apology notes and having to move guests to higher floors.
After getting our stuff together and settling in, we watched an hour of television before heading to bed in preparation for Wimbledon the next day.
After finishing breakfast, we went over to the Milleniums Concierge and asked him to make us a reservation for the Hop-on, Hop-off bus. I figured this would be a great way to see much of the city without spending the time walking place to place.
We were on the bus for about an hour and a half, which allowed us to see the area from Kensington to Westminster Abbey. Perhaps we should have stayed on longer, but I was beginning to get a little bored of the (overly) enthusiastic and (overly) cheesy narration, and otherwise wanted to stretch my legs.
We took a few pictures around Westminster Abbey before deciding to cross the Westminster Bridge and head over to the Tate Modern museum. On the way there, we stopped at a small farmers market and grabbed a carrot cake and cronut to share.
Packed brige
BA A380 landing in the background
With the sudden influx of calories, we felt prepared to finish out the 45-minute trek over to the museum. En route, we ended up passing Shakespeare's Globe Theater, which was super cool to see, even if it isn't the original.
My girlfriend and I had both heard great things about the Tate Modern, so naturally, there were lofty expectations. Unfortunately, there was some confusion about what was actually on display and where certain exhibits were, so we spent two hours wondering where the more renowned artists were located. By the time we realized what we actually missed, we were on the way out and by that point it was already 2pm, so we cut our losses and moved on.
After a short walk, we found ourselves at the famous Borough Market. Admittedly, I hadnt heard of this place until that morning, so I didnt know what to expect, but wow. Borough Market is an absolutely electric place to spend an afternoon eating, drinking, and socializing. There were vendors selling every kind of food, drinks, and crafts.
We did a few laps of the area to find a place to eat and ended up settling on a restaurant called Elliots, primarily because it offered a respite from the chaos of the market.
I ordered the honeymoon melon gazpacho and the lamb sweetbreads, while my girlfriend ordered the pepperoni, nuja, and gorgonzola pizza. The food came out quickly and hit the spot, the star being my girlfriends pizza.
We did a bit more walking around and ended up running into my mom and sister, who, coincidentally, were in the area getting lunch. The four of us ended up splitting an order of fish and chips from Fish!. You could tell the fish was high quality. Flaking, flavorful on its own, and well-cooked: hallmarks of a good fried fish.Stuffed, we bid farewell to my mom and sister and headed towards the Tower Millenium Pier.
Included in the Hop-on, Hop-off ticket is a ferry pass. The ferry runs between Tower Millenium Pier and Westminster Abbey and being on the water is a really cool way to see London. I thoroughly enjoyed both the views and the fantastic narration provided by the boats crew.
Time flew by, and before I knew it, we were docking. With two hours to kill before our dinner rendezvous with my family, we decided to head over to Covent Garden and have a drink. While there are tons of different options in the immediate area, we chose a wine bar called Davys Wine Merchants. We really liked the cave-like decor of this spot, and thought it was a comfortable place to have a drink. We ordered a 375ml of Beaujolais, which we both agreed was tasty.
We chatted over the wine for about an hour before making the 20-minute walk up to Bloomsbury, right around the corner from The British Museum. My parents chose a Chinese place called Master Wei Xian Cuisine. The restaurant gets great reviews, but I found it to be disappointing. The fried squid and spring rolls were very good, but I found the other dishes lacking in flavor.
Following dinner, we walked over to Piccadilly Circus to enjoy the sunset and take some pictures. The evening light made for some fantastic photos, but the photos still dont fully capture how gorgeous the scene was.
We ended up Ubering back to the Millenium to make it easier for my family, and upon arrival, my girlfriend and I walked over to the Park Grand. At the hotel, I made sure to check in with the receptionist to inquire about our new room. Immediately, he handed me two new keys and said we had a room on the fourth floor. So far, so good.
The new room was the complete opposite of the old room. Im guessing this is because of the presence of natural lighting, but the new room was an infinitely more inviting space.
The room had a massive window overlooking the street, which also afforded us views of the planes landing into Heathrow.
The bathroom was much bigger in the new room, too, which I appreciated. Additionally, There was a large TV mounted on the wall, much larger than the one in our old room.
Even the bed, which was the same size, seemed comfier, but I wouldnt be surprised if that was due to confirmation bias.
Perhaps most impressive was the note that awaited us on the dresser. The hotel staff wrote us an apology letter for the previous room, although they addressed me as "Mrs." That's a first.
Given that 2 out of the 6 floors are below ground, I do wonder how often the staff ends up writing apology notes and having to move guests to higher floors.
After getting our stuff together and settling in, we watched an hour of television before heading to bed in preparation for Wimbledon the next day.
