You’re watching an American TV show when the location segues to London. Yup, there it is again—ye olde stock footage of Big Ben. So much for London in close-up.

By the logic of TV, Londoners from all 33 boroughs enjoy unobstructed views of this English landmark, the better to set their watches. Never mind that Big Ben refers to the great bell housed inside the Elizabeth Tower.

Travel guides often present London as a checklist of iconic attractions–Buckingham Palace, the Tower Bridge, the Millennium Eye. Yet for 30 million annual visitors, it’s the London details that form our enduring impressions.

Oh, I see: In the sweet-shop of travel inspiration, London is packed with tasty “allsorts.” Here’s a sampler of London details to savor:

1. Fascinating street names

Favorites among London’s 20,000 streets include: Man in Moon Passage, Crooked Usage, Ogle Street, Batman Close, and Ha-Ha Road. Technically, “ha-ha” refers to hedges and a batman is a cricketer, but still.

Don’t forget Pudding Lane. Or perhaps do, since “pudding” in the 1600s referred to animal guts that were tossed from butcher-shop windows onto the streets below.

2. Not-always-so-historical plaques

London-born actor Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch (try saying THAT five times fast) is synonymous with another famous Londoner, the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes.

Could this plaque signify the designated drop-off for Cumberbatch’s britches and cummerbunds? Doubtful, but it’s eminently worth pondering.

3. Games afoot!

So popular is the BBC television series “Sherlock” that the Sherlock Holmes Museum at 221b Baker Street draws constant crowds.

Don’t fancy languishing in line? Then follow the literary clues on foot. Pop round to the Criterion Restaurant, where Dr. Watson first hears that Holmes is “looking to share lodgings.” Stroll through the Langham Hotel, named in “The Sign of Four.” See the Opera House, one of Holmes’ favorite haunts.

Or go all modern by visiting locations from the BBC series. You can even get your London details direct from Holmes’ nemesis—albeit by text message—if you sign up for Moriarty’s Game. It’s a creative way to explore hidden London while solving a mystery with fellow sleuths.

4. Windowsill whimsy

Why limit your décor to inside the flat? Despite googling the World’s Silliest Search Terms, I’ve no idea why there are frogs on this central London windowsill.

5. Places to “potter about”

Potterheads flock to King’s Cross Station to find a sign labeled Platform 9¾ and a baggage trolley submerged in a wall. But for truly immersive magic, visit Leadenhall Market.

The location for Diagon Alley scenes in the Harry Potter films is just as enchanting in its everyday guise. As local Muggles go about their business, let your imagination summon up wizarding charms.

6. Museums under sidewalks

Design firm London Sing transformed a bleak underpass in Marylebone into The Wonderpass, a free must-see mini-museum. Step down to discover London in close-up.

7. Afternoon tea

To avoid shocking Dowager Countesses, never, ever call it “high tea.” That’s an entirely different meal, associated with humbler, heartier fare. (Think meat, cheese, and other savories laid out by Mrs. Patmore for Downton Abbey’s staff.)

Credit for the more formal “afternoon tea” goes to the Duchess of Bedford. Around 1840, she visited the Fifth Duke of Rutland at Belvoir Castle, where the fashionably late dinner hour left guests peckish. Her discreet suggestion for bridging the gap became a national habit.

Today U.S. visitors pay a duke’s ransom to sip afternoon tea in hotels populated mainly by their fellow Americans. For twice the charm at half the cost, try local favorite Bea’s Cake Boutique. Or splurge while dodging stodginess at sketch in Mayfair.

8. Or do as the English do and . . .

Drink coffee! Tea consumption in the UK has fallen by 60 percent since the 1970s, but coffee has percolated up to boiling point. Britons now drink 70 million cups of coffee daily.

9. Pillar boxes and postal puzzles

You can still find red pillar post boxes dating back to 1853 all over the city. There’s surprising variety among the designs.

Over time, Britons “have found ways to play with their post.” So say the founders of the Postal Museum. The first major new museum in London in over a decade is sealed until 2017, but visit its website posthaste for special delivery of fascinating finds.

