I’ll be off to London in early January, my first trip since The Big Surgery.

I’ve done a lot of things to keep comfortable — TSA pre-check, easy airport transport, and my favorite tons-of-room airplane seat right inside the door.

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And … I chose a new neighborhood! Southwark/Bankside. Home of Shakespeare’s Globe, Southwark Cathedral, and Borough Market. All a two minute walk from my front door!

Honestly, I could spend all week in my own neighborhood and I’d be perfectly charmed, fed, and entertained. The area is completely pedestrianized.

In the below c. 1630 Nicolaes Visscher painting, my hotel is just to the left of the cathedral in the foreground.

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In the below photo, I’ll be at the end of The Anchor building, facing the Wagamama. The Globe is a one minute walk behind the photographer. The fenced area on the left is the pub’s outdoor seating on the river.

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The immediate neighborhood is also home to Winchester Palace, once home of the Bishop. Just a few walls of the Great Hall remain, now transformed into a public garden.

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The Clink (the Bishop’s gaol and originator of the modern slang term) is a few yards away and underground. These days, it’s an extremely corny, gory, mannequin-filled tourist attraction that I completely intend to visit again. The name of the cobbled lane is still Clink Street (which has an awesome tunnel).

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I’ll save the amazing history and stories for when I’m actually there.

Here comes the holidays!