Jul 23, 2023, 8:37 pm
#22
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA EXP >3 Million miles,HH Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 2,890
Continuing great report. I love the pics and references to planes taking off or landing or a window that allows you to see plane traffic. We've traveled for decades..probably older than your parents but plane travel hasn't gotten old to us yet and we look at the sky no matter where we are and appreciate how it's made seeing the world so easy. I think you are hooked!
Jul 24, 2023, 5:34 am
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: PHL/LAX/MAD (for now)
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Posts: 874
Continuing great report. I love the pics and references to planes taking off or landing or a window that allows you to see plane traffic. We've traveled for decades..probably older than your parents but plane travel hasn't gotten old to us yet and we look at the sky no matter where we are and appreciate how it's made seeing the world so easy. I think you are hooked!
Jul 25, 2023, 10:12 am
#24
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA EXP >3 Million miles,HH Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 2,890
Don't blame your dad.. thank him. It's wonderful to see the world. My other half used to comment on commercials or movies with planes when the type of plane and the aisles or windows did not match up to the text or script.
Jul 31, 2023, 7:15 pm
#27
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Thank you for your kind words. The weather was great, although we packed wayyy too many warm clothes. I had heard it was the hottest June on record and the forecast suggested it would be fairly warm, so I packed lots of khaki shorts and polos. Let's just say I got a LOT of use out of the singular quarter zip and two pairs of Khakis I brought.
Jul 31, 2023, 7:52 pm
#28
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Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: PHL/LAX/MAD (for now)
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Posts: 874
Wimbledon
Finally, the day had come. The event that beckoned us to venture across The Pond was set to begin in just mere hours. I wish I could say we were awoken by the sound of trumpets, but I suppose the classic iPhone alarm tone was sufficient enough.
After a pit stop at the Millenium for a quick breakfast, we boarded The Underground at Gloucester Road station and took the District Line to Southfields Station. As we neared Southfields, the number of passengers donning either tennis gear, floral gowns and wide brimmed hats, or fresh-pressed suits grew with each stop. By the time we were approaching the station, it was unmistakably clear that everyone was heading to Wimbledon.
Upon arrival, the masses spilled out onto the platform and we all slowly began making our way through the town of Southfields and towards the grounds. Around 20 minutes later and we arrived to one of the many gates, just a few minutes before the gates were set to open. At 10am on the dot, a voice came over the intercom announcing that the gates were to be opened and despite the lengthy line for entry, we were soon on the grounds.
Not even the most eloquent words or meticulous detail could truly capture what it was like to step onto the grounds of Wimbledon for the first time. I’m not sure whether it is the gorgeous architecture of the arenas, the freshly manicured grass, or the way a sunny day illuminates the entire scene, but there is something special about Wimbledon. The palpable excitement in the air confirmed that I was not the only one who felt this way.
We had some time to kill, so while my Dad, Mom, and Sister moseyed around the All-England Club and had tea (again, Dad in journalism), my girlfriend and I set off to explore. First order of business? A Pimm’s Cup, of course! The iconic Wimbledon cocktail didn’t disappoint, and neither did the prices. Everything here was much cheaper than I am used to, with a beer coming in at just over six pounds versus the $16 I’d be paying at any major sporting event back home.
Around 11, my girlfriend and I made our way over Court 3 where world number seven Andrey Rublev was taking on Max Purcell. Purcell put up a good effort, but Rublev is number seven for a reason and took down the Aussie in just three sets.
After the match, we were pretty hungry so we went to one of the many food courts on the grounds. Unlike the French Open, where the food is absolutely repulsive, Wimbledon actually has food you would want to eat. There is a huge variety of cuisines, from Asian, to Mediterranean, to English. The list goes on. We settled on wraps from a Mediterranean stand and got a few drinks to go along with it.
Once we finished up, we made the short walk over the Court One where the court’s first match of the day was about to be played. This match pit women’s world number one Iga Swiatek up against Zhu Lin. Swiatek demolished her foe in straight sets, but her skills were still on full display. It was an absolute pleasure getting to watch such a phenomenal player, even more so in such a beautiful arena.
One thing to note about the Swiatek match was it began to rain with just a few games left to play in the second set. Luckily, both Center Court and Court One have retractable roofs, although watching them cover and uncover the court for the weather was a bit of a spectacle.
As it turns out, it was really raining outside, which meant that all of the other courts had to suspend play until the rain stopped. With nothing to watch, the grounds were absolutely flooded by the mass of people eating, drinking, and walking their way through the delay. Since the next match on Court One was still a bit away, we joined the crowd and did some walking ourselves. We eventually found the Amex Centurion Lounge and true to form, there was a significant wait to get in. Usually I’d go to the Admirals Club in this situation, but the champagne bar wasn’t a bad second choice.