10. Your own personal London

London in close-up is the world’s most renewable source of travel inspiration. As novelist Walter Besant wrote, “I’ve been walking about London for the last 30 years, and I find something fresh in it every day.”

Now recall your own personal London, whether it’s based on life, literature, or your favorite British video. What London details inspire you?

$\"Entrance$

To truly appreciate London, get down into the details.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n

Travel Inspiration: Details That Delight<\/h2>\n
You\u2019re watching an American TV show when the location segues to London. Yup, there it is again\u2014ye olde stock footage of Big Ben. So much for London in close-up.<\/p>\n
By the logic of TV, Londoners from all 33 boroughs enjoy unobstructed views of this English\u00a0landmark, the better to set their watches. \u00a0Never mind that Big Ben refers to the great bell housed inside the Elizabeth Tower.<\/p>\n
$\"Gold$
Gold railings along\u00a0Little Venice Canal in London’s Maida Vale.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
Travel guides often present London as a\u00a0checklist of\u00a0iconic attractions–Buckingham Palace, the Tower Bridge, the Millennium Eye. Yet for 30 million annual visitors, it’s the London details that form our enduring impressions.<\/p>\n
Oh, I see<\/strong>:\u00a0 In the sweet-shop of travel inspiration, London is packed with\u00a0tasty\u00a0\u201callsorts.\u201d Here\u2019s a sampler of London details to savor:<\/p>\n
1. Fascinating street names<\/strong><\/h4>\n
$\"A$
Presumably worth two in the bush, this London street is named for a former pub.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
Favorites among London\u2019s 20,000 streets include: Man in Moon Passage, Crooked Usage, Ogle Street,\u00a0Batman Close, and Ha-Ha Road. Technically, \u201cha-ha\u201d refers to hedges\u00a0and a batman is a cricketer, but still.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t forget Pudding Lane. Or perhaps\u00a0do, since \u201cpudding\u201d in the 1600s referred to animal guts that were tossed from butcher-shop windows onto the streets below.<\/p>\n
2. Not-always-so-historical plaques<\/strong><\/h4>\n
$\"A$
Dry humor at its best pressed.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
London-born\u00a0actor\u00a0Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch (try saying THAT five times fast) is\u00a0synonymous with another famous Londoner, the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes.<\/p>\n
Could this plaque signify\u00a0the designated drop-off for Cumberbatch\u2019s britches and cummerbunds? Doubtful, but it\u2019s eminently worth pondering.<\/p>\n
3. Games afoot!<\/h4>\n
So popular is the\u00a0BBC television series “Sherlock” that the Sherlock Holmes Museum<\/a>\u00a0at 221b Baker Street draws constant crowds.<\/p>\n
Don’t fancy\u00a0languishing in line? Then follow the literary clues on foot. Pop round to\u00a0the Criterion Restaurant, where Dr. Watson\u00a0first hears\u00a0that\u00a0Holmes is “looking to share lodgings.” Stroll through\u00a0the Langham Hotel, named\u00a0in “The Sign of Four.” See\u00a0the Opera House, one\u00a0of Holmes’ favorite haunts.<\/p>\n
$\"Hats,$
Grab your hat and follow Holmes on foot.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
Or go all modern by visiting locations<\/a> from\u00a0the BBC series. You can even get your London details direct from Holmes’ nemesis\u2014albeit by text message\u2014if you sign up for Moriarty’s Game<\/a>.\u00a0It’s a creative\u00a0way to explore hidden\u00a0London while solving a mystery with fellow sleuths.<\/p>\n
4. Windowsill whimsy<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Why limit your d\u00e9cor to inside<\/em> the flat? Despite googling the World\u2019s Silliest\u00a0Search Terms, I\u2019ve no idea why there are frogs on this central\u00a0London windowsill.<\/p>\n
$\"An$
When toad-in-the-hole becomes frogs-on-the-sill.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
5. Places to \u201cpotter about\u201d<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Potterheads flock to King\u2019s Cross Station\u00a0to\u00a0find a sign labeled Platform 9\u00be and a baggage trolley submerged in a wall. But for\u00a0truly immersive magic, visit Leadenhall Market.<\/p>\n