Probably why there was such a line...
By the time we got back to Court One, the match between world number four Casper Ruud and Frenchman Laurent Lokoli was well underway. Ruud ended up taking the first set 6-1, but Lokoli really put together a great second set and ended up winning it 7-5, firing up the crowd in the process. Ruud ended up easily taking the final two sets, but the match was quite entertaining nevertheless.
At this point, the rain had subsided and play had resumed on the outdoor courts. We took this opportunity to try and catch a glimpse of soon-to-be Hall of Famer Stan Wawrinka. Though well past his prime, Wawrinka is a three-time Grand Slam winner and was able to put together a fantastic career. He would have had more success had he not played in the era of the Djokovic, Federer, Nadal hegemony, but so would basically every other tennis player of that era.
Unfortunately, we really couldn’t get the best view of the Wawrinka match, so we went over to some of the side courts. A nice surprise was seeing Diego Schwartzman on Court 7. Schwartzman is a very talented player from Argentina, known perhaps for his short stature (standing at just 5’7’’) as much as his accolades on the court. The sun was just beginning to retreat at this point, which made for a gorgeous scene.
After watching some of the side court matches and picking up some strawberries and cream (completely overrated), we went over to Court One for the final showdown of the night, women’s world number seven Coco Gauff against one-time Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin. Gauff looked pretty bad for the most part and Kenin took full advantage of that, beating her in three sets, including a 6-2 trouncing in the third.
By the time the Gauff-Kenin match wrapped up, it was 8:30 but still light enough for some family photos on the hill. The lighting and background made for some fantastic pics; a literal photo finish to such a great day.
As we left, I was able to snap some a few last pictures of the grounds in the dying light.
Tranquil as the last hour or two had been, leaving Wimbledon was an absolute mess. Thousands of people paraded back through the town of Southfields, completely overwhelming both the street and the train station. There were staff trying to keep people in lines and only releasing them when a new train arrived, but it became clear this wasn’t going to work as not long after, people just began pushing themselves into the station and onto the trains. Thankfully, we all made it on the same car and thus began to 20-minute ride back to the Kensington Area.
None of us had dinner at this point, so we all were super hungry with the exception of my mom, who tends to have a limited battery for all-day events like this. She ended up getting off at Gloucester Road, while my dad, sister, girlfriend and I rode the tube one stop further and got off in Earl’s Court. With limited options at that hour, we settled on Franco Manca, which is a pizza chain in England. We each got a salads and split two pizzas and honestly, it hit the spot. I’m a sucker for thin crust sourdough pizzas where the crust is the star of the show and this fit the bill. Or maybe I was just super hungry.
After dinner, we retreated back to our respective hotels and enjoyed a well-deserved night of rest.
Thank you everyone for following along! I tried my best to capture what it was like to be at Wimbledon, but as I noted, it really is one of those things where you just have to experience it yourself. Nevertheless, I hope you all enjoyed and I look forward to finishing this trip report up over the next few days with our flight in BA's Club World Cabin from LHR-PHL!
After a pit stop at the Millenium for a quick breakfast, we boarded The Underground at Gloucester Road station and took the District Line to Southfields Station. As we neared Southfields, the number of passengers donning either tennis gear, floral gowns and wide brimmed hats, or fresh-pressed suits grew with each stop. By the time we were approaching the station, it was unmistakably clear that everyone was heading to Wimbledon.
Upon arrival, the masses spilled out onto the platform and we all slowly began making our way through the town of Southfields and towards the grounds. Around 20 minutes later and we arrived to one of the many gates, just a few minutes before the gates were set to open. At 10am on the dot, a voice came over the intercom announcing that the gates were to be opened and despite the lengthy line for entry, we were soon on the grounds.
Not even the most eloquent words or meticulous detail could truly capture what it was like to step onto the grounds of Wimbledon for the first time. I’m not sure whether it is the gorgeous architecture of the arenas, the freshly manicured grass, or the way a sunny day illuminates the entire scene, but there is something special about Wimbledon. The palpable excitement in the air confirmed that I was not the only one who felt this way.
We had some time to kill, so while my Dad, Mom, and Sister moseyed around the All-England Club and had tea (again, Dad in journalism), my girlfriend and I set off to explore. First order of business? A Pimm’s Cup, of course! The iconic Wimbledon cocktail didn’t disappoint, and neither did the prices. Everything here was much cheaper than I am used to, with a beer coming in at just over six pounds versus the $16 I’d be paying at any major sporting event back home.
Around 11, my girlfriend and I made our way over Court 3 where world number seven Andrey Rublev was taking on Max Purcell. Purcell put up a good effort, but Rublev is number seven for a reason and took down the Aussie in just three sets.