The location for Diagon Alley scenes in the Harry Potter<\/em> films is\u00a0just as\u00a0enchanting in\u00a0its everyday guise. As local Muggles go about their business, let your imagination summon up\u00a0wizarding charms.<\/p>\n
$\"Leadenhall$
Does this Victorian galleria look familiar?
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
6. Museums under sidewalks<\/strong><\/h4>\nDesign firm London Sing transformed a bleak underpass in Marylebone into The Wonderpass<\/a>, a free must-see mini-museum. Step down to discover London in close-up.<\/p>\n
$\"A$
A diorama in London’s Wonderpass.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
$\"A$
A doll-size peek\u00a0into Regent Park Theatre.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
7. Afternoon tea<\/strong><\/h4>\n
To avoid shocking Dowager Countesses, never, ever<\/em> call it \u201chigh tea.\u201d \u00a0That\u2019s an entirely different meal, associated with humbler, heartier fare. (Think meat, cheese, and other savories laid out by Mrs. Patmore for Downton Abbey\u2019s staff.)<\/p>\n
$\"A$
Important disclaimer: One is not actually a Dowager Countess,
nor does one play one on “the telly.”
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
Credit for the more formal\u00a0“afternoon tea” goes to the Duchess of Bedford. Around\u00a01840,\u00a0she visited\u00a0the Fifth Duke of Rutland at Belvoir Castle, where the fashionably late dinner hour left guests\u00a0peckish.\u00a0Her discreet\u00a0suggestion for bridging the gap\u00a0became a national habit.<\/p>\n
Today U.S. visitors pay a duke’s ransom to sip afternoon tea in hotels populated mainly\u00a0by\u00a0their\u00a0fellow Americans. For twice the charm at\u00a0half the cost,\u00a0try\u00a0local favorite Bea\u2019s<\/a> Cake Boutique. Or\u00a0splurge while dodging stodginess at sketch<\/em><\/a> in Mayfair.<\/p>\n
8. Or do as the English do and . . .<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Drink coffee! Tea consumption in the UK has fallen by 60 percent since the 1970s, but coffee has percolated up to boiling point. Britons now drink 70 million cups of coffee daily.<\/p>\n
$\"Customers$
By 1633, there were already\u00a085\u00a0coffee houses in London.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
9. Pillar boxes\u00a0and postal puzzles<\/strong><\/h4>\n
You can still find\u00a0red pillar post boxes \u00a0dating back to\u00a01853\u00a0all over the city. There’s surprising variety among the designs.<\/p>\n
$\"$
When you absolutely, positively have to send it next Thursday.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
Over time, Britons \u201chave found ways to play with their post.\u201d So say the founders of the Postal Museum. The first major new museum in London in over a decade is sealed\u00a0until 2017, but visit its website<\/a> posthaste<\/em> for special delivery of fascinating finds.<\/p>\n
$\"A$
To deliver this letter, the postman had to unscramble the words Greenstone House on the envelope<\/em>.<\/p><\/div>\n
10. Your own\u00a0personal London<\/strong><\/h4>\n
London in close-up is\u00a0the world\u2019s most renewable source of travel inspiration. As novelist\u00a0Walter Besant wrote, “I’ve been walking\u00a0about London for the last 30 years, and I find something fresh in it every day.”<\/p>\n
Now recall your own personal London, whether it’s based on life, literature, or your favorite British video.\u00a0What London details inspire you<\/em>?<\/p>\n
$\"An$
Small treats add big charm to London’s Primrose Hill neighborhood.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
See guides to coffee<\/a> and afternoon tea<\/a> that really stir things up.<\/em><\/p>\n
Comment<\/a> on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":null,"protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":26464,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[209,222],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-england-mappoints","category-hiking-travel"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26489","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26489"}],"version-history":[{"count":99,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26489\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40783,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26489\/revisions\/40783"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26489"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26489"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26489"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}