After the match, we were pretty hungry so we went to one of the many food courts on the grounds. Unlike the French Open, where the food is absolutely repulsive, Wimbledon actually has food you would want to eat. There is a huge variety of cuisines, from Asian, to Mediterranean, to English. The list goes on. We settled on wraps from a Mediterranean stand and got a few drinks to go along with it.
Once we finished up, we made the short walk over the Court One where the court’s first match of the day was about to be played. This match pit women’s world number one Iga Swiatek up against Zhu Lin. Swiatek demolished her foe in straight sets, but her skills were still on full display. It was an absolute pleasure getting to watch such a phenomenal player, even more so in such a beautiful arena.
One thing to note about the Swiatek match was it began to rain with just a few games left to play in the second set. Luckily, both Center Court and Court One have retractable roofs, although watching them cover and uncover the court for the weather was a bit of a spectacle.
As it turns out, it was really raining outside, which meant that all of the other courts had to suspend play until the rain stopped. With nothing to watch, the grounds were absolutely flooded by the mass of people eating, drinking, and walking their way through the delay. Since the next match on Court One was still a bit away, we joined the crowd and did some walking ourselves. We eventually found the Amex Centurion Lounge and true to form, there was a significant wait to get in. Usually I’d go to the Admirals Club in this situation, but the champagne bar wasn’t a bad second choice.
Probably why there was such a line...
By the time we got back to Court One, the match between world number four Casper Ruud and Frenchman Laurent Lokoli was well underway. Ruud ended up taking the first set 6-1, but Lokoli really put together a great second set and ended up winning it 7-5, firing up the crowd in the process. Ruud ended up easily taking the final two sets, but the match was quite entertaining nevertheless.
At this point, the rain had subsided and play had resumed on the outdoor courts. We took this opportunity to try and catch a glimpse of soon-to-be Hall of Famer Stan Wawrinka. Though well past his prime, Wawrinka is a three-time Grand Slam winner and was able to put together a fantastic career. He would have had more success had he not played in the era of the Djokovic, Federer, Nadal hegemony, but so would basically every other tennis player of that era.
Unfortunately, we really couldn’t get the best view of the Wawrinka match, so we went over to some of the side courts. A nice surprise was seeing Diego Schwartzman on Court 7. Schwartzman is a very talented player from Argentina, known perhaps for his short stature (standing at just 5’7’’) as much as his accolades on the court. The sun was just beginning to retreat at this point, which made for a gorgeous scene.
After watching some of the side court matches and picking up some strawberries and cream (completely overrated), we went over to Court One for the final showdown of the night, women’s world number seven Coco Gauff against one-time Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin. Gauff looked pretty bad for the most part and Kenin took full advantage of that, beating her in three sets, including a 6-2 trouncing in the third.
By the time the Gauff-Kenin match wrapped up, it was 8:30 but still light enough for some family photos on the hill. The lighting and background made for some fantastic pics; a literal photo finish to such a great day.
As we left, I was able to snap some a few last pictures of the grounds in the dying light.
Tranquil as the last hour or two had been, leaving Wimbledon was an absolute mess. Thousands of people paraded back through the town of Southfields, completely overwhelming both the street and the train station. There were staff trying to keep people in lines and only releasing them when a new train arrived, but it became clear this wasn’t going to work as not long after, people just began pushing themselves into the station and onto the trains. Thankfully, we all made it on the same car and thus began to 20-minute ride back to the Kensington Area.
None of us had dinner at this point, so we all were super hungry with the exception of my mom, who tends to have a limited battery for all-day events like this. She ended up getting off at Gloucester Road, while my dad, sister, girlfriend and I rode the tube one stop further and got off in Earl’s Court. With limited options at that hour, we settled on Franco Manca, which is a pizza chain in England. We each got a salads and split two pizzas and honestly, it hit the spot. I’m a sucker for thin crust sourdough pizzas where the crust is the star of the show and this fit the bill. Or maybe I was just super hungry.
After dinner, we retreated back to our respective hotels and enjoyed a well-deserved night of rest.
Thank you everyone for following along! I tried my best to capture what it was like to be at Wimbledon, but as I noted, it really is one of those things where you just have to experience it yourself. Nevertheless, I hope you all enjoyed and I look forward to finishing this trip report up over the next few days with our flight in BA's Club World Cabin from LHR-PHL!
Jul 31, 2023, 10:50 pm
#29
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 51
Wow, that is an amazing trip report, thank you for taking the time to write it. Looks like a really great trip, I would love to go on a similar one in the future. I have never seen any tennis game in person. I really love watching tennis and I also play it myself, but I never got to watch it live in person. I hope some day I'll be able to do it. I hope you guys enjoyed your trip and have a great flight back.